Videos

Where do your stories really come from? In Part Two of our special conversation with horror author John “The King” Collins, we move from learning the craft to something much more personal: What does...

What happens when a lifelong horror fan stops worrying about getting published—and starts writing what he actually wants to write? Welcome to Part One of our special two-part conversation with horror...

What happens after you finally put your creative work out into the world? You can write the best story you know how to write. You can research, revise, polish, perform, publish, and give it everythin...

... Why Presentation Matters! You finished the story. Congratulations. Now how the hell are you going to get anybody to pay attention to it? This week on Tell The Damn Story, Alex Simmons and Chri...

... the Madness & Keep Creating!" What does a writer’s life actually look like behind the scenes? Sometimes it looks like a carefully planned schedule. Sometimes it looks like index cards, legal pad...

...The Power of Timing in Film, Books, and Plays." From Jaws and Stand By Me to Do the Right Thing, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Something Wicked This Way Comes, the greatest stories don't simply h...

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...

Every writer has that one story. The one that refuses to cooperate. The one that sits in a drawer for years. Sometimes... decades. This week on Tell The Damn Story, Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan welco...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

What makes a villain memorable? In this episode of Tell The Damn Story, Alex Simmons and Chris Ryan explore why modern villains need more than evil plans and sinister laughs. From Silas Barnaby and S...