Ryan is a storyteller working in film and fiction. He received an MFA in writing from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a James A. Michener Fellow. His work in film has earned ADDY and Telly awards, as well as film festival accolades that include official selections in SXSW, Slamdance, Sun Valley Film Festival, and The Sundance Film Festival. His screenwriting has been recognized by the American Screenwriters Association, Austin Film Festival, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Nicholl Fellowship, among others. His screenplays have been optioned and developed by production companies such as Anonymous Content, Overbrook Entertainment, Zero Gravity, and Red Hour Films. His fiction has appeared most recently in Alaska Quarterly Review, Willow Springs, and Narrative Magazine. Ryan lives in Idaho and teaches film at Boise State University, where he founded the Narrative Television Initiative.