What Is 5AM StoryTalk?
Well, hello. My name is Cole Haddon, and I’ve been a professional writer for twenty years now. First as an arts journalist for Village Voice Media and other U.S. outlets, then as a produced screenwriter and published graphic novelist, and, most recently, as a novelist. For example, I created “Dracula” (2014) for NBC/Sky (easily the worst professional experience of my life, which you can read about in bloody detail here) and my debut book Psalms for the End of the World was released in 2022 by Headline Books and other Hachette arms around the globe.
But if you know nothing else about me, you should know that I was born to tell stories and talk about stories. That’s what I’m doing here at 5AM StoryTalk.
What, you might be wonder, is so significant about that time of the day?
When I was at university and throughout my twenties, the highlights of my week were the end of long nights out with friends. Most commonly around…you guessed it…5am. We would stumble into a diner or restaurant, wherever we were on a map, and spend the next two or three hours boozily, blearily discussing — often quite loudly — books and films and music and art in general that we loved. I suppose we imagined ourselves the Algonquian Round Table reborn.
Ah, to be young and ridiculous.
But what I’m hoping is that we can recapture some of that energy, that late-night/early-morning passion for the arts, together – with some artist friends of mine from around the world, both old and new. So far, it’s working out. 5AM StoryTalk has grown to over 3,000 subscribers in one year alone.
Why Am I Doing This?
Because it brings me joy to talk about the arts, it’s really that simple. But also, the idea of helping some navigate the business of art is certainly appealing, too.
That said, talking about the arts is an education in itself. By expressing ideas to you, by putting my philosophies into a kind of structure, by answering your questions about craft and the business of art, I improve myself as an artist. In other words, this relationship is symbiotic. (It also has the added advantage of helping to keep me sane and my writing muscle as strong as possible, which you can read more about here).
How Much Is 5AM StoryTalk Going to Cost You?
In the first year of 5AM StoryTalk’s existence, I personally wrote over 200 articles and essays, interviewed more than 50 artists for my artist-on-artist series, and curated more than a dozen screenplay compilations to help you in your storytelling education. The amount of work this requires is, as you can imagine, tremendous, which unfortunately means I must charge a subscription fee for some access. I’ve decided to keep this fee minimal: $6/month or $60/year - which helps keep as much of the newsletter free for the dreamers who otherwise can’t afford it at the moment. Thank you so much for supporting my writing here.
There is also a group subscription discount:
If you can’t afford that, you can always earn comp subscriptions by referring 5AM StoryTalk to your friends and peers:
Can You Contact Me?
Subscribers can always find me in the comments section of this newsletter. Paid subscribers can participate in monthly “ask me anything” Q&As via Chat, which often go on for hours and give them ample opportunity to interrogate questions about the arts — such as “breaking in” — with me.
Now, pour yourself a cup of coffee and take a seat. I look forward to having you as part of the arts community I’m building here!
