You wrote it. You polished it. You released it. Now it belongs to the world. Using Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as a jumping-off point, Alex and Chris explore criticism, audience reaction, creative confidence, and the difficult art of letting go of your work once it leaves your hands. Because sometimes finishing the story is only the beginning of its journey. Finished your story? Good. Now ask…
You finished your story—but how do you get anyone to notice it? Alex and Chris explore the art of presentation , from pitching yourself and marketing independent work to lessons hidden inside trailers for Marvel, DC, and Star Wars. Plus: Alex's Three Cs—Character, Conflict, Cliffhanger—and why the message you intend isn't always the message your audience receives. Have any questions, comments, or…
What does the creative life really look like behind the scenes? In this episode, Alex and Chris talk about juggling deadlines, personal projects, teaching, family, unexpected ideas, and the fictional characters who refuse to leave you alone. Sometimes you don’t need the perfect schedule. You need a rhythm. A candid, funny look at managing the chaos—and remembering why we keep telling the damn…
Can summer become one of the most important characters in your story? Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan explore how every season carries its own emotions, symbolism, opportunities, and dramatic power. From Jaws to Stand By Me , they show why choosing the right season can transform an ordinary story into an unforgettable one. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the…
The Supergirl Debate—and What Writers Can Learn From It Was Supergirl really the problem? Or were audiences expecting the wrong movie? Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan use the latest superhero debate to examine adaptation, character arcs, audience expectations, and why every great story deserves to be judged on what it's trying to accomplish—not on what someone wished it had been. What happens when…
Every writer has that one project that refuses to come together. This week on Tell The Damn Story , Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan welcome back Tom Sniegoski and Jeannine Acheson to celebrate the release of their new graphic novel, Nothing Can Stop the Ape —a story more than 30 years in the making. Along the way, they discuss pitching publishers, collaborating with a writing partner, working with…
What happens when mystery meets science fiction? When horror collides with comedy? Or when history becomes part of an unforgettable adventure? In this episode of Tell The Damn Story , Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan explore one of the most exciting—and challenging—tools in a writer's toolbox: blending genres . Using examples ranging from Alien and Pitch Black to Archie Comics, Sherlock Holmes, and…
Some movies entertain us for hours. Others continue teaching writers for generations. In this episode of Tell The Damn Story, Alex and Chris revisit a handful of timeless classics, including In the Heat of the Night ('66), Jaws ('75), The Fly ('58), and Charlie Chaplin's The Kid ('21), to uncover why they still work decades after they were made. Along the way, they explore: Why rewriting is where…
What if your plot doesn’t work because of the world you chose? What if it's in the wrong genre? A heist. A mystery. A romance. A horror story. A superhero adventure. The core idea might stay exactly the same—but everything else changes.In this episode of Tell The Damn Story, Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan explore how genre influences character, setting, pacing, dialogue, tone, conflict, and even the…
Why do some villains stay with us long after the story ends? Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan break down the evolution of villains—from classic one-dimensional bad guys to complex characters like Snape, Vader, Khan, and Thanos. Learn how motivation, morality, obsession, and personal history can turn a stock antagonist into a character readers can't stop thinking about. Have any questions, comments, or…
When is a writer not alone? You sit at a keyboard wrestling with plot problems, self-doubt, unfinished drafts, and that nagging voice asking whether you're good enough to keep going. This week on Tell The Damn Story , Chris Ryan shares what happened when he pushed past those doubts and attended StokerCon, the annual conference of the Horror Writers Association. What he found wasn't just panels,…
