We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Heidi Hornbacher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Heidi below.

Hi Heidi, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

In many ways I wish I had started sooner. I am so impressed with the young creatives that come through our workshops, already so focused. I always wanted to write but I thought someone would tell me if I was “allowed” to really be a writer. I spent a long time waiting for permission while doing creative-adjacent jobs. I wish I had realized that no one gives you permission, you just have to choose and go. I wonder how my path would be different if I’d known in college that I wanted to write and make films. I could have focused on building toward that goal right away instead of twenty years later.

That said, I’ve had a ton of interesting detours, adventures, and hard-won lessons that all shape who I am as a writer and a writing mentor and coach now.

Heidi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In one way or another I’ve been a writer my whole life but I really got on my screenwriting path when I moved here for UCLA’s Professionals Program in Screenwriting and learned the basics of the craft. After that, I did a bunch of contest reading and learned really quickly what makes a script work and not work.

On my very first script contest feedback form, I had written “there is something off about the second act but I can’t put my finger on it.” The contest head sent it back to me and said, no, we HAVE to be specific, that’s the job to help the writer know how to improve. I took it to heart and didn’t send the feedback until I could speak about what was off and how that writer could address it. Now I can easily spot what is off and articulate why in a supportive way.

Over the years, we’ve developed and refined our curriculum to address these points where I most often see writers falling short. I want them to have an easier time decoding story structure and all the things it took me years to learn for myself. I’m really proud of the fact that writers tell me they feel supported by what I teach and the coaching I give them. My favorite thing is seeing them have a light-bulb moment where they get a new concept or tool and they get inspired to take it into their work.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Early on, a mentor in the business said “if you can do anything else, do, because this will take everything you have.” It’s so true and I don’t know what else I would do so I guess I’m in the right place. I think all writers who plan to stick it out have to develop a thick skin and sharp radar. Both can be hard.

Learning to smile and say thank you to terrible notes is an art. You can always freak out later in the privacy of your car. And if you can listen to why they bumped on whatever they’re giving you the note for, you may see something underneath you can use.

The radar thing I struggle with more. I tend to trust everyone when they say “we’ll work together and it’ll be great!” I’ve worked for years on a project only to find out my partner was out shopping it behind my back without my name on it. I’ve had a producer shut a project down when I asked for my due credit as I was the sole writer/creator. Admitting she had someone else execute her idea was worse than just sharing, I guess. I’ve gotten a show on its feet and had it taken away because the star who was happy for me to do all the development and writing wanted to let his buddy have a crack at a credit. The show subsequently tanked.

The bottom line is so many people are happy to let us do all the work and then trot off with it. As we’re seeing now with the WGA strike, many folks feel entitled to free or underpaid work from writers. For myself, I learned to have a good lawyer and to make sure to get agreements signed ahead of time. That allows my overly trusting self to have the protection I need to flourish as a creative.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The bottom line is: pay artists for their work. If we know we are able to pay our bills, that frees us up to play, make your ideas and our own come to life. And that’s what we want to do!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pagecraftwriting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagecraftwriting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PageCraftwriting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pagecraft/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeidiHornbacher

Image Credits
Heidi Hornbacher/Carlo Cavagna/PageCraft