Actor David Dastmalchian | Letting the Darkness Speak

About this episode

David Dastmalchian discusses the importance of embracing darkness in storytelling and the creative process.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Cole Haddon

Guest: David Dastmalchian

Topics covered

• darkness in storytelling
• vulnerability and art
• horror genre
• creative process
• addiction and mental health

Keywords

• storytelling
• darkness
• vulnerability
• horror genre
• addiction
• creative process
• David Dastmalchian

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dune, Late Night with the Devil, Murderbot, Through

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