Author Archives: Jeff Elkins

In this episode, Jeff and Laura demonstrate how they go about building a character voice based on the needs of a plot. Using a plot, Jeff is working on, they talk through the lead character’s personality and build a character voice from it. To see a character voice chart, click here. To listen on Spotify,Continue reading “Episode 57 – Building a Character Voice that Empowers Plot”

In this episode, Jeff and Laura reflect on what they learned from the mini-conference. They talk about writing allies and antagonists, body language vs action, and they reveal new free tools. To listen on Spotify, click here. To listen on iTunes, click here. To listen on Google Podcasts, click here. If you would rather watchContinue reading “Episode 56 – Jeff and Laura Q&A + New Free Tools”

In this solo episode, Jeff breaks down the 7 most common mistakes he sees authors making with their dialogue. To listen on Spotify, click here. To listen on iTunes, click here. To listen on Google Podcasts, click here. If you would rather watch Jeff talk through the sins, check out the video on YouTube:

In this episode, Jeff and Tom Holbrook come together to look at a piece from his upcoming book, The Levelers. They talk about the process of building a cast of character voices, playing character voices off of each other, and using a character wheel chart to edit/write. Tom and his amazing wife run the RiverRunContinue reading “Episode 54 – Tom Holbrook”

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Mary Morrison to talk about a short story she wrote. They talk about keeping the energy high through shorter interactions, using repetitive phrases strategically, and keeping things easy for the reader. You can find more of Mary’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0832K8F4T To listen on Spotify, click here. ToContinue reading “Episode 53- Mary Morrison”

In this episode, Jeff and Laura are joined by their friend Carin. With Carin as the host, they review what they’ve learned about dialogue, what has surprised them about working with clients, and what is coming in year two of the Dialogue Doctor. To listen on Spotify, click here. To listen on iTunes, click here.Continue reading “Episode 52 – Q&A One Year Celebration”

In this episode, members of the Dialogue Doctor Slack group come together to analyze the short story All Summer in a Day. They discuss big chorus scenes, using dialogue to convey emotion, and pulling a reader in through dialogue. To listen on Spotify, click here. To listen on iTunes, click here. To listen on GoogleContinue reading “Episode 51 – Examination of Ray Bradbury’s All Summer in a Day”

In this episode, Faye Whyte returns to the podcast to talk through her series with Jeff. Together she and Jeff work through questions of character transformation over a three-book arch. Asking simple questions, together they brainstorm how the characters will interact change over the course of the story. To listen on Spotify, click here. ToContinue reading “Episode 50 – Faye Whyte and Character Change Over a Series”

In this special holiday episode, Laura puts Jeff in the hot seat. To listen on Spotify, click here. To listen on iTunes, click here. To listen on Google Podcasts, click here. If you would rather watch Jeff and Laura chat, check out the YouTube video:

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author JM Bedard to look at a science fiction piece Jeannette wrote. They talk about strategically utilizing self-talk and nonverbal characters. They also discuss keeping all the characters engaged in a “big cast” scene and ensuring you know how your characters feel about each other. To listen onContinue reading “Episode 48 – JM Bedard”