Speak Easy With Haroon S1:E2

David Young: From Brookside Screenwriter to Young Adult Author

“I think the reason I wrote a book that worked was because I had to fucking sell it.” – David Young, Screenwriter/Author

Imagine paying off your mortgage with a credit card…

Not a good sign. 

But it was the reality that David had to face after being let go from his screenwriter role at the famous TV series, Brookside

Born and bred in Scotland, David Young, now in his fifties, found his love for writing at the age of sixteen. And he’s been writing since then, with the last 22 years of his life actually being paid for it.

He’s been a professional screenwriter/novelist since the age of thirty. 

But his journey was rough. 

In fact, he even mentions in this chat with Haroon that sometimes it’s best not to know what you’re getting into as a creative. Because if you knew the entirety of all the challenges that would come your way, you’ll probably be tempted to choose another path – one that’s safe. 

Needless to say, David’s own story is filled with suspenseful scenes where it seemed that his artistic dream wasn’t pulling him along. 

Until one day it did…

He told his story and shared some helpful lessons for anyone trying to fuel their artistic dream while battling the realities of life. 

And also a thing or two about Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Let’s dive into the highlights…

Show Notes 

  • David’s early life and writing. (1:50)
  • How growing up in Scotland in the 1980s influenced David’s journey as a writer. (4:10)
  • David shares about his deformity and being amputated at seventeen. (6:53)
  • The reality of being a writer. (8:10)
  • What would David have done differently as a writer if he knew then what he knows now? (9:30)
  • Why does it help to be a little bit naive as a creator? (11:10)
  • The importance of filtering feedback. (12:45)
  • The difference between screenwriting in the UK and the US. (16:00)
  • The creative subconscious vs. writing as manual labour. 
  • About the London Writers’ Salon. (26:30)
  • David’s take on the notion of overnight success and the average amount of time it would take for writers to become paid. (30:00)
  • How did the academic system affect how people view art and cultural products, despite the huge economy it produces? (32:30)
  • Bracing yourself for reviews as you find your readership. (38:18)
  • Written content in reviews versus the star ratings. (40:30)
  • David’s thoughts on rejection. (42:12)
  • What does it take for someone to recognize a potentially successful piece of work? (47:09)
  • David’s view on how living below your means can benefit creators. (51:45)
  • David’s approach to writing and not having an alternative. (54:15)
  • David shares why he believes in writing sprints and how he goes about it. (1:00:25)
  • On writing every day. (1:02:30)
  • Why David recommends you should create a writing spreadsheet. (1:05:20)
  • What did David’s experience writing for Brookside teach him? (1:07:42)
  • Why should you brace yourself for being fired as a screenwriter? (1:11:54)
  • David’s thoughts on starting out and money versus legacy. (1:15:35)
  • David’s take on how experiential research made him a better writer. (1:17:55)
  • David’s views on toxic masculinity and where it came from. (1:24:00)
  • David’s journey and lessons from Brazilian jiu-jitsu. (1:28:53)
  • How David spotted the Kindle publishing trend and his next move. (1:39:35)
  • What do most writers need to know when signing with a traditional publisher? (1:42:23)
  • David’s current projects in relation to crime and police presence. (1:43:45)

Final advice to writers, artists, and creatives (1:51:05) 

  • “If you want to be a writer, you have to write… that’s the key to absolutely everything. You have to sit down and you have to find your way of doing that. 
  • “Set yourself a place and a time every day to sit down and do the work. And even if you do half an hour a day, that can take you where you want to go.” 

People mentioned 

Marcus Rashford 

James Baldwin

James Kelman 

Alesdair Gray 

Jeff Goins

Steven Pressfield 

Brian Koppleman 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Irvine Welsh

Conor McGregor 

Anthony Bourdain 

Russell Brand 

Helpful links 

Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age by Jeff Goins

The London Writers’ Salon

Atlanta (TV series)

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron 

Where can I find David?

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Is there a lesson that stuck out to you the most? Let us know in the comments.

About the host 

Haroon Khan is a tech copywriter by day and poet by night. Among his artistic pursuits is this podcast where he interviews creatives who’ve already done it. Whether that’s writing a book, making a movie, or an album. He’s documenting their challenges, how they overcame them, and helping you discover how you can too.

 Speak Easy With Haroon S1:E1

Overcoming decades of fear and procrastination: Sophia Bennett’s journey to answering her call as an award-winning writer

“My mother let me read whatever I wanted … that’s when I got the first inclination that I wanted to be a writer.” – Sophia Bennett

Did you have the same inclination?

A crystal clear calling into your creative identity, followed by years of procrastination and unrelated fulfillment.

Do you feel like unresolved trauma is holding you back from artistic expression?

Sophia felt the same. Then she made a choice – to start.

That choice led to getting her hands on the manuscript for Harry Potter before the world knew about “The Boy Who Lived.”

Then that pushed her to write her own words instead of studying someone else’s. It led her to finish, write, and write again. Up until today as a professional crime-based novelist.

As the first guest on our podcast, she certainly left a lasting impression, along with truthful doses about the creative journey you shouldn’t miss.

Let’s dive into the highlights …

Who is Sophia Bennett? A little more …

Sophia Bennett is a British, award-winning young adult, and now-turned-crime-based novelist. 

She was previously a librarian, management consultant, and YA author for ten years. Her first book, Threads won the Times/Chicken House children’s fiction competition. It was followed by two further books in the series which were published around the world. 

Sophia’s goal was always to get and keep young people reading. Now embracing artistic re-invention, Sophia is using the foundation of her success to dive into the genre that she’s always loved as a child: crime.

Show Notes

  • Sophia’s formative years as an army child. (1:05)
  • Sophia’s observations on trauma and artistry. (5:02)
  • What stopped Sophia from following through on the inclination she always had as a child to be a writer? (13:20)
  • Sophia on a writer’s necessity. (16:20)
  • How Sophia’s time as a management consultant and traveler enhanced her journey
  • Sophia on reading the manuscript for Harry Potter before the world knew about “The Boy Who Lived.” (17:20)
  • Making different things. Failing. And making things again. (19:00)
  • The unsexy creator journey. (20:55)
  • Grabbing the good moments and being grateful. (33:43)
  • A habit of all the greats and the best advice Sophia received as a writer. (35:30)
  • Sophia’s take on the question ALL writers have to face: “Have you been published yet?” (40:53)
  • The true definition of a writer. (44:34)
  • About Sophia’s podcast. (46:50)
  • Sophia’s early work as a Young Adult writer. (50:00)
  • The shift into crime-based novels. (53:05)
  • On embracing reinvention. (56:50)
  • Sophia’s advice to her 18-year-old self. (1:04:30)
  • The three movies that Sophia absolutely couldn’t do without. (1:09:25)

Final advice to writers, artists, and creatives (1:06:04)

  • “You’re already doing the right thing because you’re listening to this podcast.”
  • “Writing is a discipline. There will be creative joy, but don’t expect that to happen every day. Bum on seat. Every day.”
  • “Every now and again, try to finish something.”
  • “Keep going.”
  • “Find communities of fellow writers and learn from them. Find people you trust to share your work and keep going from there.”

What was your favourite lesson from the podcast? Let us know!

People mentioned 

Tom Jones

Marty McFly 

Paul McCartney 

David Beckham 

Katharine Hepburn

David Bowie 

Steven Pressfield 

Stephen King 

Neil Gaiman

Bernadine Evaristo 

Helpful links

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield 

Clueless (film)

Crazy Rich Asians (film)

The Martian (film)

The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett 

Where can I find Sophia?

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Podcast 

About the host 

Haroon Khan is a tech copywriter by day and poet by night. Among his artistic pursuits is this podcast where he interviews creatives who’ve already done it. Whether that’s writing a book, making a movie, or an album. He’s documenting their challenges, how they overcame them, and helping you discover how you can too.

Creativity Heals

I’m not a therapist.

I’m not an expert on mental health……..But, it (mental health) is something I’m grappling with constantly.

I wanted to end this over the New Year. New Year’s Eve to be precise.

This came off of the back of a euphoric high a couple of days prior to this depressive low. I experienced another brief high last night. I connected with an old friend from London Business School whom I hadn’t seen in 10 years. I hoped to carry that positive momentum a little longer…

But I’ve woken up feeling low again.

I have ADHD (as well as autism). This means I have fewer dopamine receptors in my brain than people without ADHD. As a result, ADHD strongly correlates with depression.

There is no magic cure for this. Believe me I’ve tried anti depressants and ADHD meds…

I know what works for me…

It’s a blend of community and creativity.

Today, I woke up. Dopamine levels low. ADHD winning. Depression draped over me like cumulus clouds.

I could have surrendered to this. I wanted to surrender. But…I got up, logged onto London Writer Salon’s Weekend Writer’s Group. I did my morning pages. I wrote with my community.

Do I feel eutrophic right now?

No.

But, I feel better. Creativity is a balm. Creativity…I think latent creativity is a huge cause of my mental health issues that I’ve continued to grapple with since I was 5. In case you’re wondering, I’m 40 now.

But, a simple choice, involving morning pages and creativity (in community) has shifted my mind and led to this blog post.

I’m feeling better, but I won’t leave things to chance. I’m autistic and am part of an autistic theatre group. I’ll be joining them later today to rehearse for a Theatre Showcase where I’ll be performing.

More creativity.

More community.

More creativity in community.

“Latent creativity is not benign.” – Chase Jarvis

Give Yourself Permission To Be Creative

“Play the fool.”

Ethan Hawke

I love this quote and it’s a great takeaway from Ethan Hawke’s TED Talk.

In fact, this talk is jam packed with great quotes. Here’s another from Ethan Hawke:

“If history has taught us anything, the world is an incredibly unreliable critic.”

I wish I’d written this particular quote, hell, I wish I’d written the first one I quoted too.

Back to the second quote though. Why do I wish I’d written that one in particular?

Because it’s true. When the Beastie Boys released their second album “Paul’s Boutique”, it was universally disliked by critics AND fans.

That must have hurt for the Beastie Boys. I honestly don’t know if I’d have been able to create another album after that. Not I was in my early 20s and had to take that kind of rejection after a debut album where I’d conquered the world (Beastie Boys – Licensed to ILL) .

The Beastie Boys didn’t give up. They went back and learned instruments. They took time out to work on their craft and on have fun with their instruments. Zero expectations.

They played the fool.

They became beginners again and in the process reinvented themselves.

They gave themselves permission to be creative.

Seems to have worked well for them!

I try not to do regrets, but I do regret every period in my life when I didn’t give myself permission to be creative.

However, I can’t EVER remember a time in my life, particularly since 2017 when I regretted giving myself permission to be creative.

Sometimes the end result is great. I’ll get the validation and praise for my work. Sometimes my work is ignored.

But, giving myself over to the process of creating…it just makes me feel alive and full of purpose. And new paths unfold.

“To thrive, to express ourselves…we have to know ourselves.

What do you love?

And if you get close to what you love, who you are is revealed to you and it expands.”


Ethan Hawke

Deep down we know we want to thrive.

The path to thriving comes through creativity.

Give yourself permission to be creative.

Here is Ethan Hawke’s TED Talk.


Keep Going

I love Bryan Cranston.

Dude made me laugh hard for years in Malcolm in the Middle.

Then he gave a nuanced and interesting portrayal of Walter White in Breaking Bad.

That show and his character made me confront uncomfortable things about myself.

That’s what great storytellers do.

I’m about halfway through reading his memoir “A Life in Parts”.

It’s an honest and unpretentious (so far) of his journey as an actor, from childhood to present.

My big takeaway so far?

Don’t give up.

Focus on processes, not outcomes.

Know what matters to you.

I’ve failed at this often in the past. I’ve become fixated and driven by outcomes. It doesn’t work.

I gave up on following my heart and the creative path it desired in my mid 20s.

Your heart never forgets.

Mine didn’t.

No matter how hard I ran away or hid, my heart was too fucking loud.

You don’t have to do what I did.

I deferred my creative and artistic journey by a decade and a half. You don’t have to do the same.

Focus on processes, not outcomes.

Bryan Cranston’s career really took off when he become more focused on his craft. He just wanted to become a better actor.

He didn’t get upset when others landed opportunities he went for. He reached a point where he was genuinely when others landed gigs he went for!

He kept chipping away and focusing on his craft, on his love of acting.

It worked.

He landed Malcolm in the Middle and Breaking Bad in the same decade.

One role was in his 40s, the other in his 50s.

Know what matters to you.

This took me until much later in my life to realise.

You have to know yourself.

Do you know what you can and can’t live without?

I’ll leave you with this quote from Bryan Cranston:

“I didn’t want to spend my life doing something I was good at, but didn’t love.

I wanted to do something I loved, and hopefully become good at it.”

Navigating Depression and ADHD as a Creative

It’s 7am. I’m getting up.

Doesn’t sound unusual. Thing is, I went down for a nap at 6pm yesterday. I was tired.

Again, sounds normal and reasonable.

I have long Covid. I tested positive for Covid early December 2020. I was extremely ill for 2 weeks. It’s now the middle of May 2021. I’m still grappling with severe fatigue, breathlessness and severe hair loss.

Last night I was going to go out for a walk. It pelted down with rain and hail stone and the sky thundered and roared.

I stayed indoors.

At 6pm I decided to take a nap. I was trying to read “Own Your Own Weird” by Jason Zook, but was way too tired.

Pre long Covid, this nap would be brief and I’d wake up later in the evening, ready to be creative and productive.

Instead, I woke up 13 hours later.

I woke up, upset that I can’t this control this aspect of my health and my time.

I’m anxious as I’m waiting to hear back on some leads for paid work projects. They’ll get back to me. But for now, I can only focus on the silence in my email inbox.

I decided to load up Logic Pro X and open I beat I was making so I could share it online. These beats were made using presets, so I learnt the hard way that Logic Pro X does NOT save the presets you choose to make beats with when you save it.

When you make original compositions it saves everything. But not when you use presents, it just won’t.

I created 5 beats last week. All made and saved this way. Lost forever.

Last week, just before I took a break for Eid I was on a high. New leads for paid freelancing gigs, beats made…..lots of promise.

An artistic and creative path has ups and downs, twists and turns. For me, this is heavily exacerbated by my ADHD.

ADHD makes me far more susceptible to extreme highs and lows. Depressive episodes and lows are a lifelong companion.

Waking up to the kind of start I have today is often the recipe for very unproductive depressive episodes.

But I’ve been doing my morning pages this morning and gaining some clarity.

I’m feeling very down. Doesn’t take Colombo to figure that out.

But, I have leads for work. They’re likely busy. So I’ll park that anxiety to one side, or at least try to.

As for the lost beats. I’ll create again and I’ll write down the settings for beats made using presets on Logic Pro X, so I don’t repeat this mistake.

The lost time and fatigue from long Covid?

My body has been impacted by an unforgiving virus. My body needed the rest. I listened to my body. I need to be patient with my health.

Despite my current ADHD mood swing, essentially a depressive episode, I’m gonna try and push on today.

A creative path isn’t all bouncy castles every day.

I’m going to focus on what I can control today.

I’ll go out for a walk and work on some creative and paid freelancing goals and read.

I’ll “Keep Going”.

The pendulum will swing the other way.

If you’re an artist, a creative and / or have ADHD, know that you’re not alone navigating the ups and downs that come with what feels like a lonely path.

You’re not alone.

Keep Going.

We need you and your gifts.

Share them with us.

Let generosity be your North Star.

oh baby..revisited

I love surprises! Don’t you?

I especially love it when those surprises spring from the same well.

“oh baby” by LCD Soundsystem. It’s a sublime song. I spoke about the joy of hearing it for the first time in my last post.

Another thing that gives me joy is storytelling. Particularly visual storytelling. Films, long form TV shows and when it’s done well, music videos.

For the past 2 years and 4 months I’ve been revisiting “oh baby” on Spotify.

I never once thought to go onto YouTube and look for its music video. However, I chanced upon it a few days ago. I’d been dissociating* again. It wasn’t fun. But once again art pierced through and allowed light to seep into me.

The music video is a short film set to music. I wish more musicians did this rather than use music videos as a promotional tool for their songs.

As I watch the opening frames of the video lead from pencils makes marks on paper. I’m then greeted by the stars of this story, David Strathairn and Sissy Spacek. They’re scientists working on a teleportation device and they’re in love with each other.

Because it’s set to music, there’s no dialogue. But their love is visible in each frame. Each shot and scene conveys more than any dialogue ever could.

This is why I want to be a screenwriter. Telling a story in pictures is an art form and the director, Rian Johnson delivers a poignant masterclass.

Sissy Spacek and David Strathairn‘s devotion to each other…..I can’t take my eyes off of them. I really can’t. I can’t help but care deeply about them. I wanna see them win in their pursuit of creating a teleportation machine.

Seconds and minutes elapse and I travel through time and space.

Intrigue draws me in, enchantment keeps me there and I return to my life with sorrow.

I process it all and I walk away with hope.

I’m crying.
I’m emotional.
I’m inspired.

oh baby

I love surprises! Don’t you?

With my head hunched down at my laptop in a trendy office I hummed “oh baby….”

The sounds of hypnotic synths travelled through the room.

“What song is this?” I asked my colleague.

“It’s ‘oh baby’ by LCD Soundsystem” she replied.

For decades I’ve struggled with dissociation*. I’ve found it hard to feel. Joy has been hard to come by.

This was NOT one of those moments. An honest piece of art can disrupt you and heal you. It can act as a form of therapy.

Music does that for me.

Find something that does that for you.

It’ll act as a balm for your spirit.



*You can find more information about dissociation at this link.

Jump Starting a Car – Take #2

So, I wrote my last blog post “Jump Starting a Car” hoping it’d I could bring some momentum back to this blog. I published it a few days back and shared it several days afterwards. But I wrote it back in November.

I didn’t make good on the intentions I set in that post and on 30th December, on the cusp of a New Year I started writing this blog post.

I want to get back to this blog. I want to get back to just writing for the joy of it and sharing it with people. I want to get back to the freedom that comes with not being attached with the outcome of my writing.

After almost 3 years of consistent procrastination I began blogging in February 2020. It was one of the most surprisingly satisfying creative experiences I’ve had.

In my last post I set an intention. I’d share more of my old published work and that I’d write more new work. Not only did I not do that, but as I’ve admitted here, I wrote that back in November and didn’t even publish it until the end of December. I wasn’t brave enough to share it until the first week of January 2021.

Periodically in 2020 I’ve shifted between these 3 states:

1.) Writing, publishing and sharing my work.
2.) Writing, but not publishing and sharing my work.
3.) Not writing at all.

I need to get better at publishing and sharing my work. It’s not good enough to just write a draft in long hand in my notepad. It needs to go onto this blog almost immediately.

Often I just refuse to publish and share as there’s usually something I’ve promised in the blog post. Sometimes it’s a companion piece or a follow up blog post.

I’m scared to publish the first piece of work that has already been drafted as I’m scared of letting myself and others down by not following through on the next piece of work.

I promise I’ll publish and share work I’ve written in the past year (and beyond in some cases).

I’ve overcome a huge internal barrier just by starting this blog back in February 2020. For the first time ever I’ve published and shared my work.

But I’m still wrestling with fear.

I’m still scared to share my writing if it’s not perfect.

I make references in my work to follow up pieces I’ll create and then I don’t publish the original work. It’s because I’m scared of not delivering the follow up. It’s a madness.

And so what if I don’t…at least to begin with or ever…It can’t be worse than holding back work that’s already complete.

Seth Godin is right. Not sharing creative work is utterly selfish.

Letting my fear and ego get in the way of sharing creative work that could help others is selfish.

That’s the opposite of why I write and create art.

Time to get over myself and to get back to creating and sharing.

Golden Brown

Last year I remember clearly the moment that my artistic journey hit a new stage. 

I wrote the poem 7 Bar Loop. I wrote this while attending a multi week workshop with Rachel Long. 

Rachel Long is an incredible poet and arguably the best poetry teacher I’ve ever had the privilege of studying under. She simply got me to think about poetry, creativity and my own writing differently. 

She single handedly got me to expand my creative, artistic and expressive vocabulary.

During the class she repeatedly came back to Terrence Hayes, an American poet who wrote a new book packed with Sonnets. His Sonnets do not adhere to the same structure as Shakespeares. There are NO rhymes.

But they adhere to one simple rule.

They’re 14 lines.

The other week I attended a poetry workshop run by Hannah Gordon of Word Down. I was asked to write a Terrence Hayes style sonnet. 14 lines, no rhyming. 

Here’s a link to the Terrence Hayes sonnet that inspired my poem….it’s from his collection “American Sonnet for My Past”.

Seven of the Ten Things

I’ll be doing more sonnets……however, this is my first:

Sonnet #一 (Golden Brown)

Golden brown. The Stranglers.
Omar. Married to tomato and
onion stew. Leisurely chopping
of onions releases a baptism
of grief. Wash my eyes and
wash my face. Baptism followed by
baptism. Apt. I forgot to bathe.
Dopamine dips do that daily.
The key is to accept, but not
succumb. Keep working quietly.
Onions learn to share space
with softening tomatoes. Alchemy
creates aromas. I create 
joy disguised as food.