Tell The Damn Story

Alex Simmons & Chris Ryan
  • 4.9 (12)
  • Arts
  • Updated Weekly

This is where we interview and discuss the challenges and successes of writing books, comics, films, and other creative arts and pop culture topics.

  1. 2d ago

    TELL THE DAMN STORY, ep 431: Writing Mastery: Balancing Originality and Reverence in Iconic Heroes

    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 of mystery, and Chris’s intriguing theory that Hal may be less of a troublesome veteran and more of a “Space Columbo.” But the larger question is one every writer working with an established property must face: What do you preserve, what can you change, and when does creative reinvention become disrespect for the source? Alex brings the perspective of a writer who has worked with Batman, Superman, Tarzan, Archie, Scooby-Doo, Sherlock Holmes, and other established characters. Together, he and Chris explore the responsibilities writers have to the story, the characters, the owners—and the audience. Is LANTERNS pulling off a daring act of narrative sleight of hand, or setting itself up for a spectacular pratfall? SPOILER WARNING: The episode discusses events from the first three episodes of LANTERNS. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  2. Aug 30

    Tell The Damn Story ep 430: From Flash Fiction to Full Novels, Crafting Effective Horror, Pt 2

    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 of that process “writing from the wound.” Alex and Chris also explore working with editors, revisiting rejected stories, promoting your work through podcasts, and why some of our strongest fiction grows from something emotionally true. Because everything we are eventually filters through the stories we tell. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write to: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  3. Aug 30

    Tell The Damn Story, ep 430: From Flash Fiction to Full Novels: Crafting Effective Horror, Pt 1

    "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 later, he had become a stronger, more confident storyteller. Plus: what makes horror fun, why monsters need humanity, finding the right critique group, and the difference between useful criticism and empty praise. Then continue with Part Two: Writing From the Wound, as the conversation turns toward the life experiences behind the stories. Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  4. Aug 23

    Tell The Damn Story, ep 429: Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey—And The Uncertain Journey Every Story Takes

    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 yourself the harder question: Are you ready to let it go? Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write to: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS →⁠ ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  5. Aug 16

    Tell The Damn Story ep 428: The Message You Send Isn’t Always the Message They Get: Why Presentation Matters

    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 suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  6. Aug 9

    Tell The Damn Storie, ep 427: Deadlines, Day Jobs & Characters in Your Head - How Writers Manage the Madness & Keep Creating

    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 story. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  7. Aug 2 ·  Bonus

    Tell The Damn Story, ep 426: Summer Blockbusters and Seasonal Storytelling_ The Power of Timing in Film, Books, and Plays

    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 Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

  8. Jul 26

    Tell The Damn Story, ep 425: What's Wrong With SuperGirl? In Defense of a Different Hero's Journey

    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 audiences expect one story... and the storyteller is telling another? From adaptation versus translation...to character-driven storytelling...to why emotional journeys matter just as much as explosions. The boys lean into the value of honest criticism and the waste of gender and other blind spot bashing. Have any questions, comments, or suggestions? Then, please leave them in the Comments Section. Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.TellTheDamnStory.com www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube.com/ Tell The Damn Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Stories change lives. They always have. At *Tell The Damn Story*, we believe in lifting voices and passing stories on. Your support keeps them alive for future generations.  Help us by supporting TTDS → ⁠Buy Me A Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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4.9
out of 5
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About

This is where we interview and discuss the challenges and successes of writing books, comics, films, and other creative arts and pop culture topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Simmons & Chris Ryan
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    438
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex Simmons & Chris Ryan
  • Show Website
    Tell The Damn Story