Meet Ryan Sizemore | Screenwriter & Showrunner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Sizemore and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, why did you pursue a creative career?
There’s a bit of selfishness in why I write, I will admit. It’s the thrill of telling a story. The way my hands shake as my fingers dance around the keyboard and the excitement I feel when a scene I have written feels life like and enthralling. It’s fun. The entire process is captivating. It’s something difficult and challenging. That’s a reason why I love writing so much.
But there is another reason that goes deeper than that.
I’ve talked with artists, directors, actors and all other creatives under the sun and what I usually hear is an answer along the lines of “I want to change the world for the better.” Which is all fine and good. We need people who aren’t afraid to take the world by the horns and tell it that it’s okay to change its ways.
For me though, I don’t think I can change the world. That sounds really pessimistic doesn’t it? I can’t change the world. But I think there’s something else I can do instead.
Help someone.
See, when I was younger, there was a lot of heartache, betrayal, and loneliness. I was surrounded by this world that I felt never saw who I truly was. It was not fun. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. So I pursued writing to try and help those who just needed someone to say “This is what you’re feeling right now and this is how you can try and overcome it.”
Whenever I write, I imagine one person’s eyes scanning the words I wrote or sitting in a chair and watching something I wrote the script for. I see them nodding their head, tears in their eyes, and saying to themselves “Here’s someone who gets it.”
That’s why I do what I do. For that one person I don’t even know exists.
I may never know who I helped, but I thank God I can at least do something for them.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Every creative knows that doing this work professionally is not an easy road. It is full of doubt and hardships, constantly wondering if you should give up and find something else that may be just as satisfying but knowing deep down that it won’t. There are many people who say to keep going and keep striving which I have to agree is true.
But I think what sets me apart from other people is the aspect of work. See, in these creative fields, we get so caught up in the art of the work, in the precision and perfect balance of making something unique, that we forget this thing we love is work in the end. It’s finding that good mix of art and work. Creating something amazing but also doing it in a timely manner or having this amazing idea but knowing it might need to be toned down to fit into certain areas or restrictions. I believe I have a good sense of that balance.
The way that I found this balance was through discipline. Everyday, I force myself to sit down and write something either for my work or personal projects. I must write. I must practice this skill everyday in order to become better at it. I must become ready for the opportunity when it comes to me and I must have the confidence in my skill to approach that opportunity in the best way that I can.
One of the most important lessons I have learned along the way is an old saying from prolific writer Stephen King. He says “kill your babies”. Of course, it does not mean to actually go and kill babies. He means that what you have written is something that is close to you. There is a part of you inside what you have written and it rests close to your heart. But being that close to something blurs your vision on how to make it better. See, we think that what we wrote is perfection that can’t possibly be made better. 99.99999% of the time this isn’t the case. We must kill (change, revise, cut down) what we created for it to become better, more sellable, more digestible. I believe this is more of an ego thing than anything. If you can admit that your writing may not be perfect, then you are way closer to becoming a professional than most other creatives out there.
What I want people to know about my brand and story is that New Story Plus has the same goals that I do. Giving people new perspectives, allowing someone a break from the hardships the world delivers even if it is just for a moment, bridging the gap between individuals and gifting them a space where they may be able to understand the other person better or just have fun. Honestly, I can’t gush on New Story Plus enough, but I’ll make myself shut up for now about it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, directions and points of interests are not my best things! I have a mini freak out just deciding on a new place to eat for me and my girlfriend!
I would say The Battery in Atlanta is a really fun place to go. There is plenty of space to walk, to people watch, and have some good one on one time just to talk. There is also this restaurant inside The Battery that has a blueberry cobbler milkshake and, if you never had it before, you are missing out big time! It’s on the second floor I think.
But of course, I would have to recommend a good Brave’s game if the weather isn’t the hottest thing ever. A good beer and hotdog just hits the spot sometimes! Just be sure to try and get out of there before you get caught up in all the traffic. Atlanta drivers are crazy sometimes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Of course there are a lot of people who I could dedicate a shoutout towards. Family, friends, that one person who said I couldn’t do it and now I just want to spite them. But I think the shoutout has to go towards Marcus Brooks, the CEO of New Story Plus and a good friend of mine for almost a decade now.
When I was just starting out, all I had was an idea and the drive to put in the work. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of people who see that in someone else. But Marcus did. Not only did he support my comic series S.O.S Academy, but even put financial backing behind it. If putting your own hide on the line for someone else doesn’t show absolute support, I don’t know what else does.
Now, I work closely with him and his company in making new amazing stories for everyone and get to do a job I love. If it wasn’t for Marcus, I don’t know where my path would have led me.
I don’t think he truly knows the significance he’s had on my life. He’s a God-send for me. Of course, if I said all this to his face, he’d probably brush it off and say it was nothing. But it was everything to me.
So, thank you Marcus! You’re truly one of a kind.

Website: https://www.newstoriesplus.com/about-9

Instagram: ryan_sizeismore

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Image Credits
Photo Credits to:

Lady Elena (Instagram: thyladyelena)
Dean Fadely (Instagram: dean.cr2)
Fluffy White (Instagram: led_bull_studios)