Havilah Malone launches micro-series challenge to adapt bestselling book for vertical video

Havilah Malone has opened a global writing competition that will turn her bestseller into a 10-12 episode vertical micro-series, with a $2,000 prize and a live winner reveal in Los Angeles on Nov. 5-7. The move taps into a booming short-form drama market that Omdia projects will reach $14 billion by the end of 2026.

Why it matters: - Vertical micro-dramas are one of entertainment's fastest-growing formats, and the new challenge is trying to shift that market toward purpose-driven stories. - The competition is designed to create a producible series script while also building a pipeline of writers trained for books-to-vertical adaptations. - The contest gives authors, publishers, studios and brands a new route into short-form video built for mobile audiences.

What happened: - Havilah Malone, a four-time #1 bestselling author and actress known for roles in HBO's "Barry" and "Insecure" and CBS's "NCIS: New Orleans," launched the Verticals For Good Micro-Series Challenge. - Writers are invited to adapt Malone's bestseller, "Rewriting A New History: A Spiritual Path to Audacious Authenticity and Healing," into a 10-12 episode vertical micro-series. - The winner will receive $2,000 and will be announced live at the third LA Vertical Drama Market in Los Angeles. - The market runs Nov. 5-7, 2026, at Capital Arts in Los Angeles. - Entry is free. - The deadline is Oct. 30, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PT. - The challenge is open internationally to writers 18 and older, individually or in teams of up to three, with all entries submitted in English.

The details: - Entrants can choose Track A, a direct adaptation that follows the book closely. - Entrants can choose Track B, a thematic reimagining that uses one core theme from the book to build an original story in any genre, including rom-com or thriller. - Registered entrants receive a free digital copy of the book. - One runner-up will receive a one-on-one coaching session with Kay Ross, founder of Story Math. - Another runner-up will receive a coaching session with Roberta Sparta, founder of Sparta Productions. - The challenge allows AI tools for research, outlining, brainstorming and formatting. - The storytelling itself, including scenes, dialogue, characters and plot, must be written by the entrant. - "Rewriting A New History" follows Malone's path from running a $160 million technology sales business at HP to a sudden layoff and a period of healing and self-discovery. - The book ends with Malone's S.H.I.N.E. formula: Stop Settling, Heal Internally, Ignite Your Passion, Network with Winners, Empower Others. - Malone said, "An ayahuasca ceremony. A shaved head. My life handed me a transformation arc I could never have written." - Malone said the book is "permission to fall apart and come back as yourself," and she wants writers to extend that message to millions of viewers one episode at a time. - Verticals For Good is presented by Proof Of What's Possible.

Between the lines: - Omdia estimates micro-dramas generated $11 billion in global revenue in 2025 and will reach $14 billion by the end of 2026, with the U.S. expected to account for $1.5 billion. - Much of the current market is dominated by revenge stories, billionaire romances and cliffhangers built for rapid swiping. - Malone is positioning Verticals For Good as a counter-programming play: stories that leave viewers entertained and changed. - Malone will also appear as a featured panelist at the LA Vertical Drama Market to discuss the model and the market opportunity. - Verticals For Good is building a roster of writers who can adapt empowerment and transformation books into vertical series for authors, publishers and brands. - Malone is inviting conversations with studios, streamers, vertical platforms, brands, foundations, investors, publishers, authors, universities and film programs. - The organization is seeking partnerships tied to corporate social responsibility, writer fellowships, branded series and student training. - Malone said brands already spend billions reaching people on their phones, and the company wants that screen time to leave audiences better off. - Malone is an alumna of the Sundance Collab x TikTok Micro-Series Writers Program.

What's next: - Writers can register and learn more at more information. - Malone is available for interviews about the challenge, vertical drama and purpose-driven storytelling. - Media, studio, brand and investor inquiries can be sent to havilah@verticalsforgood.com or 323-497-3429. - Verticals For Good plans to use the challenge as the first step toward future writer fellowships, branded series and other adaptations.

The bottom line: - Malone is betting that the next breakout vertical hit can do more than drive clicks — it can carry an explicit social message and still fit the industry's fastest-rising format.