The Dialogue Doctor Podcast

Jeff Elkins
  • 4.9 (18)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Writing great books is critical to generating sales and building a following of readers. On the Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins and other writers discuss how to write dialogue that will excite readers and help you sell more books.

  1. 14h ago

    How to Open a Fantasy Novel: Action, Tension, and Character Growth [Ep 345]

    How do you open a fantasy novel with action without confusing the reader? In this episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins sits down with new fiction author Malcolm Coon to work through the opening of Malcolm's fantasy heist novel. Malcolm has built an epic fantasy world loosely inspired by a D&D world he created with his brother when they were kids. Now he is turning that world into a story about couriers, rooftops, rebellion, hidden danger, and a young character being pulled into something much bigger than himself. The craft problem starts with the very first scene. Malcolm wants to open with movement, danger, and a rooftop chase. But he also wants readers to understand the world, care about the character, and know what kind of story they are stepping into. That creates the central question of the episode: How do you balance action, tension, worldbuilding, and character emotion in the opening pages? Jeff and Malcolm dig into the difference between starting with action and starting with high pressure. They talk about why a solo chase scene can be hard to make emotionally engaging, how reflective prose can slow tension, and why sometimes the better opening is not "start with danger," but "start with joy, then interrupt it." They also get into practical craft tools writers can use immediately, including: How to keep a chase scene at ground level Why trigger should come before response How backstory can rob an action scene of tension When inner thought works in third-person close POV Why a character's "brain voice" has to be treated like another character How to use internal reflection at emotional turning points Why mentor characters need clear emotional pressure How supporting characters can reveal the protagonist's growth arc When to use an anchor character to show the path the hero must reject How to make an opposing POV feel like the hero of their own story As the conversation expands, Jeff and Malcolm move from scene-level edits into the larger architecture of the novel. They talk about Pep, a young courier looking for purpose, identity, belonging, and participation; Saul, the protective uncle figure who understands the cost of rebellion; and Maddie, the mysterious courier who pulls Pep toward the mission. This episode is especially helpful for fantasy writers, adventure writers, heist writers, and anyone revising an opening chapter that has cool movement but not enough emotional clarity yet. Listen in if you are trying to figure out how to hook readers, introduce your world, build tension, reveal character, and make your first chapter do more than simply start fast. Because a great opening scene does not just move. It teaches the reader what kind of story they are about to love. For more, check out DialogueDoctor.com

    How to Open a Fantasy Novel: Action, Tension, and Character Growth [Ep 345]

  2. 3d ago

    Is Publishing Still Worth It? Authors Talk Burnout, Book Marketing, & Hope [Write Wrong Repeat Ep 5]

    What happens when a group of working authors sits down after a rough month and tells the truth about publishing? You get this episode of Write Wrong Repeat. In this conversation, JP Rindfleisch IX, Holly Lyne, Jeff Elkins, Tom Holbrook, and Crys Cain check in on their writing lives, business experiments, marketing wins, publishing frustrations, and the strange emotional math of trying to build an author career in public. August was not an easy month. The group talks honestly about grief, health scares, family chaos, ADHD, burnout, stalled goals, tight finances, pre-order jail, and the pressure to keep producing when life refuses to cooperate. But this is not just a "publishing is hard" episode. It is also full of practical author-business conversation. The group gets into translations, BookFunnel, mailing lists, Facebook ads, TikTok, direct sales, Kindle Unlimited, pen names, book events, reader connection, writing to market, paranormal detective fiction, cozy mystery, sports romance, and what happens when your book accidentally shares a title with James Patterson. They also wrestle with a bigger question: What is still giving you hope about publishing? The answers are messy, funny, honest, and surprisingly encouraging. The group talks about how old strategies do not necessarily die just because new tools arrive, why reader connection still matters, how community can keep authors moving, and why there are still more paths than ever for writers who are willing to experiment, simplify, adjust, and keep going. This episode is for authors who are juggling too many projects, wondering what marketing tools are worth their time, trying to decide between KU and direct sales, struggling to write through a hard season, or asking whether publishing is still a place where real writers can build something meaningful. Listen in for a candid, funny, behind-the-scenes look at the author life as it actually happens. Imperfect progress, weird experiments, failed plans, small wins, big pivots, and enough hope to keep writing. Timecodes: 0:00 – Welcome to Write Wrong Repeat Episode 5 0:55 – Chris on why August is always chaos 1:50 – Translations doubled Chris's income 4:15 – BookShift, translation tools, and foreign-language mailing lists 8:50 – Tom on translations, grief, cozy projects, TikTok, and ads 12:50 – Facebook ads, scaling slowly, and building profitable momentum 17:50 – Holly's August: health scare, Amazon cliff, NetGalley, and TikTok dips 23:05 – Jeff's update: the conference, Mojo and Mayhem, and TikTok experiments 30:15 – Writing to market with supernatural detective fiction 39:00 – Paranormal cozy vs. urban fantasy detective: where does the book fit? 41:45 – Kindle Unlimited, wide publishing, direct sales, and reader behavior 52:00 – JP's update: ADHD, art projects, TikTok Lives, direct sales, street teams, and simplifying the business 1:05:15 – Preorder jail, KDP changes, and the search for publishing hope 1:07:25 – What gives authors hope right now: TikTok, KU, direct sales, translations, audio, and reader connection 1:12:05 – More niches, more tools, and why old publishing strategies still work

  3. Aug 31

    Tony Lee on Writing Fast, Thinking Like a Publisher, & Building an Author Career That Lasts [Ep 344]

    In this episode, Jeff Elkins talks with Tony Lee, also known to many readers as Jack Gatland, about writing fast, building a sustainable author career, and learning to think like a publisher. Tony has worked across comics, screenplays, licensed fiction, journalism, audio drama, and novels. In this conversation, he shares what those different forms taught him about compression, dialogue, character, deadlines, reader expectations, and story momentum. Jeff and Tony talk about the transition from traditional media work into indie publishing, why readers remember characters more than plot mechanics, how Tony uses reader feedback to shape his series, and why authors need to be honest about which books are passion projects and which books keep the business alive. They also discuss burnout, AI, productivity tools, writing to market, author conferences, comparison, money, and the mindset shift that happens when a writer stops waiting for permission and starts making strategic decisions about their own career. This is a funny, blunt, deeply practical conversation for authors who want to build a writing life that actually works.

  4. Aug 24

    How to Make Readers Root for a Character Who's Done Terrible Things [Ep 343]

    How do you make readers root for a character who has done something terrible? In this episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins sits down with new author Aubrey W to talk through one of the hardest emotional arcs to pull off: repentance. Aubrey is working on a thriller built around a character who has done real harm, but she does not want the reader simply waiting for punishment. She wants the reader to long for redemption. That creates a powerful craft problem. How do you make a morally compromised character compelling without excusing what they have done? Jeff and Aubrey dig into what makes readers forgive, follow, and even love difficult characters. They talk about redemption arcs, unlikable protagonists, hidden wounds, vigilante logic, unreliable narrators, and the emotional difference between justice, revenge, repentance, and mercy. The conversation pulls examples from Six of Crows, Les Misérables, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, Dexter, and Spider-Man to explore how authors can give readers permission to care about characters who are lying, hiding, hurting people, or justifying their worst choices. They also get into the practical craft of first-person POV, how to create two distinct narrator voices, how inner thought changes pacing, when a character should lie to the reader, and why some stories only work when we are trapped inside the character's head. Listen in if you are writing a thriller, a redemption arc, an unreliable narrator, a morally gray protagonist, or any character who needs the reader to think, "I hate what you're doing, but I still want you to change." Because redemption only works when the reader still believes there is someone inside the character worth saving.   For more, check out Dialogue Doctor.com

    How to Make Readers Root for a Character Who's Done Terrible Things [Ep 343]

  5. Aug 17

    Spider-Man vs. The Odyssey: A Story Craft Showdown for Authors [Ep 342]

    Two huge stories. Two very different emotional experiences. In this episode, Jeff Elkins and Tom Holbrook sit down for a spoiler-filled conversation about Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. But this is not just a movie review. It is a craft conversation for authors. Jeff and Tom dig into why some stories feel emotionally satisfying while others feel impressive but distant. They talk about spectacle, stakes, character wounds, nonlinear structure, callbacks, moral choices, emotional payoff, and the difference between a story that feels big and a story that actually lands. Along the way, they compare Spider-Man's ground-level vulnerability with the epic scope of The Odyssey, unpack how Tom Holland's performance creates instant emotional connection, and look at what Christopher Nolan does well when building structure, symbols, trauma, and mythic weight. This episode is for authors who want to understand why readers care. Not just why a plot works. Not just why a world feels big. But why a character's pain, choices, relationships, and emotional movement are what make a story memorable. Listen in if you are writing fantasy, sci-fi, thrillers, superhero stories, epic fiction, or anything with high stakes; and you want those stakes to matter on a human level. Because spectacle may get attention. But emotion is what makes the story stay.

    Spider-Man vs. The Odyssey: A Story Craft Showdown for Authors [Ep 342]

  6. Aug 10

    How to Open a Thriller Without Losing the Reader [Ep 341]

    Thriller writers hear the advice all the time: get to the inciting incident fast. But what happens when you get there so quickly the reader has not had time to care? In this episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins sits down with author Jed to look at the opening chapters of a corporate thriller with a romantic subplot. Jed's story begins with a stolen item, a veiled threat, a high-pressure professional team, and the kind of tense setup thriller readers expect. The problem is not that the opening lacks conflict. The problem is that the story may be moving so efficiently that the reader does not yet know who to emotionally follow. Jeff and Jed dig into one of the trickiest craft problems in thriller writing: how to use third-person omniscient POV without making the reader feel unanchored. They talk about "head-hopping," the difference between omniscient narration and a guiding narrator, and how a small narrative guide can help direct the reader's emotional experience through a big cast. They also explore why a thriller opening may need a little more character interaction before the crime lands, how dialogue can make a professional team feel alive, why a front-loaded letter may distance the reader, and how to balance fast pacing with enough emotional connection to make the tension matter. Watch this episode if you are writing a thriller, working with a large cast, struggling with POV, or trying to figure out how to make your opening chapter feel tense, cinematic, and emotionally grounded. Because a great thriller does not just start with something going wrong. It starts with readers knowing exactly why they should care.

  7. Aug 7

    Is Craft Really King Again? Authors Debate What Actually Sells Books [Write Wrong Repeat Ep 4]

    What actually sells books right now? Is it craft? Writing to market? Better ads? Faster production? AI tools? A stronger backlist? Or is the real answer messier than any one author guru wants to admit? In this episode of Write, Wrong, Repeat, Holly Lyne, Jeff Elkins, JP Rindfleisch IX, Crys Cain, and Tom Holbrook get honest about the current state of the author business. The conversation starts with real author updates: rough NetGalley reviews, TikTok experiments, BookVault print quality, Facebook ads, AI translations, ADHD and productivity, newsletter flows, rights reversions, and the emotional whiplash of trying to build a sustainable writing career while life keeps happening. Then the group digs into the big question authors are hearing everywhere right now: is craft king again? The answer is not simple. Craft matters. Writing to market matters. Reader expectation matters. Emotional connection matters. And "good writing" does not always mean literary prose—it means giving your readers the experience they came for and doing it well. If you are an indie author trying to decide where to put your energy next, this episode will help you think more clearly about craft, market fit, ads, AI, reader expectations, and the difference between chasing trends and building stories people actually want to keep reading. Listen for a practical, funny, brutally honest conversation about what is working, what is exhausting, and what authors may need to rethink next.

  8. Aug 3

    Stop Writing Scenes. Start Designing the Reader's Emotional Journey. [Ep 340]

    Most writers are taught to think about plot, character arcs, genre, theme, setting, cast, and prose as separate craft problems. But what if they are all doing the same job? What if every tool in your novel exists to shape one thing: the reader's emotional journey? In this solo episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins introduces the big idea behind his new book, The Dialogue Doctor on Writing Emotion. Instead of treating emotion like something mysterious that either "works" or doesn't, Jeff breaks it down into a practical framework writers can actually use. You'll learn how to think about your story through seven emotional tools: trajectory, vector, alignment, saturation, velocity, pressure, and altitude. These tools help explain why readers feel hope, dread, comfort, tension, frustration, satisfaction, heartbreak, or joy as they move through a story. Jeff also talks about why traditional story systems like Save the Cat, Story Grid, and beat sheets are useful—but limited. The goal is not to throw those systems away. The goal is to understand what they are doing to the reader so you can use them with more freedom, confidence, and creativity. Watch this episode if you want to stop guessing your way through emotional scenes and start designing a reader journey that actually lands. Because great stories do not just happen on the page. They happen inside the reader.

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Writing great books is critical to generating sales and building a following of readers. On the Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins and other writers discuss how to write dialogue that will excite readers and help you sell more books.

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