Simmons Here And Now

We're running a little longer than 30 minutes today because in this episode Alex and Chris gets to interview the extremely talented artist, Julie Bell.   "A world renowned, award winning fantasy artist and wildlife painter. Julie has won two Chelsea Awards and was the designer of the popular and award-winning Dragons of Destiny series..."   Artist do not only create cover art for stories, they also create stories within their art. Such has been Julie Bell's career from Heavy Metal magazine to major publishers and corporations.  How she managed that is what we'll discuss that and more this episode. Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section or ...   Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ...  @Tell The Damn Story  www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story

This week Alex and Chris gave a concise, detailed "how to" for writers who have short stories they believe are ready to send out, but are not sure where to send them. Chock full of useful information, it's a must for emerging writers of any level.    So, while you're putting together that list of agents, publishers, and online zines, give a listen here!   Some places to go:  In the Facebook Search box type: Open Call and the genre you're interested in, i.e.:  OPEN CALL MYSTERY DuoTrope:  http://www.DuoTrope.com Shot Gun Honey: https://www.shotgunhoney.com/  Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section below or ... Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ... @Tell The Damn Story www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story Youtube.com/ Tell The Damn Story #amwriting, #writerslife, #authortips, #writingtips

Welcome to TELL THE DAMN STORY, Season 5 with veteran award winning authors Alex Simmons and Christopher Ryan.   It's a whole new season for tell the damn story!  And as we enter it we have some major news and changes to tell you about. So listen in as we share the promises of things to come starting this fall. Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section below or ...  Write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com And follow us on ...  @Tell The Damn Story www.Facebook.com/Tell The Damn Story Youtube.com/ Tell The Damn Story

In joining with the quiet acknowledgement of the passing of Chadwick Bosman (1 year ago this month) this summer hiatus episode contains the interview with Don McGregor.   Chris and I thought we were prepared to interview storyteller extraordinaire DON McGREGOR.  I'd known him since the 70s.  And Chris had read his books and researched his other interviews.  Yep, we thought we were ready for him.  We weren't.  Listen as Don candidly speaks about his creative, professional, and personal life -- good, bad and amazing! Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section below or on ... Or write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com #blackpanther #chadwickbosman #donmcgregor #panthersrage #marvelcomics #detectivesincorporated #jamesbond #comicbookwriting

During our over 200 episodes TTDS has had the good fortune of exploring the creative process locally, nationally, and internationally. This episode originally aired in June of 2018.  And it involves my preparation to speak to young artists at the international Balkans Festival of Young Comics Creators, in Serbia. The festival’s purpose is to bring together a war torn area of the Balkans, and give support to young creators. The festival began in 1998 and is the oldest in the region. Since they didn't have one in 1999, because of bombings, this is their 20th anniversary. Hope you enjoy. Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section below or on ... Or write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com

Co-Hosts Chris Ryan & Alex Simmons are on summer hiatus. So in this flashback episode we're going to revisit some Marvel magic. Chris and Alex discuss the creative, risk taking experiment that was WANDA VISION. Post in the comments section below ... Or write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com

He's the author of over 45 crime, sci-fi, western and suspense novels, novellas and comics! With a tv show based on one of his series.  How does he do it? Back in 2018 cohost Chris Ryan attended PULPFEST in Pittsburg, PA. Chris managed to interview a number of writers, creators, illustrators, and others and Joe R. Lansdale was one of them. Have questions or comments for us? Post in the comments section below ... Or write: TTDSOnAir@gmail.com #joerlansdale #hapandleonard #crimenovels #pulpfest 

Chris and me are on hiatus so this is the first of their Summer Flashbacks visits of earlier episodes.   This week, Chris and Alex discuss some of the many ways artists learn not only how to create, but also how to deal with some of those negative mindsets.  Just back from a writers' conference with Neil Gaiman, Amy Tan and others, Chris shares some of their thoughts on, "How do you learn to write a good story?"  "Where do  ideas come from?"  And facing those challenges. "How do we continue to do what we do?" Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section here, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. Or @TellTheDamnStory

Despite some technological challenges we made it. In this episode, Alex and Chris take a quick look at pop culture, discuss big changes coming for them, reflect on the importance of authors reflecting on their career and their work, and then make a whopper of an announcement. Don't miss it! Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section here, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. Or @TellTheDamnStory #WandaVision, #TheFalconandTheWinterSoldier, #Loki, #Avengers #Wakanda #BlackPanther #BlackjackAdventures #writers #Superman #ManofSteel #TheShadow #CityofWoe #GeniusHigh #Hiatus

"Previously On..." In this momentous episode, Alex and Chris celebrate the "free writing school" aspects of TTDS. For over 6 years their conversations have included discussions and advice about writing habits, techniques, tropes, genres, and a ton of creative advice.  Not to mention the many locations and countries they've recorded in, conferences they reported from, and the over 100 people they've interviewed, all in the name of telling the damn story!  Come enjoy the fun as the boys look back over where they've been as they gear up for where they're going next. Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section here, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. Or @TellTheDamnStory #WandaVision, #TheFalconandTheWinterSoldier, #Loki, #Avengers #Wakanda #BlackPanther #AvengersEndGame, #DavidWalker,  #TheDestinyWar, #AlexSegura #CaseenGaines #DonMcgregor #JerryCraft #FootNotes #OmarHolman #BlackNerdProblems #BlackLightni

A long buried Broadway secret is now getting national attention because of one man's long shot. Chris and Alex welcome the return of author CASEEN GAINES, this time to delve into how his new book, FOOTNOTES, is getting national recognition.  From the Hollywood Reporter to the New York Times, and more.   The three dig deep into the gamble that Caseen took, writing about the fate of a long forgotten, controversial 1920s black Broadway musical ("Shuffle Along").  How a show that was a hit, while igniting conflict on both sides of the color line, then and for many years there after. It's an episode that explores the creative process, pitching to mainstream publishing, and the double-edge complications of racial representation. Have any comments or questions for this episode topics? Then please leave them in our comments section. Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com @tellthedamnstory #caseengaines #Footnotes #shufflealong #blackpanther #spokenword #wedon'tneednoroads #peewee'splayhouse #dar

This week Alex and Chris team up with writer/publishers Jim Beard and John C. Bruening of Flinch Books. The four creatives get together for a fantastic, fun, and enlightening discussion about the nature and value of pulp fiction, what it is like to run an independent publishing company, and how to put together an anthology project.  The conversation tackles what is "pulp," writing styles, researching, collaboration and editing challenges. We even go on a quest for the space gods! Monsters who eat earth, crime fighters in a post WW 2 world, and more.  If you like fiction, if you love books, this is an episode you cannot miss! And if you're a pulp fiction fan, you're gonna wanna listen to it twice!  Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section here, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. Or @TellTheDamnStory Flinch Books on Facebook #pulp #newpulp #PulpFest #jimbeard #johncbruening #independentpublishing #in

Or ... Caught In A Vortex Called The MCU. This week Alex and Chris had an idea. Like most ideas, it went awry.  The plan was to do a "just us" episode after having six very solid interview episodes in a row. If you haven't experienced those episodes they're 191 through 196.  But today we were going to keep it light. LOL. We may have started with personal news but we soon found ourselves in the MCU.  That led us to  talking about the Loki series and two other Marvel TV series.  Chris even offers a theory that the MCU is not heading into Phase IV - Secret Wars, but to The Destiny War covered in Kurt Busiek's Avengers Forever 12-issue mini-series! For this "interrogation" the UN-usual suspects are Time Keepers, Loki, Kang, Scarlet Witch, and more.   Come for the jokes; stay for the deep geek theories and writing advice! Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section here, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnA

Care to wander down the Halls of Horror? On this episode Alex and Chris meet Dr. Vanessa Hintz, licensed clinical psychologist and self-professed "Geek Therapist" for a trip through horror classics and tropes. We discuss what they mean to our culture, what they say about us, how we can use them to help heal, and what writers of the new horror classics should be looking for. *Originally aired as a Facebook Live episode of Tell The Damn Story. Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. #jason #nightmareonelmstreet #FreddieKruger #geeks #horrormovies #horrorfilms #Frankenstein #wolfman #Dracula #Walkingdead #trueblood #psychologicalhorror #thrillers #fridaythe13th 

Listen and learn. In this episode, Alex and Chris talk to Dr. Janina Scarlet, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who engages her clients in "superhero therapy."  Her goal is to help them with PTSD, other traumas, self-esteem issues, and connecting with inner power to resolve what is holding them back.  As a disaster survivor and a self proclaimed geek, Dr. Scarlet's work is fascinating, as is this interview with her.  So don't miss this one, Beloved Creatives, and get ready to share it with those who might need to hear from her. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's a very special episode of Tell The Damn Story. Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. http://www.superhero-therapy.com › meet-the-doctor #writers #superheroes #traumastherapy #amlearning #amwriting #journalism #comics #writersblock #buffythevampireslayer #chernobyl #xmen  #DCComics

He made it from Miami to New York. From local journalist to VP of Publishing. And he's a family man. In this episode Chris is surrounded by Alexes when the legendary Simmons is joined by Alex Segura, acclaimed, multi award-winning writer of novels, comic books, short stories, and podcasts.  The trio gets to talk about everything from Segura's Pete Fernandez mystery series to his experiences at DC, Archie, and now Oni Press. Their conversation does a deep dive on short story technique, promotion advice, and overall creative thoughts in a fun, funny, and most informative  interview. Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. #writers #petefernadez #amlearning #amwriting #journalism #comics #writersblock #alexsegura #ArchieComics #DCComics 

He started out as a child on a farm in Mississippi, and eventually became one of the few Washington DC journalist with clearance to cover all three main governmental branch sessions. And he didn't stop there. This week Alex and Chris interview the multi talented Jesse J. Holland. Reaching out beyond his carrier with the Associated Press, Jesse also became a university professor. He's written two nonfiction books, "The Invisibles," and "Black Men Built The White House;" a Star Wars novel, as well as, "Who Is The Black Panthers." And finally he edited the recently released "Black Panther: Tales of Wakanda" anthology. And he hasn't stopped yet. Have any comments or questions? Then please leave them in our comments section, Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. #writers #theinvisibles #Blackmenbuiltthewhitehouse #blackpanthertalesofwakanda #amlearning #amwriting #journalism #ethics #writersblock #jessejholland 

We've been trapped in "our caves" for over a year.  Has that affected us creatively? This week Alex and Chris update us on some continuing creative project threads that have been evolving, for some time. Then they get to the main event: as the Covid lockdown is slowly lifted, how do creatives re-integrate ourselves with society, especially the kinds of crowds we might see at conferences and conventions? Each of us has changed over this year plus experience, and some are finding that as they re-emerge, there are our anxieties they did not expect. We discuss what those are and how we might overcome them to get back to our creative lives. Have any comments or questions for this episode topics? Then please leave them ... in our comments section,  Our Facebook page, (Tell The Damn Story)  Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. #writers #inisolation #lockdown #amlearning #amwriting #ammarketing #creatorsanxiety #writersblock

Today's episode starts with a righteous rejection of cohost Christopher Ryan.  In an email received right before recording the episode, divinationhollow.com was gracious and generous and educational in their rejection of a story Chris sent to them only two days ago.  Their reasoning was sound, and they could've stopped right there. But they didn't. They offered to further educate on the nuance of writing LGBTQ+ characters.  Chris and Alex were so impressed that they opened the show with discussing how he was introduced to them, their initial generosity, what he submitted, and their response.  All of this as a way to launch Alex and Chris' discussion of how creatives must learn with their eyes wide open.  And that's whether it is taking writing courses or marketing courses or any of a 1,000 current offers to help you sell your first billion copies of your book.  Plenty of advice and experience offered here. Give us a listen, please.  Have any comments or questions for this ep

Get ready for ready for nonsense that ... will surely make sense. Today Alex and Chris celebrate Mother's Day with a very special look at how fictional characters, especially superheroes, deal with this day. Bring flowers and a box of chocolate.  And trust the creative process. Have any comments or questions for this episode topics? Then please leave them in our comments section. Or write to us at:  TTDSOnAir@gmail.com. #writersworld #creativearts #comics #blackpanther #wakanda #suestorm #fantasticfour #ironman #hulk #thejusticeleague #batman #superman #superparents #mothersday #captainamerica imaginativeplay #imagination #creativeexercises