In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch sits down with narrator and audio producer Kirt Graves to talk about audiobook production. Kirt shares about how his history in debate and growing up gay helped him built the super power of empathy. He talks about how he collaborates with authors, the role of the author in a narration project, a…

Jeff and editor/writer/bookstore owner Tom Holbrook come together to talk about what they are seeing in the book world. They talk about things they are encountering frequently as editors, stories that they've recently loved, stories they consumed that were broken, and about the state of publishing in general. To find Tom online, go to https://holbr…

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach sits down with fantasy author Mark August to talk about writing a big cast with multiple points-of-view. Laura and Mark talk about introducing lots of characters, Laura breaks down how to introduce a lot of characters, letting us know who is in the scene, and getting characters talking right away. To find more…

04/01/2024 | April 2024 QuizBy Elliot Fishman, MD

WARNING - this episode contains conversation about suicide and violence. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, please call 988 now. Help is available. You can speak with someone today. In this episode, we are kicking off poetry month. Jeff sits down with poet Edward Doyle-Gillespie to talk about what inspires Ed to write poetry, why he loves …

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Jenny Wilson to talk about her cast. They work through her vehicle's voice and how her vehicle needs to change during the story, then they talk about her surrounding cast members and how those cast members can enhance the reader's experience. For more on dialogue and characterization, check out https://di…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Don Elliot to talk about plotting out a longer series. They talk about how to manage it, how to role it out to readers, and how to make it feel realistic. Jeff stresses in the episode that it is important to hook the reader at the scene/character level. They also talk plot structures, Game of Thrones, and…

In this episode, JP Rindfleisch the IX and Jeff talk about Houston Howard's book, You're Gonna Need a Bigger Story. JP takes Jeff through the main points and the process together how the story might impact their writing. To find more of JP, check out https://www.jprindfleischix.com/ For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Eric Heuser to look at a scene Eric is working on. Jeff and Eric talk about adding a POV to a work in progress, building emotional resonance, writing a character with a different interior and exterior voice, using reflective prose in segment breaks to give the reader a feeling of intimacy. For more on dia…

03/01/2024 | March 2024 QuizBy Elliot Fishman, MD

In this episode, Laura and Jeff answer questions from the Dialoggers. Questions include: --Suggestions for plotting and planning a longer series, --How to write dialogue in a group scene where you have six or more characters in the discussion? --When trying to establish characters, world, and show the 'normal' state of life for them, how do you kee…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Scott Fishman to talk about the memoir Scott is writing. They talk about the use of italics, using paragraph spacing to break up blocks of text making it more readable, using conversational spacing to create the feeling of dialogue, building to a dramatic summary conclusion at the end of a story, and more. For m…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with LeAnn Robison to look at a "Big Cast" scene she's written. Big cast scenes are scenes of three or more characters. Jeff and LeAnn focus on managing a six character cast in a scene, what to do when the characters don't all participate equally, and how to keep all the characters engaged so the reader isn't surpris…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Nancy Stark. As they look at a piece together, they go deep into all things dialogue. They talk about varying character voices, the Dialogue Daisy, when and how to use prose, and how to maximize the impact of your dialogue. For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/…

02/01/2024 | February 2024 QuizBy Elliot Fishman, MD

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach Laura Humm sits down with author Carrie Thomas to talk about a piece Carrie has been working on. They talk about how editing and plotting can cause you to lose passion for you project, they talk about the struggle of writing a complicated story with multiple POV, and making sure your story clearly communicates…

In this solo episode, Jeff goes deep into a vehicle character. He breaks down what a vehicle characer is and then contrasts the five different types of vehicles. Jeff talks about what makes each vehicle special and how they can be used in your story to provide your reader with a satisfying emotional journey. For more on writing dialogue, head over …

In this episode, Jeff sits down with an author to talk about a multi-vehicle plot in which one of the main vehicles is an unlikable villain. They talk about empathizing with your main characters, understanding how a character can grow in a negative direction and still keep the reader hooked in with hope, and how to build complimenting characters ar…

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX and author Madeline Davis sit down to talk through her plot and characters together. JP looks at each main character's Story Hypothesis and they discuss how the characters' wants and needs impact their story arcs. For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/ To get a copy of th…

01/01/2024 | January 2024 QuizBy Elliot Fishman, MD

Happy New Year! In this episode, Jeff lays out what the Dialogue Doctor community will be up to in 2024. Then, Jeff and JP talk about the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. Jeff takes JP through the book and they discuss how authors can apply the business principles Jim Collins talks about. For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedo…

In this special solo episode, Laura Humm goes deep into editing. She talks about her history with editing, the different types of edits, and what happens in the editing process. Then Laura goes deep into how you should choose an editor and what you should look for. Finally, Laura breaks down what you should do when you edit. For more on writing and…

In this episode, Jeff and Scott look at a scene Scott wrote. They talk about finishing novels, writing children's voices, building a character for growth, partnering unlikable characters with characters that like them, writing to segments of the dialogue, and Oliver Twist. For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/…

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach JP Rindfleisch IX sits down with author MZ to talk about the opening of her story. They look at MZ's Story Hypothesis, talk through her themes, look at her characterization, and then work through ways to ensure the opening of her story is as engaging as possible. To find JP's book, the Story Hypothesis, go to …

12/01/2023 | December 2023 QuizBy Elliot Fishman, MD

In this episode, Jeff interviews the amazing Sacha Black. They talk about her career, her podcasting, the development of the Rebel Author brand, and the transformation of her fiction into Ruby Roe. It's a fantastic look inside the business of a wildly successful author/entrepreneur. To find more of Sacha's work with authors, go to https://sachablac…

Time with Tom is back! Jeff and editor/bookstore owner/all-around-brilliant-writer Tom Holbrook sit down to talk about great stories they've consumed, problems they are thinking through, trends they've seen in editing, and more. To find Tom's editing services, go to https://holbrookauthorservices.com/holbrook-author-services/ For more on writing gr…

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Carol Painter to examine a piece she is working on. As they work through Carol's writing, they talk about jumping time in conversation, writing dialogue that is deeply intimate, finding places for reflection, leaning into emotional moment and starting conversations strong. Carol was also on episodes 111 a…