Heidi Hornbacher of West Hollywood on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Heidi Hornbacher and have shared our conversation below.

Heidi, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Writing! I can do a deep dive into script pages and churn out scenes. The challenge of it is so engaging. I’ll be having so much fun that I’ll look up and hours have passed. Of course this is only possible after I’ve done all my character work and have a super solid treatment to work from. Like so many writers I resist that part of the process. But once I’ve done it, the reward is great!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Heidi Hornbacher, writer/director and lead instructor at PageCraft. We launched PageCraft out of a love of working with writers. As we learned and progressed in our own work, we wanted to pass along what we learned and we wanted to save writers the heartache we felt when coming up against creative roadblocks which, we were slowly learning, could be overcome with different diagnostic tools and writing exercises.

I think this partnership with our writers is what sets us apart. It was important to me from the start to create a community of writers for support and ongoing accountability. It’s easy to take a class and then get lost out on your own or in your own head creatively. We’re really proud of the writers who come into our workshops and coaching and stick with us for years as they rack up contest wins or find their team of reps. One alum is now a frequently staffed 4-time Emmy winner. One client won the Nicholl Fellowship which, as the contest put on by the Academy, is pretty much the highest screenwriting award you can win. We’re really proud of that one!

Of course none of this was easy. It’s been a slow, brick by brick build over years. There was trial and error as to what marketing worked (turns out word of mouth is our best option). Also, developing the curriculum took time as we saw what writers responded to and found most valuable. We’ve reached every milestone by asking our writers what they want and need.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a fearlessly creative kid. I believed all the things you want a kid to believe: that they can be anything they want, that they world needs their voice. Then the world did its work and for many years I did my best to be a good worker bee who “wasn’t allowed” to be a creative. It’s taken me many more years to break through all that negative programming and live life again as a creative. One of my favorite parts of my work now is to help older writers rediscover their creative spark and help younger writers find and protect theirs.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I think it’s a tempting idea that’s always there. Every time the going gets tough – and it’s been getting tougher and tougher for writers and filmmakers – it’s really tempting to look at friends living in other parts of the country with secure, normal person jobs and think: what if I just throw in the towel and go do that instead? Sometimes it feels too draining to keep fighting for a seat at the table here. I’ve seen lots of colleagues go that way over the years.

I try to stay focused on the little wins and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. My mentors have always said this is a game of attrition. Half the battle is just staying in it.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
“Writers are interchangeable. The script is easy. Sell the idea, get a great team and worry about the creative later.” I see this approach again and again and it never fails to shock me. I recently had an insider view to this mindset in action with a young production company selling their vision and the strength of talent attached – they did get some big names. Then I watched the resulting project absolutely tank. And they don’t understand why. It’s been fascinating to observe. The script is EVERYTHING. It’s our skills, our craft, our hearts and souls on the page that make any of it worthwhile.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope I’ll have had a positive impact on the lives of waves of writers who go out into the world and reach their creative goals. I hope I leave a body of work that reaches people’s souls and uplifts them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pagecraftwriting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagecraftwriting/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-hornbacher-1aa02a5/
• Twitter: https://x.com/HeidiHornbacher

Image Credits
Heidi Hornbacher & Carlo Cavagna