editing dialogue

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/

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 and 121.

For more on writing dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Emma Jane Heaton to look at the opening of Emma Jane's work-in-progress. They talk about the four ways to start a book, understanding how you want the opening of your book to feel, making strategic choices for your book, letting readers hear the character's voices, and leaning into your gut. For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Dialogue Doctor Coach, Laura Humm works with author Gemma Clatworthy on the climax of her work in progress. They focus on zooming into important emotional moments, helping the reader track were all the characters are, and ramping up empathy between characters to play off for conflict later.

To find more of Gemma's work, check out her website https://www.gemmaclatworthy.com/

 For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff is joined by author Eric Heuser. Looking at a piece of Eric's together, they talk about emotional writing, keeping dialogue realistic, and varying the pace of the dialogue to keep readers hooked.

For more on Dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Madeline Davis to talk about writing historical fiction and adding dialogue to action scenes. They explore the best way to bring forth the voice of a protagonist and seek out how to align side character in a strategic way that will cause the reader to see the protagonist's flaws.

For more on dialogue, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff sits down with author Faye Whyte to edit a piece together. They talk about utilizing all the characters in the room, leaning on existing tropes for hazard characters, keeping all the characters engaged in a segment, and giving the reader insight into what is happening in the POV character's emotions.

For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff and Laura answer questions from the community. Questions include:

1. In a DIY dialogue class, what would some of the “must read“ books be on the syllabus for a diverse cross-section of excellent dialogue examples?

2. In a previous masterclass, Laura talked about 5 common mistakes to look for when editing: the reader burden, muddy voices, unbalanced dialogue, minimal change, low impact dialogue. To keep from getting overwhelmed, where should I start with the editing process?

3. How do the rules of dialogue change for our characters during spicy scenes?

4. How would you handle scenes where the POV character isn’t very aware of the other’s body language, can’t take it all in at once, and or is maybe not even self-aware of their own?

5. What is something about how people communicate and speak that you learned at your day job lately?

6. What's your favorite thing about working with clients when you're book coaching?

For more on writing dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

Here is a list of the books Jeff and Laura listed for question 1:

Beloved by Toni Morrison to understand character voice.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace to understand scene structure.

The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune to understand "big cast" scenes.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernst Hemingway to understand the structure of dialogue.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to understand the difference between child and adult voices.

Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet to understand the art of conversation.

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis to see how a scene can be two characters talking.

And court transcripts from the internet to understand what real emotions in conversations sound like.

This week on the podcast, Jeff and V.E. Griffith work through a piece together. They talk about making sure the reader gets all the details they need, using body language to show more emotion, writing in a 3rd Grade child's voice, and when to use a summary. V.E. was also on episode 99 of the podcast.

V.E. Griffith's podcast is Revision Wizards and you can find it here https://revisionwizards.com

For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Jeff and Eric sit down to talk through the climax of his book. They talk about not introducing new elements into the climax, building up elements to reveal at the end of the book, building a false ending, and giving a satisfying ending. They also break down where to end a book.

This is Eric's fourth appearance on the Dialogue Doctor. Previously, he was on episode 35, episode 65, and episode 91.

For more on writing dialogue, head over https://dialoguedoctor.com/

In this episode, Laura Humm and Alicia McCalla edit a piece together. Laura breaks down for Alicia the steps and techniques she uses to edit dialogue. This podcast is a window into the editing process of a talented exceptional editor.

For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

To register for the upcoming master class, go to https://dialoguedoctor.com/masterclass-sign-up/