A very happy writer on campus. Ready to dive into the deep end at the Colgate Writers Conference! 📝🌲✨.
Aloha!
It has been a minute since I stepped into your inbox. The last few weeks have been a masterclass in what happens when life moves faster than the ink can dry.
I have wrapped up my time at the Colgate Writers Conference in Hamilton, New York, and to say it was transformative would be an understatement. I had the privilege of diving deep into my screenplay, The King's Basketball, under the guidance of the brilliant Kyle Bass. Having a master playwright look at your pages and love the work—calling it ‘beautiful’ is something that is beyond words.
But, it didn't stop there. While at the conference, I had a meeting with an agent from Aevitus Creative. He was awesome, connected deeply with the project, and told me, and I quote: "This screams for the screen."
If you want to see the foundation of this story and journey, it is the very first essay in my book, Shelter in Motion—a piece just 5.5 pages long. Now, it is transforming into a lean, 110-page feature screenplay. You can grab a hardcopy or an ebook on Amazon—for pretty cheap! LOL! https://shorturl.at/vAQOK
So, I am in a sweet little treehouse sanctuary in Nevada City, California doing a ‘Steve Jobs Style’ deep dive. That means —waking up at 4:30 AM to hit the writing hours….and I do mean hours.
Because I am in the thick of it, I wanted to ask you for a favor. Before the script gets sent back out, I have to have a logline. This is the one-to-two sentence hook that tells an agent, a director, or an audience exactly what this movie is about.
Here is my current logline. It is a work in progress, but I want to test it to see if it lands. I would LOVE to hear what you think.
The King’s Basketball
When a lonely white girl on a windswept 1970s Indian reservation forms an unlikely friendship with the first Black boy she's ever met, an act of racial violence shatters their world, burning down his home and forcing his family to flee. Left with nothing but the basketball that defined their summer, she must navigate her own isolation—learning that belonging isn't a place you inherit, it's a person you carry.
Listening to the brilliant Kyle Bass. Getting to workshop the opening pages of The King's Basketball with a master playwright was magic.🎭🎬
Meanwhile, my sweet Kiwi man, Chris, is working in and loving remote Alaska. He is traveling on jobs that are lasting a few weeks at a time, in a world where the sun never sets. We are both in seasons of high focus and chasing dreams, doing what we love, miles apart but completely in sync…and soon to be reunited.
Just a casual coworker checking in on Chris’ tail rotor in remote Alaska. Chasing the midnight sun means sharing the tarmac with the locals! 🚁🫎🌲
Walking 500 Miles for a Cause
I want to give a quick shoutout to a friend of mine from my wine industry days. He is getting ready to walk 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago.
He started a Substack to document the miles, but, beyond the adventure itself, he’s raising money for mental health, with an option to sponsor his journey per mile.
If you’re looking for something inspiring to follow, I highly recommend subscribing to his journey here: https://substack.com/@juddwallenbrock.
Until next time, sending you much love from Nevada City, and a giant wave from the Kiwi pilot up in the midnight sun.
Heather & Kiwi Chris