Tell The Damn Story

Stuck in the middle of your story? Can’t find an ending that feels right? Take your story out for a walk. This week, Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan explore how real life can help writers work through plot problems and character gaps. A New York Comic Con outing, an unexpected Manhattan encounter, and a breakthrough in Alex’s screenwriting classroom reveal what can happen when you stay observant—and l...

It's a trip back in time to where and how our 400+ odyssey to help creatives began. This special milestone episode of our podcast dives deep into the creative journeys—the triumphs, setbacks, and lessons—of writers striving to tell their tales. In this 435th episode, listeners are transported back to where it all began, revisiting the very first episode with the original trio: acclaimed writer...

In Episode 434, Alex and Chris explore how writers humanize enormous stakes. Because the human factor is the thread that connects the audience to any fictional tale. Drawing from Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther, John Wick, The Odyssey, Reacher, Hamlet, The Lord of the Rings, Project Hail Mary, and Dragonheart, they examine the fears, losses, relationships, moral choices, and everyday moments that...

Writer and producer Brandon Easton delivers an unfiltered account of breaking into Hollywood, surviving its unwritten rules, and building a career without surrendering your integrity. From ThunderCats and Transformers: Rescue Bots to becoming head writer of Iyanu, Brandon explains what it takes to make the industry say yes. What it costs when you have to say no, and why success never means the str...

That's combined with almost 2 years of writing and another year of post-production. Those are some of the realities Chris Ryan shares with Alex Simmons. He also reveals how saying yes, staying useful, and solving one indie-film problem after another led him from writer and actor to producer. It is a candid Producer’s odyssey for creators who do not have millions—but do have a story, resourcefulnes...

How far can you change an iconic hero before you lose what made that hero iconic? Alex and Chris turn their attention to HBO’s LANTERNS and the enormous challenge of writing characters with decades of history, millions of fans, and more than one accepted interpretation. Drawing upon the first three episodes, they examine the new portrayals of Hal Jordan and John Stewart, the show’s multiple layers...

Part Two: Writing From the Wound In this episode, Alex and Chris continue their conversation with horror author John “The King” Collins to get behind the monsters and discover where stories really come from. John takes us inside Altars and Abandoned Houses and reveals how memories, abandoned places, Halloween, love, family, grief, rejection, and loss have found their way into his fiction. He calls...

"Part One: Finding Your Voice in the Dark" Horror writer John “The King” Collins joins Alex and Chris for Part One of a special two-part TTDS conversation about monsters, mentors, finding your voice, and learning to write the stories you want to tell. John shares the advice that changed his approach to writing: stop chasing publication for a year and simply write . Twenty-two stories lat...

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, comme...

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 stor...

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 Co...

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 edi...

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...

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...

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,...

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 pa...

Even writers with decades of experience hear the negative voices. In this episode of Tell The Damn Story , Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan tackle one of the most common—and most painful—challenges creatives face: self-doubt. From imposter syndrome and rejection to career frustrations and the stories we tell ourselves about success. Our boys share personal struggles they've wrestled with recently a...

What happens when Frankenstein's monster survives the torch-wielding mob... and becomes a private detective? In this episode of Tell The Damn Story , Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan welcome back prolific author, stuntman, and master storyteller Teel James Glenn to explore the creative process behind his acclaimed Adam Paradise novels—a noir-inspired reimagining of Mary Shelley's legendary crea...

Chris and Alex joined with the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention to ask and answer that question. The boys gathered artists/panelists Micheline Hess, Shawn Alleyne, and audience members for an open conversation about one of the biggest questions facing creative people today: Is AI helping artists… or replacing them? What followed wasn’t a debate with winners and losers. It became a discuss...

What makes a short story truly work? In this episode of Tell The Damn Story , Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan break down the value of writing short fiction, how short stories sharpen your storytelling skills, and the different ways to create powerful story hooks that grab readers fast. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail...

Wouldn't it be great if all you had to do was write your book, put it up for sale, and then watch the customer lineup? Well, that's not how it works. In this episode, cohosts Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan dive into the critical but often overlooked realities of pitching your ideas, planning promotional campaigns, and building your platform—regardless of whether you’re seeking a traditional p...

What do you do with a monster who's been alive for 160 years? And what if that monster speaks a dozen languages, and sees the moral essence of every human being in colors and shapes — but just wants to understand what it means to be human? You make him a private detective in 1939 New York. And then you let him loose on the Nazis. This week Alex and Chris sit down with author and storyteller Te...