Welcome to the Dialogue Doctor Podcast.
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Below you will find links to each episode and videos that complement the episode.
EPISODE LIST
Episode 328 – The Business Model Canvas – A Joint with JP – Jeff and JP talk through the Business Model Canvas and how it relates to authors
Episode 327 – Plotting Your Sequel Based on Character Growth – Jeff works with V.E. Griffith on building a plan for his second novel.
Episode 326 – Masterful Microtension with C.S. Lakin – Jeff and C.S. talk about what microtension is and how to use it effectively.
Episode 325 – Fiction, Film, and All Story Telling In Between with Ron Newcomb – Jeff and Ron talk about life as independent story tellers.
Episode 324 – Writing Your Community & Character Growth – Jeff and Pa Theriot look at their work in progress and talk character change.
Episode 323 – Understanding Characters that Don’t Change through The Big Lebowski – Jeff meets up with the members of the community to analyze the Big Lebowski.
Episode 322 – Creating Emotional Texture in Your Story with Beth Biss – Jeff and Beth talk about ways she can control the reader’s emotional journey.
Episode 321 – Adding Emotion to High Action Scenes with John Krause – Jeff meets with John to look at action scenes in his work in progress.
Episode 320 – Writing Screenplays vs Writing Novels – Jeff talks with Emma-Jane Heaton about screenplay writing
Episode 319 – Writing Complicated Scenes with Big Casts – Jeff works with Joan Lightning on her work in progress.
Episode 318 – Broken Stories and Ones that Work – A Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom discuss recent stories they’ve engaged with an dive into Ai.
Episode 317 – Writing Child Voices and Dreams with Laura Humm – Laura sits down with Denis Kurlas to talk about his work in progress.
Episode 316 – Analyzing Raising Arizona – Jeff and members of the community break down the plot and cast structure of a Coen Brother’s classic.
Episode 315 – The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – A Joint with JP – JP and Jeff breakdown and discuss this classic book on the life of a writer.
Episode 314 – Writing Science Fiction with Energy – Jeff and John Krause talk about his science fiction work in progress and how to keep the descriptions engaging.
Episode 313 – Using the Enneagram for Characterization with Claire Taylor – Jeff and Claire discuss Claire’s new book and talk about using the enneagram to build characters.
Episode 312 – World Building and Dialogue with LeAnn Robinson – Jeff and LeAnn look at her science fiction work in progress and talk about getting complex world building in through dialogue.
Episode 311 – A Coaches Call with JP Rindfleisch IX and Laura Humm – The three coaches get together to catch up after the holidays.
Episode 310 – Conversations about Querying with Dixie Williams – In this episode, Jeff talks with Dixie Williams about selling their work
Episode 309 – Tools and Tips for Building a Measurable Plan – In this solo episode Jeff talks about planning, reviews 2025, and talks about what is coming in 2026.
Episode 308 – “Help. I’m a Writer. What Do I Do Next?” with Pa Theriot – Jeff and Pa discuss what they should work on next.
Episode 307 – How to Pitch with the Pitch Master – Jeff sits down with Lindsey Hughes to evaluate pitches
Episode 306 – Writing Holiday Party Scenes – Jeff works with Ginny Moore to write a big cast scene
Episode 305 – You Need Support – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom Holbrook talk about what they are seeing in the industry.
Episode 304 – Understanding the Emotional Flow of Your Story – Jeff sits down with author Beth Biss to talk about creating an emotional flow to scenes.
Episode 303 – Learning from a Masterful Short Story – Jeff and members of the community study An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Episode 301 – World Building with Emotion – Laura Humm works with Liz Woodiwiss on a Call to Action scene
Episode 300 – The Dialogue Doctor DNA – Jeff walks through every theory and tool the team has developed to date
Episode 299 – Writing the Perfect Sidekick – Jeff sits down with Doug Durrow to discuss writing a sidekick for his detective
Episode 298 – Writing a High Impact Final Boss Scene – Jeff sits with V.E. Griffith to look at his climatic fight scene.
Episode 297 – Becca Syme Returns – Jeff and Becca discuss publishing, strengths, and how the world is changing
Episode 296 – The Hidden Tools of Comedy by Steve Kaplan – A Joint with JP – Jeff and JP talk about how to write funny
Episode 295 – Pitching Your Work with Laura Goode – Jeff and author Laura Goode discuss her book, Pitch Craft
Episode 294 – Creating Powerful Emotional Moments – Jeff and Mary Van Everbroeck look at a big cast short story
Episode 293 – Writing Child Voices, Making Characters Distinct, & What Makes a Thriller? – An office hour with Laura Humm
Episode 292 – Novel Analysis – My Friends by Fredrik Backman [SPOILERS!] – In this episode, Jeff, Laura, and several community members break down an incredible novel
Episode 291 – Aligning the Plot and Emotional Climax with John Krause – Jeff and John look at the climax of John’s work in progress
Episode 290 – Do Not Finish Books and More – A Dialogue Doctor Coaches Call
Episode 289 – “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” – a Joint with JP – Jeff and JP talk about the classic craft book by Jessica Brody.
Episode 288 – Editing and Understanding Characters at the Scene Level with Laura Humm – Laura works with Danielle Bonneau on editing her work in progress.
Episode 287 – Pitching with Pitch Master Lindsey Hughes – Jeff and Lindsey look at pitches from the Dialoggers
Episode 286 – The Artisan Author with Johnny B Truant – Jeff and Johnny discuss the philosophy behind the Artisan Author
Episode 285 – Answering All Your Publishing Questions with Emily Barrosse – publishing veteran answers 7 questions about publishing.
Episode 284 – How to Plot a 2nd Book and Build a Series – Jeff and Dixie Williams work on plotting her second book and her series.
Episode 283 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom check up on what they are seeing in story and as editors.
Episode 282 – Writing YA and Leading with Emotion – Laura works with Ted Atchley on making his YA Fantasy align with his goals.
Episode 281 – Examining Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin – Jeff and the Dialoggers learn from a short story by James Baldwin.
Episode 280 – Adding Emotional Weight with Dennis Kurlas – Jeff and Dennis talk about tweaking an almost finished novel
Episode 279 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura take questions from the community.
Episode 278 – Story Structure: Plots, Mosaic Plots, and Love Actually – Jeff works with the Dialoggers to understand complex plot structure.
Episode 277 – Building a Series through Character Growth – Jeff sits with Holly Lyne to work on her series in progress.
Episode 276 – Writing Unlikeable Characters – JP Rindfleisch IX works with an author on connecting the reader to unlikeable characters
Episode 275 – Your Sophomore Year of Writing – The hosts of the Author Next Door Podcast join Jeff to talk about their writing journey.
Episode 274 – Writing Character Voices of Different Ages – Laura works us through how age should shape a character’s voice.
Episode 273 – Brainstorming with Tarot – JP helps Jeff with his plot using tarot.
Episode 272 – How to Sell with Rob Jolles – Rob teaches Jeff about sales and why it is important for authors.
Episode 271 – Humanizing a Villain with Laura Humm – Laura works with author Jenny Wilson on Jenny’s work in progress.
Episode 270 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom Holbrook discuss what they are seeing and learning in the writing world.
Episode 269 – How Perspective Changes a Scene – Jeff and Don Elliot look at a scene together
Episode 268 – Zen in the Art of Writing – In this Joint with JP, Jeff and JP talk about the classic Ray Bradbury book.
Episode 267 – Tips on Editing a Story – JP Rindfleisch IX holds an Office Hour with members of the community.
Episode 266 – Plotting Long Story Lines and Finishing the Book – Jeff and Laura Q&A
Episode 265 – Maintaining Emotional Impact with Laura Humm – Laura works with Scott Veatch on his work in progress.
Episode 264 – Pitching Your Work with the Pitch Master – Lindsey Hughes tackles pitches from the Dialoggers.
Episode 263 – Tarot for Plot Brainstorming – JP works with Lisa Bonneau to work out her plot beats using tarot.
Episode 262 – Making the Emotional Journey Clear – Jeff and WV Rarick examine a work-in-progress together.
Episode 261 – AI Diagnostics with J Thorn – Jeff and J talk about a new AI driven tool J has created.
Episode 259 – Combining Genres with Laura Humm – Laura and Mary talk about writing complex genres.
Episode 258 – Poetry Time with Ed – Allen Ginsberg – Ed teaches Jeff all about Allen Ginsberg
Episode 257 – Building Complex Plots with Laura Humm – Laura Humm works with Emma Jane Heaton on Emma Jane’s science fiction trilogy.
Episode 256 – Cast Breakdown of Nobody Wants This – Jeff uses the VEAH method to breakdown the cast of the Netflix Rom Com.
Episode 255 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom talk about big things coming up.
Episode 254 – Understanding the Tools to Write Emotion – In a session with Lisa Bonneau, Jeff breaks down the tools we use to write emotion and how to manipulate them.
Episode 253 – Publishing with Emily Barrosse – Jeff interviews the CEO and Founder of Bold Story Press about her 30+ years in publishing.
Episode 252 – Character Growth in Paranormal Romance – Laura sits down with Paranormal Romance author to talk about character growth across a series.
Episode 251 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura tackle questions from the Dialoggers.
Episode 250 – Deep Perspective and the Middle of Your Story – Office Hours with JP – JP sits with three authors and answers their questions about the craft of writing.
Episode 249 – Structuring Dialogue and Emotional Flow with Dillon Mesquitta – Jeff and Dillon look at how to increase the emotional impact of Dillon’s chapter
Episode 248 – Building a Difficult Character with Carol Painter – Jeff and Carol look at chapters surrounding a tragic character.
Episode 247 – Joint with JP – Examining the Dip by Seth Godin – Jeff and JP talk about when you should quit.
Episode 246 – Scene Beats with Laura Humm and Dennis Kurlas – Laura shows us how to cut back beats in a scene and Jeff talks about a writers conference.
Episode 245 – Author Mindset with Honoree Corder – Jeff talks to Honoree about a positive author mindset.
Episode 244 – Plotting Your Story with JP Rindfleisch IX and Payton Lyle – JP breaks down plotting and characterization.
Episode 243 – How to Pitch Your Work with Lindsey Hughes – Jeff talks to Lindsey Hughes, the Pitch Master about pitching and networking.
Episode 242 – Character Growth and Building Tension with JP Rindfleisch IX and Farriz Mashudi – JP and Farriz discuss making Farriz’s first chapter as powerful as possible.
Episode 241 – Michele Berger, Short Stories, and Walter Mosley’s Crime Fiction – Jeff and Michele talk about writing short stories and analyze a book by Walter Mosley
Episode 240 – Writing Action Scenes and a Big Cast with Phil Yates – Jeff and Phil talk about managing a big historical fiction cast
Episode 239 – Dialogue Doctor Coaches Unite! – The coaches come together and have a grand time.
Episode 238 – Maximizing Dialogue in Your Story with Mendi – Jeff and Mendi talk about how to build intimacy with your reader
Episode 237 – An Office Hour with Laura Humm – Laura talks with authors about writing emotion and creating dynamic voices.
Episode 236 – How to Build a Cast with Victoria Tait – Jeff works with Victoria on building a cast that can remain interesting in a long series.
Episode 235 – Character Growth and Building Characters – an Office Hour with JP Rindfleisch IX – JP talks with authors about character growth and gives some publishing tips
Episode 234 – Turning Summaries into Scenes with Liz Mason – Jeff and Liz talk about taking exposition and making it into dialogue.
Episode 233 – An Office Hour with Coach Laura Humm – Laura and four authors work questions out together.
Episode 232 – How to Build a Main Character Dialogue Dash Style – a webinar from the Spring 2024 Dialogue Dash
Episode 231 – Cast Analysis of Knives Out – Jeff and the Dialoggers talk through the cast of a wild mystery.
Episode 230 – Creating Characters with Emotional Resonance with Holly Lyne – Jeff and Holly talk about crafting an emotional journey in a scene.
Episode 229 – Empowering Your Writing through the Enneagram with Claire Taylor – Discussing how using the Enneagram can help authors
Episode 228 – Showing vs Telling with AG Bowman and JP Rindfleisch IX – Looking at an opening scene and talking about engaging the reader in the scene
Episode 227 – Creating Great Work With Ann Garvin – Best selling author Ann talks to JP about staying focused on characters and life as a writer
Episode 226 – Writing a Big Family Scene with Dixie Williams and Laura Humm – Laura coaches Dixie through writing a Big Cast scene filled with family members.
Episode 225 – Talking Great Stories – Tom Holbrook returns for more Time with Tom
Episode 224 – Powerful Scenes and Short Stories with Mary Van Everboeck – Jeff and Mary look at a short story together and talk about writing themes.
Episode 223 – The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop – Jeff and JP discuss a powerful book about editing and working together
Episode 222 – Writing Plot Twists Into a Mystery – Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura and author Mara work together on the plot of Mara’s book
Episode 221 – Behind the Scenes of Traditional Publishing with Chuck Sambuhino – Chuck teaches Jeff everything Jeff needs to know about traditional publishing
Episode 220 – Building and Opening Scene with Erica Gloss – Laura Humm and Erica talk about making themes pop in Erica’s opening scene.
Episode 219 – Leslye Penelope and World Building – Jeff interviews award-winning author and podcaster Leslye Penelope
Episode 218 – Epic Fantasy and Romantic Tension – Jeff works with author Joan Lightening on her work in progress
Episode 217 – Editing and Writing Character Voices – Laura and Jeff take questions from the Dialogggers
Episode 216 – Themes, Scene Types, and Character Casting – JP and Lisa Young look at Lisa’s WIP
Episode 215 – An Interview with Daniel David Wallace – JP and Daniel talk about character-first writing and teaching writing
Episode 214 – Pacing the Energry of Your Story with Catherine Hernandez – Jeff and Catherine work on balancing tension in your scenes
Episode 213 – Flashbacks and Pacing with Lisa Bonneau – Jeff talks about integrating flashbacks into a scene.
Episode 212 – Writing Children’s Voices with Laura Humm and MZ – DD Coach Laura Humm coaches author MZ and her voices and pacing.
Episode 211 – Understanding Your Cast (Engines, Anchors, and Hazards) – a solo episode about building your cast.
Episode 210 – Plot, Character Growth, and Cast with Aaron Betts – Jeff and Aaron talk about journey narratives and growth arcs
Episode 209 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom talk editing and publishing.
Episode 208 – Understanding Your Characters with JP Rindfleisch IX and Fiona Chan – JP and Fiona look at character voices and character development together.
Episode 207 – Joint with JP – Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickham – Jeff and JP breakdown a classic book on how to write scenes.
Episode 206 – Writing Realistic Emotional Intensity with Laura Humm and Madeline Davis – Laura and Madeline talk about increasing the emotional intensity of a scene in a Historical Fantasy novel.
Episode 205 – Publisher and Agent David Morris – Jeff and David talk about his history in publishing and his work as an agent/publisher.
Episode 204 – Setting up Characters for Emotional Payoffs with Holly Lyne – Jeff and Holly look at the first chapter of Holly’s work in progress.
Episode 203 – Looking at the Vehicle Characters of the Big Short – Jeff sits down with several members of the community to analyze the story telling of the movie based on Michael Lewis’ book The Big Short.
Episode 202 – Creating Emotional Moments in Historical Fiction – DD Coach Laura Humm works with Danielle Boneua to deepen the emotional impact of a scene.
Episode 201 – Matt Brook, Finding Your Story, and Discovering Your Confidence – Jeff helps Matt break down his story into plot beats.
Episode 200 – The Celebration – the Dialogue Doctor Coaches celebrate 200 episodes.
Episode 199 – Designing a Cast of Characters with JP Rindfleisch IX and Viver Israel – a conversation about combining character voices in a cast.
Episode 198 – Audiobooks with JP Rindfleisch IX and Kirt Graves – an interview on building audiobooks and producing queer fiction.
Episode 197 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom talk about what they are seeing in the writing world as editors.
Episode 196 – Laura Humm and Mark August talk Writing a Big Cast – Laura breaks down how to make a big cast easy.
Episode 195 – Poetry Month with Edward Doyle-Gillespie (content warning) – Jeff and Ed tackle some deep subjects as they talk about what inspires poetry
Episode 194 – Building a Cast that Works with Jenny Wilson – Jeff and Jenny talk about building a cast focused on character growth.
Episode 193 – Don Elliot and Plotting a Giant Series – Jeff and Don talk writing an epic series, building up worlds, the Godfather, and Game of Thrones
Episode 192 – JP Joint – You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Story – Jeff and JP talk about Howard Houston’s book, You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Story
Episode 191 – Eric Heuser and Adding Inner Monologue – Jeff and Eric look at adding an inner voice that is different than the character’s vocalizations.
Episode 190 – Laura and Jeff Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer questions from the Dialoggers.
Episode 189 – Scott Fishman and Using Dialogue in Memoir – Jeff and Scott talk about making nonfiction feel like dialogue.
Episode 188 – LeAnn Robinson and Writing Big Cast Scenes – Jeff and LeAnn discuss how to avoid losing track of characters in a big scene.
Episode 187 – Nancy Stark and Empowering Your Dialogue – Jeff and author Nancy Stark go deep into the philosophy behind writing dialogue.
Episode 186 – Laura Humm and Carrie Thomas and Rediscovering Joy – managing a big project and writing scenes with themes.
Episode 185 – Understanding Your Main Character – Jeff goes solo and breaks down 5 different kind of Vehicle characters.
Episode 184 – Using a Villain as the Vehicle – Jeff and an author talk through a multi-vehicle plot and how to use an unlikable character as a main character.
Episode 183 – JP Rindfleisch IX and Madeline Davis – looking at character wants and needs and the Story Hypothesis
Episode 182 – A JP Joint – Good to Great – Jeff and JP talk about the Jim Collins book Good to Great and how it might impact their lives as authors.
Episode 181 – Laura Humm on Editing – in a solo episode, Laura breaks down editing and goes deep into what you need to look for.
Episode 180 – Scott Williamson and Writing Unlikable Characters – Jeff and Scott edit a piece and work through character arcs
Episode 179 – JP Rindfleisch IX and MZ and Starting Your Story Strong – JP works with MZ to kick off a strong opening to the story
Episode 178 – Sacha Black the Rebel Author – Jeff interviews the amazing Sacha Black
Episode 177 – Time with Tom – Jeff hangs out with the amazing editor, Tom Holbrook
Episode 176 – Writing Beautiful Dialogue with Carol Painter – Jeff and Carol dig into a piece Carol wrote and talk about creating emotional scenes.
Episode 175 – Four Tips for Writing Great Scenes – Jeff goes solo and talks about tricks that will help you write great scenes faster.
Episode 174 – Laura Humm, Dennis Kurlas, and Emotional Intensity – Laura and Dennis talk about creating strong emotional moments.
Episode 173 – Faye Whyte and Building a Plot from Characters – Jeff and Faye build a plot by looking at Faye’s cast.
Episode 172 – Amy Suthon and Building a Cast for Plot – Jeff and Amy talk about building a cast that empowers a plot.
Episode 171 – Jeff Elkins, Pa Theriot, and Unique Stories – Jeff and Pa talk about stories that don’t fit the mold.
Episode 170 – JP Rindfleisch and Emma Jane Heaton and the Story Hypothesis – JP talks character growth and changing needs.
Episode 169 – Liz Hurley and Fixing Plot with Characters – Jeff and Liz develop a plot as they build character voices together.
Episode 168 – Gladys Strickland and Building Character Voices – Jeff and Gladys build a cast of voices together.
Episode 167 – Laura Humm and Eric Heuser and Finding Child Voices – Laura and Eric talk about writing children’s voices in adult novels.
Episode 166 – Ian Worrall and Writing a Screenplay Ready Draft – Jeff and Ian talk about structuring his draft to make editing faster.
Episode 165 – Becca Syme and Moving Into the Future with Strength – Jeff and Becca talk strengths and publishing.
Episode 164 – JP Rindfleisch IX and Angela Haas and Kicking Off a Detective – JP and Angela look at the first chapter of Angela’s new detective series.
Episode 163 – Holly Lyne and Aligning a Character’s Voice with Growth – Jeff and Holly look at a piece together and talk about seeing characters on the page.
Episode 162 – Laura Humm with Barbara Clark and First Chapter Needs – Laura and Barbara look at Baraba’s first chapter and talk about how to make it stand out.
Episode 161 – Time with Tom – Mixing Genres and Other Things – Jeff and Tom talk about a mix of topics including mixing genres in a story.
Episode 160 – JP Rindfleisch the IX and Hollie Smurthwaite Build a Plot – JP and Hollie use character growth to help build her plot.
Episode 159 – AI Assisted Building a Plot with Character with Deb Jensen – Jeff and Deb talk about building a plot with characters.
Episode 158 – Joints with JP The Story Hypothesis – Jeff and JP break down this system and talk about how it empowers plotting.
Episode 157 – Laura Humm and Vivian Figueredo and Outline a Story – Laura and Vivian work together to outline a story together.
Episode 156 – Laura Humm and John Krause and Writing Children’s Voice – Laura coaches John in building a cast of children.
Episode 155 – An Interview with TJ Klune – Jeff sits down with the great TJ Klune to talk writing.
Episode 154 – Using Your Gut to Build Your Plot with Carmen Catena Lewis – Jeff and Carmen take a plot from feelings to beats.
Episode 153 – Jeff and Laura Q&A
Episode 152 – Understanding Emotional Arcs with Lauran Humm and CC Hanson – talking about emotional moments and teenage voices
Episode 151 – Building Character Voices with Slyvie Kurtz – Jeff and Slyvie talk through voices in her cast.
Episode 150 – After 30 Years of Publishing – An Interview with Mark Leslie Lefebvre – Jeff talks to publishing giant, Mark Leslie Lefebvre.
Episode 149 – Pa Theriot and Building Romance – Jeff and Pa use an Inside Outline to analyze their plot and talk about character growth.
Episode 148 – Time with Tom – Jeff and Tom talk about TJ Klune’s life with Puppets and other craft related things.
Episode 147 – Carol Lynn Francis and Getting Perspective – Jeff and Carol talk about using your vehicle character.
Episode 146 – Being an Author in Times of Change with JP Rindfleisch IX – Jeff and JP talk about AI and how they are trying to get their work seen in changing markets.
Episode 145 – Emma Jane Heaton and Building Openings – Jeff and Emma talk about building the opening for your story that you want.
Episode 144 – Laura Humm, Gemma Clatworthy, and Building Impactful Scenes – Zooming into important emotional scenes.
Episode 143 – The Nerdy Novelist Talks Writing with ChatGPT – Jeff and Jason Hamilton talk about writing with AI.
Episode 142 – Making Difficult Characters Likable with Madeline Davis – Jeff and Madeline talk about improving her main character.
Episode 141 – The Life of a Working Author with SW Millar – Jeff and Shane talk about writing, imposter syndrome, and community.
Episode 140 – Story Plotting with Joy Strouse – Jeff and Joy build a plot together.
Episode 139 – The Future of Publishing is Now! with J Thorn – Jeff and J talk about AI and writing.
Episode 138 – Eric Heuser and Varying Pace – Jeff and Eric talk about writing with rabbit speed in your dialogue.
Episode 137 – Greta Boris and Megan Haskell from the Author Wheel – Jeff, Greta, and Megan talk about overcoming obstacles and publishing your work.
Episode 136 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer 17 questions for the community about writing.
Episode 135 – Building Emotional Scenes with Raina Ash – How to create emotions in a scene.
Episode 134 – Time with Tom – Character growth in Back to the Future and the publishing journey.
Episode 133 – Dialogue in Action Scenes with Madeline Davis – Jeff and Madeline work on improving dialogue in an action scene and other character moments.
Episode 132 – Big Cast Scenes and Providing Insight with Faye Whyte – Jeff and Faye talk about keeping all the characters engaged in a big scene.
Episode 131 – Editors Talk Global Conflict, Choice, and Consequences – Jeff and three editors talk about fixing your plot.
Episode 130 – Building Character Voices with Lynn Wham – Jeff and Lynn talk about how to develop a cast of voices.
Episode 129 – Deep Dive on When Harry Met Sally – Jeff and the Dialoggers examine the writing behind the fantastic movie.
Episode 128 – Monica Cooke and Pacing for Emotion – Jeff and Monica look at voice and pacing.
Episode 127 – Zooming In and out with Laura Humm – Laura talks about writing emotions in a scene.
Episode 126 – Book Club – Little Thieves – Jeff and the Dialoggers look at the book by Margaret Owen.
Episode 125 – Big Cast Scenes with Tom Holbrook – Jeff and Tom look at character voices in a big cast scene.
Episode 124 – Looking to the New Year – Jeff hangs out with 7 amazing authors to talk about the new year.
Episode 123 – Maggie Menane and 1st Person POV – Conversations around reader magnets and first person POV.
Episode 122 – Special Addition of the Author Life – Jeff and J Thorn talk about launching the Dialogue Doctor
Episode 121 – Carol Painter and Finding Your Character’s Climax – Jeff and Carol Painter talk through the ending of her character arcs.
Episode 120 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer questions on writing and editing.
Episode 119 – V.E. Griffith Returns – Jeff and V.E. talk about giving the reader all the details they need and more.
Episode 118 – Using Dialogue to Create Character Growth – Jeff talks about what character growth is and dialogue tools to show it.
Episode 117 – Dennis Kurlass and Creating an Emotional Journey – Tips on moving your reader through the scene.
Episode 116 – Halloween Special with JP Rindfleisch – Halloween memories and writing horror/comedy.
Episode 115 – Three Story Method Editors on Theme – 6 editors discuss how to write theme.
Episode 114 – A Deep Dive with Laura Humm and Judy Boxer – Laura and Judy talk about the story structure and then look at a scene together.
Episode 113 -Eric Heuser and Writing the Climax of Your Book – Jeff and Eric talk through the climatic scene and discuss what need to go in it and what should be cut.
Episode 112 – Cassie Newell and Shane Millar and Finding Your Why – Conversations about productivity and continuing through resistance by understanding yourself.
Episode 111 – Carol Painter and Writing for Emotional Growth – Jeff and Carol work through a story and talk about structuring a scene.
Episode 110 – David Hayward and Creating Out of Your Authentic Self – talking about being an artist, facing critics, and so much more.
Episode 109 – Carmen Dillion and World Building with Dialogue – Jeff and Carmen look at a piece together and dig into structuring dialogue.
Episode 108 – Grand Rounds with J Thorn – publishing, starting new things, and building community.
Episode 107 – Charmyra Fleming and Zooming In – Jeff and Charmyra look at using dialogue for world-building.
Episode 106 – Framing a Story with Matty Dalrymple – Jeff and Matty discuss different ways to frame a story
Episode 105 – Laura Humm and Alicia McCalla Talk Editing – Laura walks Alicia through her editing process.
Episode 104 – Learning from She Who Became the Sun – The Dialogger Book Club talks about the Shelley Parker-Chan novel.
Episode 103 – Roland Denzel and Using Dialogue in a Scene – Jeff and Roland go deep into focusing on dialogue in a scene.
Episode 102 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura field questions from the Dialoggers
Episode 101 – Dillon Mesquitta and Removing Reader Burden – Jeff and Dillon talk about making it easy on the reader so your dialogue can shine.
Episode 100 – Claire Taylor and Enneagram for Writers – Jeff sits down with Claire Taylor to talk about using the enneagram as an author
Episode 99 – V.E. Griffith and the Details in the Dialogue – Jeff and Aaron get into the nitty-gritty of the dialogue on the page.
Episode 98 – Three Story Method Editors Talk World-Building – Jeff and 3 editors discuss the ins and outs of world-building.
Episode 97 – Cast Building with SW Millar – Jeff and Shane work through a cast together.
Episode 96 – Grand Rounds with Sean Paul Murphy – Jeff sits down with film producer and author Sean Paul Murphy.
Episode 95 – Maggie Menane and Emotional Transitions – Jeff and Maggie talk about writing a sequel, emotional transitions, and all kinds of other things.
Episode 94 – 7 Laws of Emotional Story Telling – Using physics as inspiration, Jeff breaks down how and why to think of writing as an emotional journey.
Episode 93 – Laura Humm and Susan Campbell Getting Details in the Dialogue – Laura and Susan talk about moving details from the prose to the dialogue.
Episode 92 – Emotional Tone with Miss Catherine Hernandez – Jeff and Three Story Method Editor Miss Catherine give tips and tricks about emotional tone.
Episode 91 – Eric Heuser Returns – Jeff and Eric talk about action scenes.
Episode 90 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer questions concerning character voice.
Episode 89 – Lisa Young Returns – Lisa Young and Laura Humm talk about pacing a scene.
Episode 88 – SW Milar Returns – Shane Milar returns to talk about lone wolves and dialogue with inanimate objects.
Episode 87 – Jeff Answers Questions – Jeff talks about redeeming unlikable characters and how to use inner thoughts.
Episode 86 – Angela Haas and Inner Thoughts – Jeff and Angela talk about character voices and inner thoughts.
Episode 85 – The Network Effect by Martha Wells – the Dialogger Book Club looks at an amazing narrator.
Episode 84 – Laura Humm and Faye Whyte – Engaging readers by improving character voices.
Episode 83 – Understanding a Character’s Wants and Needs – Jeff is joined by Three Story Method Editors to talk about writing a character’s wants and needs.
Episode 82 – Jeff and Eric Heuser Setting a Scene – Jeff and Eric talk scene building and developing an emotional flow.
Episode 81 – Laura Humm and Jon Howard on Keeping Readers Engaged – Laura and Jon edit a scene from Jon’s space opera.
Episode 80 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer questions from the Dialoggers.
Episode 79 – Carmen Dillion and Cinematic Writing – Jeff talks with Carmen Dillion about ways to empower the reader’s imagination.
Episode 78 – Laura Humm and Lon Varnadore Talk about Pacing in a Story – Laura and Lon break down changing emotional tone, the pacing of a piece, and writing great voices.
Episode 77 – Talking Characterization with the 3 Story Method Editors – editors join together to talk about writing great characters.
Episode 76 – Paige Theriot and Adding Descriptions to Dialogue – Jeff and Paige talk about building a cinematic scene for your reader.
Episode 75 – Writing in Community with Laura Humm, Faye Whyte, and Amy Schottenfels – a discussion about working together on a book.
Episode 74 – Alicia McCalla and Emotional Flow – Alicia and Jeff talk about world-building, emotional flow, and internal monologue.
Episode 73 – Jeff and Laura New Year Q&A – talk about managing projects and goals.
Episode 72 – The House in the Cerulean Sea Book Club – we talk character transformation and dialogue in this master-level work.
Episode 71 – SW Millar – dialogue tags, emotional pacing, and characterization.
Episode 70 – Three Story Method Editors on Editing – 7 editors join Jeff to talk about what editors do for writers.
Episode 69 – Laura with Elizabeth Lynn Seaton – in her first solo episode, Laura talks to Lynn about moving a scene with a lot of description to a more engaging scene based in dialogue.
Episode 68 – Jeff and Laura Q&A – Jeff and Laura answer questions about realism in dialogue and the speed of a scene.
Episode 67 – Dennis Kurlas Book Coaching – In this episode, Jeff and Dennis look at two scenes together and give you an inside look at Dialogue Doctor Book Coaching.
Episode 66 – Crys Cain and What Good is Prose? – In this episode, Jeff and Crys talk about writing everything around the dialogue.
Episode 65 – Eric Heuser Returns – Jeff and Eric go back to a scene they first discussed in episode 35.
Episode 64 – JP Rindfliesch and Christine Daigle – Jeff, JP, and Christine talk editing and serialized fiction.
Episode 63 – Scott Fishman – Jeff and Scott talk about making memoirs more engaging.
Episode 62 – Book Club – Freaky Deaky by Elmore Leonard – Jeff, Laura, and the community talk about Elmore Leonard’s dialogue.
Episode 61 – Faye Whyte Returns – Jeff and Faye talk about spatial awareness and body language.
Episode 60 – Vehicles, Engines, Anchors, and Hazards – In a solo episode, Jeff talked through new terms about taking a read on an emotional journey.
Episode 59 – Lisa Young – Jeff and Lisa work on the emotional content of a piece together.
Episode 58 – SW Millar – Jeff and Shane look through a piece together.
Episode 57 – Building a Character Voice that Empowers Plot – Jeff and Laura demonstrate how they work from plot to voice.
Episode 56 – Jeff and Laura Q&A + New Tools – Jeff and Laura reflect on a mini-conference and reveal new things.
Episode 55 – The 7 Deadly Sins of Dialogue – Jeff gets into the most common mistakes he sees authors making.
Episode 54 – Tom Holbrook – Jeff and Tom go deep into editing after building a character wheel chart.
Episode 53 – Marry Morrison – Jeff and Mary get into spicing up a memoir with dialogue.
Episode 52 – Q&A Year One Celebration – Jeff, Laura, and Carin get together to review what they’ve learned.
Episode 51 – Ray Bradbury – Members of the DD Slack group examine All Summers in a Day by Ray Bradbury
Episode 50 – Faye Whyte and a Series – Jeff and Faye talk through character change in her series.
Episode 49 – Laura Interviews Jeff – Jeff is put in the hot seat for the first time in the podcast
Episode 48 – JM Bedard – Jeff and JM talk big cast scenes and nonverbal characters.
Episode 47 – Dialogue Tags Q&A – Laura and Jeff talk all things dialogue tags.
Episode 46 – Emmie B – Jeff and Emmie talk writing changing POV for big cast scenes
Episode 45 – Understanding Characterization After Party – a group comes together to talk about lessons learned from the conference this weekend.
Episode 44 – Book Club – Borrowed Time by Tracy Clark – The group returns to dig into a wonderful mystery.
Episode 43 – Flannery O’Conner Character Wheel – Jeff and the gang build a character wheel from a short story.
Episode 42 – Deconstructing Story Structure – In this solo episode, Jeff takes a different look at story and what it is.
Episode 41 – Matty Dalrymple Returns – Jeff and Matty look at a piece Matty wrote and go deep into keeping the dialogue moving.
Episode 40 – Angela Ackerman – Jeff and Jeannette talk writing with Angela Ackerman.
Episode 39 – Ran Weingartner – Jeff and Ran talk about emotion in short fiction.
Episode 38 – Modulating Character Voices – In a solo episode, Jeff breaks down why and how to modulate a character’s voice.
Episode 37 – Katlyn Duncan – Jeff and Katlyn work together on the emotional tone of a chapter.
Episode 36 – Guardians of the Galaxy Character Wheel – Jeff and other dialogue fanatics break down the voices of this great cast of characters.
Episode 35 – Eric Heuser – Jeff and Eric work together on the emotional build of his scene.
Episode 34 – The Enneagram and the Maxey Co. – Jeff and Wendy talk to Morgan and Robby Maxey about the Enneagram and how it can be a tool for authors.
Episode 33 – Jane Gorman – Jeff and Jane work through her character voices while they look at a wonderful scene Jane wrote.
Episode 32 – BOOK CLUB – The Sun Also Rises – Jeff comes together with Laura, Faye, and Vince to talk about Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises”
Episode 31 – Q & A – Jeff sits down with Michele Tracy Berger and Laura Humm to discuss the question, “What is something authors do in dialogue that makes you want to put the book down?”
Episode 30 – James Jones – Jeff and James talk about dialogue vs plot, emotional flow, and the cadence of characters.
Episode 29 – Modulating Voices – In a solo episode, Jeff describes modulating voices for emotional impact.
Episode 28 – Doug Sjoquist – Jeff and Doug talk about dialogue in action scenes and emotional flow.
Episode 27 – Sacha Black – Jeff and Sacha look at a piece Sacha is working on and discuss a wide variety of topics about writing.
Episode 26 – Lethal Weapon Character Wheel – Jeff, Laura, and Tory Element break down the character voices in the movie Lethal Weapon
Episode 25 – The Dialogue Daisy – In a solo show, Jeff lays out his system for characterization
Episode 24 – Understanding Gender Diversity and Gender Mapping – Jeff is joined by a panel of friends to learn from Dr. Paz Galupo and Carin Galupo about Gender Mapping.
Episode 23 – Die Hard Character Wheel Panel Discussion – Jeff and Laura are joined by Tory Element and Faye Whyte to build a character wheel for John McClane.
Episode 22 – Holiday Special – Jeff brings on his three brothers-in-law and his wife to talk Christmas Vacation the movie.
Episode 21 – John Sales – Jeff and John look at the movie Ground Hog Day.
Episode 20 – Victoria Tait – Jeff and Victoria talk about writing “big cast” scenes and making smooth transitions in dialogue.
Episode 19 – Panel Discussion on Writing a Dialogue Only First Draft – Jeff and friends sit down to discuss writing in a different way.
Episode 18 – Sherilyn Decter – Jeff and Sheri talk about character voices and writing children.
Episode 17 – BOOK CLUB – We look at Beloved by Toni Morrison
Episode 16 with Lily Fouts – Jeff and Lily examine a scene of her memoir.
Episode 15 with Laura Humm – Jeff and Laura attack the question, “What is one thing you can start doing right now to improve your dialogue?”
Episode 14 with Tory Element – Jeff and Tory work on a science fiction piece together.
Episode 13 with Wendy Elkins – Jeff and Wendy read a scene from when Harry Met Sally
Episode 12 with Matty Dalrymple – Jeff and Matty discuss carrying a character across a series and audiobooks.
Episode 11 with Jeff Elkins – Jeff edits the first book he ever wrote.
Episode 10 with SA Schneider – SA Schneider and Jeff talk fan fiction and writing Doctor Who.
Episode 9 with Laura Humm – Laura returns to the podcast to talk about building a large cast of characters.
Episode 8 with Sherilyn Decter – Jeff and Sharilyn sit down to discuss a piece together.
Episode 7 with Rachael Muller – Jeff and Rachael discuss scenes from the TV show, The X Files.
Episode 6 with Janet Kitto – Jeff and Janet sit down to design a character Janet is preparing to write.
Episode 5 with Laura Humm – Jeff and Laura sit down to discuss what makes great dialogue.
Episode 4 with J Thorn – Jeff and J sit down to discuss the first chapter of a book J is starting.
Episode 3 with Rachael Muller – Jeff and Rachael discuss scenes from the TV show, The Magicians.
Episode 2 with Alicia McCalla – A conversation about Alicia’s work, the need for diverse characters, and writing unique voices.