You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

“Still I Rise” – Maya Angelou

(link: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46446/still-i-rise)

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Hi, I’m Christopher Ryan, a hybrid author with forty years of experience in journalism, education, sketch comedy, indie film, unions, community service, parenting, public speaking, acting, podcasting, but mostly writing fiction and pop culture essays. Now I’m working to discover what more I can achieve and share with the world, and whether an older author can find a place in the storytelling business. Together, let’s see if I can get there.

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NEWSish stuff

Upcoming live events

• StokerCon, Pittsburgh, PA, June 4-7

New series launched on Substack

I tried my best to stay away from writing about politics. I tried just making jokes about it but my thoughts keep going in a different direction. They might strike some as amusing or even sarcastic, and that is okay, but to me they are thoughts that haunt me. Love him or hate him, our current president is offering opportunities for us to re-examine who we are and want to be as a country. I’m going to attempt to focus on that, one concept at a time.

I hope it finds an audience.

Here the link:

This QR code will take you to my website

Here you’ll be able to find all my books and background and a few free reads, including a Mallory and Gunner short story and another featuring Blackjack. Look for these covers:

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This week on Tell The Damn Story I make amends to an early writing educator

For years on the podcast/YouTube show I co-host with Alex Simmons, I’ve shared what I call the “index card method” of brainstorming, gathering scene and character ideas, and then organizing all those ideas into a rough outline for a writing project. I’ve suggested it as a way to prewrite in at least 100 of our 404 episodes, probably more. Finally, in this episode, I give the person who taught it to me proper credit, and share where writers can experience it for themselves on YouTube and in the book store. Worth your time.

Here’s the link:

Writers on social media have been showing their writing spaces; here’s where I write and record the podcast, etc.

***

First Zeely, now Author Ads Made-for-You

My search for book marketing help continues. At least I’m learning about myself. Last week I learned I couldn’t pull the trigger on using AI to sell my books. This week I had the cold experience of discovering I wasn’t worthy of an “author ads made-for-you” service offered on social media. I actually contacted them, thinking that having pros create ads for me, utilizing the right keywords (that remains a mystery to me), and wording that attracts readers … is only for authors who already earn $6,000 or more per month.

Let that sink in.

The service of marketing ads for authors is only for authors who are already doing okay.

The same company does offer another course for authors trying to raise their work profile, apparently kind of a “here’s what we’ll tell you, good luck” course. Been there, frustrated by that before. But… maybe this time it will be different…

It is an interesting world, folks.

***

And now for a pic of a handsome fella

Mr. Soulful Eyes is sporting his St. Patrick’s Day bandanna because he’s cool like that.

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Pop Culture fuel

Films:

Saw a 50-year-old movie in IMAX. It seemed merely blown up, but damn, Ken Russell’s Tommy based on the rock opera by The Who, was a blast to see again. I was surprised that a flick I remembered as crazed and incoherent held together much better than expected. And one of the people who I went with, a young rocker named Zephyr, is 14, the exact age I was when I first saw it. So much fun to watch his mind get blown when I told him that.

Recommended. Highly recommended if you are of a certain age.

Books:

After seeing an interview with Tig Notaro, I started reading poet Andrea Gibson. Yes, I am once again late to the party, but I’m glad I got there. Her work is captivating.

Recommended.

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See Me.

Feel Me.

Touch Me.

Heal me.

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All right, thanks for stopping by. Talk atcha next week.