The Blessings of Our Current President, part 9 – “final words”

Posted on March 27, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “final words.”

I began this series, and wrote nine parts, because I really wanted to be of some service to my fellow Americans. I do not think I am smarter, more insightful, or any in any way better than any other American citizen. I do suspect a lot of us are alarmed with where we are as a nation right now.

In this final entry, please understand that I don’t think we covered all the concerns that are present in our country and abroad right now. Not by a long shot. I do a hope the series provided something to think about. Any one of the long list of deeply concerning actions, accusations, convictions, or behaviors, would rightly give us reason to be concerned about our current president.

But his time is finite.

I am urging all of us to recognize that the aftermath of what he has brought into American life was not done by him alone. Most of our elected officials have some complicity either because they followed him in lockstep or due to hubris, over confidence, and carelessness, they allowed the chaos to get this far. And so did we as voters. The justice system has not been perfect, but it is served us better than any other branch of our government right now.

What that all means is that it is going to take us years (if not decades) to recover from everything that has happened already. The longer we wait to begin seriously considering what to do, the worse it will get.

We as a people are becoming so numb to our own humanity that we are destroying ourselves. The blessings of our current president makes that clear to anyone willing to see.

And the blessings of our current president are capable of opening our eyes to the blessings of Americans everywhere. Here are just a few examples:

The descendants of slaves have every right to say all this is “same as it ever was” and they have a strong and dismaying point. However, at the same time, they represent so much that is the very best of us. They saw this horrific hate, bled from it, many died under its inhumanity. And still, they persevered. They’ve spent their history in America leading by example, showing an unloving country how we can be better humans to each other. We need to learn from them.

The women of the country will say “way ahead of you, privileged white male” and they have a deeply shameful truth supporting the accusation. At the same time, they have a history of representing the most resilient of us. Not because they wanted to be, because they had to be to survive the scourge of male lust and lack of discipline, and so many men’s recognition and fear of women as the true source of life and humanity. The only path open to men is to accept that we need women to drag us away from the abyss we men have created. We need to learn what true power is from them and give up on our greed and politics and predatory failures.

Now we are being forced to see other groups we wrongly ignored. Those of color quietly doing thankless jobs at shitty pay because they know true wealth comes from love and each other. If we all leaned into their mindset a bit more and away from the rat race of wealth uber alles, we would be happier.

Thanks to the blessings of our current president, we can see anew that the answers are all around us, we just aren’t asking the right questions. It is not “how do we win the game of America,” it’s “how do we position Americans to win at life?” The answer is working together to make the promise of America become the reality of America, maybe for the first time ever.

We can do this. We just need to stop for a while to allow ourselves to think deeply and clearly about the madness that is currently America. If we did, we would be insane not to change direction toward the idea of “From Many One” we were always supposed to embrace.

At a time when the rest of the world is racing forward in medicine, science, business, and creativity, this once great nation is falling further and further into hate, revitalized racism, and a cancerous negativity about everything that once made us great.

I can no longer say with confidence that we will ever recover. But we have to try. And we can’t do that unless we really think about what’s going on and what each of us need to do and what we need to insist upon if we are going to give America a chance at fulfilling the dream we always heard about.

God bless America. Please.

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The Blessings of Our Current President, Part 8 – Consistency

Posted on March 25, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “consistency.”

One of the key elements of leading is consistency. Whether it is in the office, at home, in school, on a sports field, or during an emergency situation, knowing that there is someone in charge who will be consistent in decision making and and solid follow through. Nobody enjoys working for a boss that changes policy on a whim, or a parent who is strict some times and indulgent at others, or dealing with special treatment for some but not others in a school setting, or a referee or umpire who calls plays inconsistently, or chaos during an emergency.

Calm, rational, consistent leadership improves every situation, keeps people safer, and costs less in the long run.

Our current president does not practice consistency in any facet of his leadership. Tariffs have fluctuated wildly, negatively impacting our global standing. Funding of several government agencies have been crushed, creating chaos in people’s lives. And some enormous policy changes have caused starvation, illness, and death here and abroad.

Internationally, our reputation for consistent leadership is currently in tatters. Were we always the perfect heroes we liked to think of ourselves in the past? Sadly, no. But these days, very few countries have been treated with consistency by our government. Whether it be fluctuating levels of the aforementioned tariffs, insults and mockery and accusations of other countries ripping us off, or threats to take over entire countries (Canada, Greenland, and Cuba, for example), our government has shocked and dismayed the world.

Additionally, our government either kidnapped or captured (depending on the news source you follow, another inconsistency) the Venezuelan leader and then took that country’s oil. We also allowed our own Puerto Rico as well as Cuba to suffer without power as we ignored people suffering on both islands, despite the USA’s history of being the country that supported people in need. And most recently, our government joined Israel to go to war with Iran “to protect us from imminent nuclear weapons” which our current president claimed to have “obliterated” months ago. As a result, Americans have been left reeling from the chaos.

So many of us are left wondering what the actual plan is, what decisions and/or reports, and/or presidential quotes can be relied upon, trusted, and/or believed. This is not consistency; it is a recipe for disaster.

But all of this does give us the blessing of being inspired to really look at what is happening. The best way to do this is by taking in a wide variety of sources so we avoid just being programmed by one point-of-view that might be more spin and public relations than truth. Once we gather a cross-section of sourced reports, we can see established patterns, make time to sit with what our current president says over a period of time on a specific subject (like the war with Iran), and see whether our leader is being consistent and informative, or inconsistent and confusing. We can reflect and make our own decisions from there.

We The People need to decide for ourselves what we are comfortable with and what we want our leaders to project for our country. Consistency expresses strength. Chaos expresses weakness. Where do you believe we are these days? And how would we prefer our country’s leadership to lead? The answer should be important to all of us.

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The Blessings of Our Current President, part 6 – discipline

Posted on March 23, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “discipline.”

Yesterday, our current president issued an ultimatum essentially declaring that if Iran didn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by today around 4 pm, he would bomb all of their energy facilities out of existence. One can assume that he expected Iran to obey. However, there is no history to support this expectation. Unsurprisingly, Iran did not. Instead their government offered to meet his destruction with their own, announcing they would do the same to neighboring countries’ energy facilities.

This morning our current president backed off, announcing he would delay the utter destruction until a later date.

Our current president has established a strong track record of this kind of behavior, which has earned him the nickname TACO (as in always chickens out).

Should being perceived as always chickening be the issue? Actually, the larger concern should be centered on discipline or lack thereof. This is not to say our current president should have bombed anyone any further. Previous presidents did not issue threats off the cuff, without discussing plans, consequences, national and international impact, and the fallout of failure with competent experts and advisors before saying a word. That was discipline.

No other modern president has ever issued such threats without first gathering a team to create a clear and cohesive plan to carry through because consistent discipline is important, words matter, and both impact our standing in the world.

It further hurts our global standing when our current president does not seem to understand the vocabulary of war. Battles are not excursions. Excursions are a day trips we take during a nice vacation. He means incursions but won’t listen. This is just one more example of our present disciplinary limitations showing.

This is also a blessing because it can spur us to consider what is happening and how it will impact our country and the world.

As another example, insulting NATO allies repeatedly and then getting angry when they decline to assist our surprise war efforts is also not a good demonstration of discipline for us nationally or globally. Having the discipline to employ diplomacy creates much better results than insults, threats, bullying, and mockery.

This is a blessing because it can spur us to consider what is happening and how it will impact our country and the world.

Lack of discipline isn’t just a war concern. Being undisciplined when dealing with the press, for example, demeans not the media but our current president. Personal attacks on the press both by our current president, his press secretary, his defense department chief, and so on, weakens the entire nation’s trust of information coming from the White House. To call reporters stupid, or piggy, lunatics, or bad people for asking questions our current president doesn’t like fails to express discipline and instead makes the Oval Office feel like an elementary school classroom.

This is a blessing because it can spur us to consider what is happening and how it will impact our country and the world.

Further, our current president has turned tariffs into yo-yos, raising and lowering them against other countries so often that many other nations have simply planned their purchases around the US, leaving us out of international trade completely. This cannot be seen as a successful result of his tariff initiative.

Insisting that tariffs are bringing in billions also demonstrates lack of discipline when We The People continue to be forced to pay higher prices for food and gas and, well, almost everything despite our current president’s promise during the campaign to be the president of peace and lower prices. To not have the discipline to deliver on campaign promises weakens that president every day the nation’s population continues to suffer.

These are all blessings because We The People are expected to demonstrate our own discipline by considering what is happening in this country at this time under our current president and how it will impact our country and the world.

If we fail to do so, it is clear that we will just continue down this undisciplined road. Is that what we really want to do?

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Soul Screaming, a weekly newsletter

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

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)

***

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.

***

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:

***
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:

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/49fPi43ouCw?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0


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.

***

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.

***

See Me.

Feel Me.

Touch Me.

Heal me.

***

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

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The Blessings of Our Current President, part 5 – leadership

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “leadership.”

Presidents of the United States are many things, but above all they are called upon to demonstrate leadership. Webster’s Dictionary defines leadership as “the quality of character and personality giving a person the ability to gain the confidence of and lead others; as, Washington’s leadership was indispensable to the success of the American Revolution.”

We saw leadership when President Kennedy declared we would go to the moon, saying, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”

President Bush showed leadership after 9/11, going to the pile to show his support and making the following statement:

“Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

“The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

“A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

“America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.”

President Obama demonstrated leadership after yet another school shooting by actually singing “Amazing Grace” to express how deeply the country mourned.

Our current president has expressed his leadership by pushing through the “big beautiful bill” that, among other things, stripped needy people of medical coverage and food support while giving the richest among us enormous tax breaks, by sending ICE out to attack Americans who protested mass deportation without due process, by removing the leader of Venezuela, forcing that country to give up a significant amount of their oil, insist he had a right to take Greenland, Canada, and Cuba, and join Israel in attacking Iran, all without clear explanations as to why any of this should be done.

He also explained his right not to inform other countries of the Iran attack by telling a Japanese diplomat that they didn’t notify him when they bombed Pearl Harbor, shocking her into gasping.

And he shows his leadership repeatedly by posting on his own social media platform, expressing thoughts no leader ever has before. For example:

These actions provide We The People opportunities to consider the kind of leadership we want for our country. Which style represents us best? Which style of leadership do we feel proud to follow? Which form of leadership do we find ourselves embarrassed by?

The leaders we embrace define who we are. And yes, that changes a bit from president to president. Our current president provides us the opportunity to consider how we feel about our country and our leaders today, and what form of leadership we want to embrace going forward.

We should embrace that opportunity because the current form of leadership has certainly embraced us in the eyes of the world.

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The Blessings of Our Current President, part 4 – spending

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “spending.”

We are currently being given the opportunity to consider the concept of spending from so many perspectives it can surely be considered a golden age for this topic.

For example, we stopped spending money on USAID, resulting in, at the very least, “hundreds of thousands of deaths” internationally, according to the Center for Global Development, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the Maryland School of Medicine, and many more sources. This is one of the monumental changes we’ve accomplished as a nation under our current president. We went from spending serious money keeping people alive around the globe to allowing them to perish. We did that. No receipts. No chance to undo it. And the perishing continues, even if this ongoing death count is no longer covered in the news. We have created this historic money-saving strategy. This now helps define us in the eyes of the world, and our president has blessed us with the opportunity to reflect on how we feel about being viewed as selectively frugal mass murderers.

Here at home, we’ve cut $187 billion from our own Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which, according to multiple news sources, impacts 40 million Americans, including one-in-five children. And our own USDA cut $500 million from the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TAFAP). This is expected to increase food insecurity for roughly four million of our fellow Americans, which could include as many as a million children, according to an article from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Additionally, we’re also looking to slash up to $900 billion from Medicaid, which will potentially strip 17 million Americans of health coverage. It is reported that 40 percent of Medicaid recipients are also on SNAP, so that is a double savings from them, potentially forcing many Americans to choose between food and health.

We sure have been blessed with a lot to think about.

So where are all these savings going? Are we paying down our trillions of dollars in budget deficit? Actually, we are adding to that. But we have given tax cuts to the very richest Americans. And we are planning to build a White House ballroom. And we recently started financing a war with Iran, spending an estimated $25 to $30 billion so far, according to multiple news sources including The New York Times, and contributing to somewhere between 1,000 and 3,000 deaths, depending on which source we go by. Oh, and we bought the Defense Department millions of dollars’ worth of Alaska king crabs and steaks.

As all of this continues to evolve, we have the opportunity to take some time and reflect on our accomplishments and goals and the shifting reality of America here and abroad. Our current president has blessed us with the opportunity to think about who we are becoming and how we can live every day for the rest of our lives knowing we are part of all of this. How we participate in this new American golden age is something we cannot escape. How we carry that truth will say everything about who we truly are.

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The Blessings of Our President, part 3 – word choice

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “word choice.”

Recently, our current president said in an NBC interview that he might continue bombing an oil facility on Iran’s Kharg Island “just for fun.” He’s called enemies “scumbags” and “lunatics” and termed accused sex trafficker a “terrific guy” (although he eventually changed his assessment of the same person to “creep”), but recently suggested a daughter “above six years old” would be “of age” (adding to the confusion, this suggestion was made while discussing providing Voter ID). These are just a tiny fragment of all the thought-provoking rhetoric our current president has espoused. And all of it suggests that America is being called to reflect on the value of word choice not only from our world leaders, but also from ourselves.

For example, suggesting the continuation of bombing anything “just for fun” links the speaker of those words to a certain mindset, a particular moral core that others either align with or reject. What does agreeing with this sentiment say about our own moral core? How does rejecting the same reflect upon us? Which kind of person do we want to be?

Do we want our leaders calling people “scumbags” and “lunatics” and if so, what does that say about who we are as individuals, and as a nation? Is this who we want to be?

And who among us sees six year old girls as “of age”? More concerning, “of age” for what, specifically? The connotation of that phrase drags us down a dark, ugly corridor towards problems this country is facing such as sex trafficking and the Epstein files. Is this really where we feel comfortable? The context in which that comment emerged also confounds; do we really think a six-year-old girl is “of age” to have anything to do with Voter ID? Are we as a nation okay with such confounding logic from our leaders? Is this who we actually are as a country?

On almost a daily basis, the current president is providing us opportunities to reflect on how we say things, why these things are said, what embracing or rejecting such phraseology confirms about us, and our leaders.

We certainly have a ton to think about during this presidency. The conclusions we come to may very well determine our future.

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The Blessings of Our Current President, part 2 – fake

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “fake.”

Our current president works hard to define journalists and news outlets as fake. He does this constantly. This has led whole groups of Americans to believe the media is actually fake, is lying to us, and can’t be trusted. But according to media sources including NPR, the president himself has said he uses this strategy to render reporting that is critical of himself or his policies as unbelievable. Additionally, he told Leslie Stahl that he “slams” the press to “demean” and “discredit” them so the public won’t believe negative reports. He has acknowledged it as a technique to manage political perception, terming the press as an “enemy of the people” and accusing them of bias so he looks better.

Our current president has blessed us with the need to carefully decide what is true and what is fake. He has pushed us into a corner where, to determine the path of our nation’s future, we must ask ourselves: if our president himself acknowledges this is a strategy to control press coverage of his image, is it the press that is fake, or is it him?

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of “fake.”

Our current president works hard to define journalists and news outlets as fake. He does this constantly. This has led whole groups of Americans to believe the media is actually fake, is lying to us, and can’t be trusted. But according to media sources including NPR, the president himself has said he uses this strategy to render reporting that is critical of himself or his policies as unbelievable. Additionally, he told Leslie Stahl that he “slams” the press to “demean” and “discredit” them so the public won’t believe negative reports. He has acknowledged it as a technique to manage political perception, terming the press as an “enemy of the people” and accusing them of bias so he looks better.

Our current president has blessed us with the need to carefully decide what is true and what is fake. He has pushed us into a corner where, to determine the path of our nation’s future, we must ask ourselves: if our president himself acknowledges this is a strategy to control press coverage of his image, is it the press that is fake, or is it him?

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The Blessings of Our Current President, part 1- mindset

Posted on March 22, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

All of us should consider the blessings that our current president bestows upon us. For example, the blessing of mindset.

How a president thinks helps define the direction of the country and should be considered by its population. Here are some examples:

  1. “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” – George Washington
  2. “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” – Thomas Jefferson
  1. “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
  2. “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing.” -Theodore Roosevelt
  1. “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
  2. “Let every nation know… that we shall pay any price, bear any burden… to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” – John F. Kennedy
  1. “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something.” – Barack Obama
  2. “We lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” – Joe Biden
  1. “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S Truman
  2. “Leadership to me means duty, honor, country.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower
  1. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”– Ronald Reagan
  2. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln
  3. “Every man who takes office in Washington, either as President or in any other capacity, has to take a vow that he will support the Constitution of the United States.” – Calvin Coolidge
  4. “I have the right to do anything I wanna do. I’m the President of the United States.” -Donald J. Trump

What our presidents say indicates their mindset, offers insight into who they are, how they are thinking, and their intentions. We as Americans need to pay attention to what they say, how they say it, and then what they do to support such statements. It is their responsibility to lead, it is ours to decide whether their direction is reflective of who we are as a country. To sacrifice that duty is to betray ourselves and our nation.

So today’s blessing from our current president is a reminder to pay attention to our leaders’ words and actions, their mindset, and to think, really think about what we believe, what our mindset is, and whether they align with the president’s intentions for our country.

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Soul Screaming in America

Posted on January 14, 2026 by chrisryanwrites

A weekly newsletter about being creative in the widening gyre

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

(from “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats)

***

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, fiction, pop culture writing, and podcasting. 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.

***

Getting Ready for a Bloody Valentine…

It’s my turn to get some promotion regarding participation in an upcoming event. Check it out:

While the first sentence includes some of my former jobs, I truly appreciate the coverage and look forward to meeting everyone there and selling some books!

***
Tell The Damn Story focuses on sustaining progress all January

New year, new focus, folks. We’re trying to build something here, unit by unit. For January we’re going to focus on all aspects of deciding to write and ways to stick with it to make progress as a creative.

Here’s the link:

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8rPJmeXTKvI?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0

***

Taking a risk in your storytelling isn’t a crime

Ever read a passage in a book, or watch a scene in a film, or a TV show, or listen to a song, and experienced the thrill of coming across a creative moment that is absolutely bonkers, wild, or deeply moving? Sometimes our reaction is a wow, a gasp, a laugh out loud, a reread/rewind/relisten.

Such a moment is one of the reasons we humans consume art.

But we creatives have a follow-up interest in how the artist accomplished that exciting piece of work.

This is also one of the more harrowing chances a creative can take. How we deal with the call to create such a moment is often…odd. Procrastination. Insecurity. Doubt. Sleepless nights. Walking the dog to exhaustion for both of you. Why? Because creative risk is scary. We so want to get what we’re working on right that taking the chance can seem perilous.

I’m here to tell you, brothers and sisters, this is also where the most satisfactory artistic experiences reside.

Taking the chance, pushing yourself to write up to and then past the edges of your creative abilities, is a great way to develop as an artist.

Here’s how to do it:

First Draft: write fearlessly pushing your story to be the best it can be without listening to your internal editor of caring if it is good (Yes, folks, once again I’m telling you to let it suck) and keep going until the draft is completed.

Second Draft: Reread what you wrote carefully, with an editorial eye focused not on how preposterous it might be, but instead on how clear and coherent the story is at this point. Edit to clarify and strengthen coherence.

Third Draft: Apply science, history, story logic, etc. to the tale to see if all aspects stands up to such scrutiny. If your more outlandish moments fail the history or science or story logic, etc. test, ask yourself what is required to make it work. Do not immediately throw out the work because it falters in one of these areas; this is where the creative fun is hiding. Remember, many classic literature and beloved pop culture tales have negotiated these challenges as well. From Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to The Lord of The Rings to Superman to Star Wars to Avatar to Stranger Things, the writers of each project had to work through the same challenges you face. Have fun.

Then, submit it to trusted early readers or, preferably, a great writers group and listen to the feedback offered not from the POV of “they are saying I’m wrong” but from the perspective of “they are offering ways and opportunities to improve my work substantially.” Assess each comment from that perspective.

And then rewrite again.

We’re not tying shoelaces here, my friends, we’re coaxing art from the deepest depths of our collective souls. It is honorable and admirable work worth doing well.

Let’s party.

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Humor with Bob and Grace

BOB: These ICE agents in Minneapolis are attacking American protesters more violently than ever. How can Americans express themselves if their rights are denied every time they get anywhere close to these monsters?

GRACE: Whip cream pie catapults.

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And now for a peek at a handsome fella

Part of my service here is trying to improve your day. One of the ways I do that gets more appreciation than others, and that is sharing pics of a handsome fella named Sonny Mehlman. He’s also known as the KoC, as in the King of Chill. Here he is in one of his favorite chill spots, lying across the rarely seen Glorious, patron saint of aging dreamers.

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Pop Culture Fuel

Deep Dive: Don’t Cut Corners on Award Show Writers

After the NFL wild card games and thanks to old school TV tech (yes, I’ll still DVR), I watched The Golden Globes. Nikki Glaser was the most consistently funny person on stage. She’s worked on the craft of writing and performing comedy for years and it shows. Bravo.

The writing for presenters, however, is a completely different challenge. So many bits fell flat. Sometimes it was timing or deliverance (especially regarding commitment to those bits), but too often, the bits are just not funny as written. Sure, not every presenter is great at delivering comedy. Perhaps that should be taken into consideration; straight enthusiasm for their craft in introducing an award and its nominees would certainly be more welcome than bad jokes. But Glaser’s comedy, the bit performed by “Smartless” podcast hosts Sean Hayes, Will Arnett, and Jason Bateman, and the teasing exchange between Don Cheadle and George Clooney proves that good comedy delivered well is possible during award shows.

Award show writers do have a tough job but it would be better for everybody to perhaps push all the presenters bits to a higher standard. Love of craft will always serve the audience better than unsuccessful comedy.

Current Obsessions:

Books

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (Glorious and I are both reading at the same time, a fun activity)

Scott Snyder’s American Vampire, Volumes 7 and 8

The Savage Sword of Conan, Vol. 1 (reread)

John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story

A History of Women in America, by Janet L. Coryell and Nora Faires

TV

The Pitt, season 2

The Night Manager, season 2

Amanda’s Mild Takes, on social media (a calming voice in this storm)

Andor (rewatch binge)

Film (we’re slacking here)

Music

Wednesday Bleeds – a friend recommendation that has stuck around because of the daring shifts in tone this band makes.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers The Live Anthology

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Closing Thoughts

At times like these, a great quote from a true leader sometimes helps. Here’s one:

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – President Abraham Lincoln

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Alright, talk atcha next week. Stay strong.

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