Notes Survival Guide for Screenwriters & Authors

The Cultural Necessity of Awe | Psychologist Dacher Keltner

Our society has traded collective awe for isolating screens — and our art is paying the price. Psychologist DR. DACHER KELTNER knows a thing or two about awe as the director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, author of the book ‘Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life’, and a key creative consultant on Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’. Awe is the psychological engine of human creativity, the very origin point of art, music, and the stories we use to make sense of our existence. Yet modern, hyper-individualistic society has systematically built a buffer between us and everyday wonder — making us lonelier, feeding our anxiety, and actively handicapping our imaginations. This conversation dives deep into the biological and cultural necessity of awe, the startling revelations recent studies show about how autistics experience awe, how a deficit of awe or even the manipulation of it can break down social cohesion and lead to the rise of dangerous leaders, and the terrifying ramifications for Hollywood and the arts as we navigate an era defined by the death of shared communal experiences. SCREENPLAY PERFORMANCE STUDIO: Today's episode is brought to you by Screenplay Performance Studio. Check them out and use the code 5AMStoryTalk to get $25 off. ⁠screenplayperformancestudio.com/5AM [http://screenplayperformancestudio.com/5AM] JOIN THE COMMUNITY!Join the 10,000+ members of the 5AM StoryTalk community at Substack mastering the craft of storytelling (and the art of life) together: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE: JAN STEEN'S PAINTING 'MERRY COMPANY ON A TERRACE' Dacher returns to break down a seminal piece of art from his own life that helped set him on a quest to better understand human emotions. UNLOCK THE BONUS AT SUBSTACK: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/dacher-keltner-jan-steen-merry-company-on-a-terrace UNLOCK THE BONUS AT APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-dacher-keltner-talks-jan-steens-merry-company/id1807437928?i=1000769462790 ON THE ITINERARY: * THE BIAS OF SCIENCE: Why psychology ignored transcendent emotions for a century to focus on fear, impacting Western storytelling. * THE CREATIVES' LAB: How artists, writers, and filmmakers can actively trigger states of awe to break through creative blocks and write deeper, more resonant stories. * THE NEURODIVERGENT MIND: Breaking down groundbreaking new data from autistic scholar Hari Srinivasan that shatters harmful myths about neurodiversity and awe. * THE CRISIS IN HOLLYWOOD: Why modern cinema is struggling to connect, and how a cultural deficit of wonder has sterile algorithms replacing creative risk-taking. * THE DEATH OF THE LIVE AUDIENCE: From movie theaters to church pews, why we are collectively suffering from the loss of shared communal experiences. LINKS: * Check out Dr. Dacher Keltner's book ‘Awe': https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622175/awe-by-dacher-keltner/ * 🎧📺✍️ 5AM StoryTalk's discussion 'Project Hail Mary' Is the Blueprint to Save Hollywood (and Our Future)': https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/project-hail-mary-blueprint-save-hollywood-our-future * Hari Srinivasan's autism research blog: https://uniquelyhari.blogspot.com/ TIP JAR: Not up for a paid subscription? You can also “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA: * 5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EMAIL: ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS: * 5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. * This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Notes Survival Guide for Screenwriters & Authors

Getting feedback on a script or novel shouldn't be so anxiety inducing. This episode of 5AM StoryTalk is the ultimate notes survival guide for screenwriters and authors receiving feedback – and a masterclass for producers, agents, and book editors looking to deliver critiques that actually inspire great revisions! 👉 SCREENPLAY PERFORMANCE STUDIO: Today's episode is brought to you by Screenplay Performance Studio. Check them out and use the code 5AMStoryTalk to get $25 off. screenplayperformancestudio.com/5AM [http://screenplayperformancestudio.com/5AM] ON THE ITINERARY: * THE FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT RESPONSE: Breaking down the actual evolutionary psychology of why creative feedback triggers the exact same brain response as a physical attack. * THE "MURDER" IMPULSE: Why many standard industry notes often derail a writer's momentum instead of helping the story. * FILTERING THE GOLD: A step-by-step strategy for screenwriters and novelists to separate valuable insights from otherwise questionable note sessions. * HOW TO GIVE NOTES (WITHOUT THE DRAMA): The exact blueprint for producers, agents, book editors, and peers to deliver devastating critiques in a way that actually inspires the creator. * HOLLYWOOD VS. THE REST OF THE WORLD: The gap between how Hollywood notes are given and how they’re given elsewhere around the globe. * THE SCREENWRITER VS. NOVELIST DIVIDE: How the feedback landscape can differ between the screenwriting and publishing worlds. * THE EMOTIONAL CURE: My personal toolkit for cooling down, processing the anxiety, and turning a brutal notes session into a great script revision. LINKS: * Read why this episode's sponsor, Screenplay Performance Studio, meets this podcast's human-made art standards for a digital tool: https://screenplayperformancestudio.com/privacy-policy.html * Read "The Horror of 'Dracula': The Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/new-podcast-episode-the-horror-of TIP JAR: Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at… * 5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EMAIL: ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS: * 5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. * This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Brew | Overcomplicating your world-building? •.producer notes on my TV pilot • 'The Pitt', at last

Are you overcomplicating your world-building? I’m breaking down why the most effective story worlds are built on simplicity — and why I opted (counterintuitively) to instead take a “maximalist” approach to my storytelling with my latest TV pilot script commission. The good news is, I finally heard from my producers what they think about the work I did, which I’m going to be filling you in about, along with an update on my new feature spec screenplay, and what I’ve been watching lately…like 'The Pitt’. Is it just me, or is it one of the most meditative shows on TV today? I’ll tell you what I mean by that and more in this latest edition of The Brew — an intimate 5AM StoryTalk series on the struggles and successes of life in the arts. JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Join the 10,000+ members of the 5AM StoryTalk community at Substack mastering the craft of storytelling (and the art of life) together: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ ON THE ITINERARY: * THE PILOT UPDATE: What's going on with my latest script commission? After almost five months, I finally got notes from my producers. * DELICATE MAXIMALISM: Swinging for the fences with an oversized draft to find the project’s perfect shape. * THE RARE NOTE: I got a note I've never received before. Find out what it was. * THE WORLD-BUILDING SPECTRUM: From 'Star Wars 'to the grounded social dynamics of Amity Island in 'Jaws' - what do people not understand about the term 'world-building'? * THE KILLER 50-PAGE PILOT: Tightening a 63-page script into a "tear-through" read. * CELLULOID AT RADIO SPRINGS: 'Citizen Kane' and the "fucking brilliant" French epic 'Camille Claudel' on film. * WHAT I THINK OF 'THE PITT': The unique conflict of a series that feels like "what television used to be". * THE MINGUS PRINCIPLE: Making the complicated simple so the audience can internalize the world instead of analyze it. LINKS: * Read "14 Perfect Minutes: Breaking Down the Opening of 'Jaws'": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/14-perfect-minutes-breaking-down * Read "How to World-Build Like a Wachowski": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/on-screenwriting-how-to-world-build * Read "30 World-Building-Heavy Scripts to Download and Study": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/30-world-building-heavy-scripts-to TIP JAR: Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at… * 5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EMAIL: ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS: * 5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. * This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cover art: Stanford torus, painted by Donald E. Davis. Source: NASA.

Actor David Dastmalchian | Letting the Darkness Speak

Writers, stop trying to control the darkness and start letting it speak. Actor, filmmaker, and comic book creator DAVID DASTMALCHIAN (‘Dune’, ‘Late Night with the Devil’, ‘Murderbot’) joins me to discuss why the most dangerous thing an artist can do is try to "button up" the darkness. Through the lens of his life, career, and bold new graphic novel ‘Through’, we explore the thin line between creating a "fortress" of control and finding the courage to let your stories – and your life – remain beautifully unresolved. JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Join the 10,000+ members of the 5AM StoryTalk community at Substack mastering the craft of storytelling (and the art of life) together: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ ON THE ITINERARY: * AVOIDING ARCHETYPAL ANTAGONISTS: Why fully fleshed-out villains, like those in Frank Herbert’s Dune, are essential for a story to feel truly justified and human.  * THE MONSTER WITHIN: How the horror genre provides a safe place to confront not just the "dark outside the window," but the terrifying parts of ourselves we aren't comfortable talking about.  * THE CREATIVE VACUUM: Why the artist’s best work is done when seeking to overcome fear rather than being driven by it, moving from a state of hyper-vigilance to conscious presence.  * THE TRUTH ABOUT VULNERABILITY: A raw discussion on addiction, suicide attempts, and the "implosion" of self-control – and how these experiences become the clay for David’s meaningful art.  * BREAKING ‘THROUGH’: The creative and emotional origins of David’s new graphic novel from Z2 Comics and why it’s one of the most personal things he’s ever worked on. * THE SABOTAGED ENDING: The last-minute phone call that dismantled a "perfect" conclusion to ‘Through’ because life – and art – is far more honest when it refuses to be buttoned up.  * RADICAL HOPE: How normalizing conversations about the morbid can help us face the "monstrous" within a capitalist culture that often buries the value of human wellbeing.  🔒 EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE: HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971) David Dastmalchianb returns to discuss a seminal piece of art from his life – HAROLD AND MAUDE, the 1971 cult classic from legendary director Hal Ashby. This conversation is going to explain how David became the person – and artist – he is today. 🔑 UNLOCK AT SUBSTACK: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/david-dastmalchian-harold-and-maude-mental-health 🔑 UNLOCK AT APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-david-dastmalchian-talks-harold-and-maude/id1807437928?i=1000766143248 LINKS * Learn more about and purchase David Dastmalchian's graphic novel THROUGH: https://z2comics.com/products/david-dastmalchian-through-graphic-novel-collectors-cards-deluxe-edition * Watch/Listen to David's podcast GRAVE CONVERSATIONS: https://www.youtube.com/@graveconversations JOIN THE COMMUNITY! 5AM StoryTalk is reader-supported. Help me keep the coffee brewing by becoming a free or paid subscriber at Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ TIP JAR Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at… * 5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EMAIL ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS ◼5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. ◼This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠my dear friend Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Brew | How I Picked My Next Spec Screenplay

Are you thinking about writing a feature spec script? I’m breaking down the 4-part stress test I used to pick my first big-screen project in five years. Today on The Brew — an intimate 5AM StoryTalk series on the struggles and successes of life in the arts — I’m sharing the exact process I used to identify and fall in love with an idea that would also have commercial appeal. Whether you are a screenwriter, author, or graphic novelist, the logic remains the same — what is relevant to one medium has applications across all others. JOIN THE COMMUNITY! Join the 10,000+ members of the 5AM StoryTalk community at Substack mastering the craft of storytelling (and the art of life) together: https://colehaddon.substack.com/ ON THE ITINERARY THIS WEEK * THE ARTIST’S INTERROGATION: Why you must constantly challenge your creative process and the way you pursue your art. * THE PILOT POISON: How a decade of writing TV pilots "ruined" the feature-writing process by favoring aborted character journeys over definitive endings. * THE BULLSEYE STRATEGY: A breakdown of the four-part stress test used to find the precise intersection of passion, commercial logic, theme, and sequel potential. * THE "COMMERCIAL" MYTH: Why writing for a large audience is a moral case for cinema rather than "selling out". * THE LAVA CAKE STRATEGY: Learning to hide your most serious, "grim" themes inside a high-octane "sugar cake" of entertainment. * THE JAMES CAMERON SCHOOL OF GOAL-SETTING: Why setting ridiculously high goals ensures that even your failures land above everyone else's success. 🔒 EXCLUSIVE BONUS EPISODE: "WEAPONIZING CURIOSITY IN SCREENWRITING: BUILDING THE NARRATIVE HOOK" 🔑 UNLOCK THE BONUS AT SUBSTACK: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/weaponizing-curiosity-screenwriting 🔑 UNLOCK THE BONUS AT APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-weaponizing-curiosity-in-screenwriting-building/id1807437928?i=1000763998965 LINKS: * Watch/Listen/Read "'Project Hail Mary' Is the Blueprint to Save Hollywood (and Our Future)": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/project-hail-mary-blueprint-save-hollywood-our-future * Watch/Listen/Read "The Brew | 'Hustle Culture Is Killing Me'": https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/5am-realtalk-feb-23-i-cant-do-this?utm_source=publication-search TIP JAR: Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here to help keep me caffeinated (translation: writing)⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at… * 5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ * Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ EMAIL: ⁠5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com CREDITS: * 5AM StoryTalk acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present. * This podcast’s music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠