The Truth About The Red Wheelbarrow
By Christopher Ryan, with apologies to William Carlos Williams
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
unless you are
that poor
red wheel barrow
then
it becomes too
much
pressures of fame
haunt
when all you want
is
to just be left
alone
***
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, and, most often, writing fiction, poetry, 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 what’s possible.
***
NEWSish Stuff
Appearances
No upcoming bookings. There should be. I even know a few upcoming events. This is becoming a problem! I need to get out there and say hello!
***
This Week’s Tell The Damn Story focuses on how to make Earth-shaking stakes personal to help readers connect
The success of any story’s success depends entirely on whether the audience (be they readers or viewers or listeners) connects with that story. And one of the best ways to do that is to give them ways to connect. This week, Alex and I discuss ways to include that in your stories. And yep, we use a ton of examples from lit and pop culture.
Here’s the link:
***
ON WRITING: Revisiting the blessing of writers’ groups
I know I’ve discussed this before, but some topics merit revisiting. For me, finding a writers’ group that works has proven to be a godsend.
Why?
They inspire me to keep going. Just wanting to contribute to the group’s discussion material each week helps me write, gets me into that room, opening the lap top, as Richard Price once said, “putting ass in chair.” The power of what a writer’s group can do for you should never be underestimated.
The group’s feedback gives me applicable advice, ideas I haven’t thought of, and sharpens my writing skills as a result. Other members have said the same.
And to be fair, not every editorial comment or moment of feedback is acted upon, but the process has sharpened my judgment in that area as well.
Years ago, I may have taken feedback personally. These days, I handle it professionally, assessing what helps, and keeps me focused on what serves the story best.
Finally, in a profession that can often feel lonely, this is a lifeline, a community, a reminder that all writers feel alone sometimes—and it is not true.
And thank God for all that.
***
ON INDY MARKETING: Alternatives to AI
As the AI waters rise all around us, promising easier marketing, dynamic ads, etc., all stealing jobs from others, independent publishers, and all authors find themselves forced to face tough choices about how to get the word out there.
Here’s a few examples of non-AI marketing:
The bottom line is you can get the word out on your project without AI, you just might have to apply that ample imagination of yours to go it. Have fun. Be creative. Avoid selling out your reputation.
***
More exciting art from Christy Aldridge for the upcoming Pulp extravaganza The Fight Never Ends!
Work continues on Seamus and Nunzio Productions’ first ever pulp project (though some may say everything I do is pulpy), the novel-in-stories actioner The Fight Never Ends! Our big book of pulp action should be available by late October.
This week, we offer a look at artist Christy Aldridge’s interior illustration for a second Blackjack story called “Deliver Us From Evil” based on thumbnail sketches from Tim Fielder, a story by myself and Blackjack creator Alex Simmons, leading to this story, written by me. It has been a long road for this one, going all the way back to the Charlottesville tragedy, and I am glad it will finally be available.
Here’s another peek at Christy’s exciting art:
***
Speaking out on the Cornell Situation
In what might become a weekly thing, I made a video discussing this terrible topic as reasonably as possible. The response was positive.
Here’s the link:
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POP CULTURE FUEL
Books: Still reading about The Beatles, and enjoying Wilson’s poetry.
Music: I like the new music U2 is putting out. Looking forward to the album, but nobody, and I mean nobody, is as thrilled as the Glorious One. For my wife, U2 is a spiritual experience.
TV/Film: Avengers: Endgame Encore was fun to see and the extra stuff at the end made me look forward to Avengers: Doomsday even more. Lanterns continues it’s bizarre Hal Jordan HateFest, to the point that I had to call in The Spectre….
***
Listen, you can’t claim victory
just by saying you won,
and you can’t fix a looming problem
just by changing one word to “super”
because the world doesn’t work that way
and the leopards will eat your face.
***
Feel free to share this with anyone you think would enjoy it. Thanks.
Awright, thanks for stopping by. Talk atcha next week.
