Dobyns is often called not merely a prolific writer but also one who can handle many different writing forms. In his book Best Words, Best Order (2003), Dobyns discusses poetry in the form of essays. In this collection, he writes about the basic elements of poetry, such as tone, pacing, metaphor, and voice. He also provides his insights on other poets' work, including that of Rilke and Anton Chekhov.

Dobyns's first collection of short stories, Eating Naked: Stories (2001), has been referred to as profound and funny, as Dobyns tries to capture the idiosyncrasies of modern life.

In yet another genre, Dobyns published a novel called The Church of Dead Girls (2001). On its surface this is a mystery story, but underneath, Dobyns writes about more than just the death of three girls. He includes the disintegration of a whole community.

Dobyns's tenth...