Verticals For Good Challenge Brings Purpose to the $14B Micro-Drama Boom

Havilah Malone, four-time #1 bestselling author and founder of Verticals For Good, launches the Verticals For Good Micro-Series Challenge.

Rewriting A New History: A Spiritual Path to Audacious Authenticity and Healing by Havilah Malone, illustrated by Zuri Scott, the source book for the challenge.

Havilah Malone (right) moderates a conversation with Astrid Carlen-Helmer at the LA Vertical Drama Market. Photo: Danna Kinsky.

Writers adapt Havilah Malone's #1 bestseller into a 10-12 episode vertical micro-series. $2,000 prize; winner announced live at the LA Vertical Drama Market.

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Four-time #1 bestselling author and actress Havilah Malone (HBO's "Barry" and "Insecure," CBS's "NCIS: New Orleans") has launched the Verticals For Good Micro-Series Challenge, a global writing competition built around one question for the fastest-growing format in entertainment: what if a micro-drama could change a life?

Writers are invited to adapt Malone's #1 bestseller, "Rewriting A New History: A Spiritual Path to Audacious Authenticity and Healing," into a 10–12 episode vertical micro-series. The winner receives $2,000, and the winning script will be announced live at the third edition of the LA Vertical Drama Market, a three-day gathering of filmmakers, producers, platforms and industry executives, November 5–7, 2026, at Capital Arts in Los Angeles. Entry is free, and the deadline is October 30, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PT.

A BOOMING FORMAT, LOOKING FOR ITS NEXT STORY

Micro-dramas, serialized stories told in one- to three-minute vertical episodes made for the phone, generated an estimated $11 billion in global revenue in 2025 and are projected to reach $14 billion by the end of 2026, according to research firm Omdia, with the U.S. expected to account for $1.5 billion. Much of that content still runs on revenge plots, billionaire romances and cliffhangers engineered for the next swipe.

"Most of the format is built to hook people and leave them entertained," said Malone, founder of Verticals For Good. "We build stories that leave them entertained and transformed."

HOW THE CHALLENGE WORKS

Entrants choose one of two tracks. Track A: Direct Adaptation follows the book closely. Track B: Thematic Reimagining takes one of its core themes and builds an original story in any genre, from rom-com to thriller. The challenge is open internationally to writers 18 and older, individually or in teams of up to three, with all entries submitted in English. 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, and the other a session with Roberta Sparta, founder of Sparta Productions. Ross is speaking at this year's LA Vertical Drama Market, and Sparta has spoken there before."

The challenge also takes a clear position on AI. Writers may use AI tools for research, outlining, brainstorming and formatting, but the core storytelling, including scenes, dialogue, characters and plot, must be their own.

A BOOK BUILT FOR THE SCREEN

"Rewriting A New History: A Spiritual Path to Audacious Authenticity and Healing" traces Malone's path from running a $160 million technology sales business at HP to a sudden layoff, and the journey of healing and self-discovery that followed. The book closes with her S.H.I.N.E. formula: Stop Settling, Heal Internally, Ignite Your Passion, Network with Winners, Empower Others.

"An ayahuasca ceremony. A shaved head. My life handed me a transformation arc I could never have written," said Malone. "This book is permission to fall apart and come back as yourself. I want writers to give that permission to millions of people, one episode at a time."

MORE THAN A CONTEST

The challenge is the first step in a larger plan. Verticals For Good is building a roster of writers trained to adapt empowerment and transformation books into vertical series for authors, publishers and brands, and it will walk away with a producible series script.

Malone, an alumna of the Sundance Collab x TikTok Micro-Series Writers Program, will also appear as a featured panelist at the LA Vertical Drama Market, where she will share the Verticals For Good model and the market opportunity it opens.

Verticals For Good is now inviting conversations with:

• Studios, streamers and vertical platforms looking for purpose-driven series that audiences finish and share
• Brands and foundations seeking corporate social responsibility and impact partnerships, including sponsoring future challenges, writer fellowships and branded series
• Investors interested in mission-driven entertainment at the intersection of publishing and short-form video
• Publishers and authors who want their books adapted for the vertical screen
• Universities and film programs that want to bring their students into the format

"Brands spend billions to reach people on their phones," said Malone. "Imagine if that same screen time left people better off. That's the partnership we're building."

MEDIA AND PARTNERSHIP INQUIRIES

Malone is available for interviews about the challenge, the rise of vertical drama and purpose-driven storytelling. Media, studio, brand and investor inquiries can be sent to havilah@verticalsforgood.com or 323-497-3429.

Writers can learn more and register at www.verticalsforgood.com, and watch the replay of Malone's live Q&A on the challenge at www.verticalsforgood.com/qa.

ABOUT HAVILAH MALONE

Havilah Malone is an actress, producer, host, motivational speaker and four-time #1 bestselling author. Her screen credits include HBO's "Barry" and "Insecure" and CBS's "NCIS: New Orleans." A former national spokesperson on QVC and HSN, she ran a $160 million technology sales business at HP before turning to storytelling full time. She is a Napoleon Hill Foundation Certified Instructor and a Master Certified Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

ABOUT VERTICALS FOR GOOD

Verticals For Good is a movement and creative initiative using the vertical micro-series format to tell stories that entertain and transform. Its first initiative, the Verticals For Good Micro-Series Challenge, is presented by Proof Of What's Possible. Learn more at www.verticalsforgood.com.

Havilah Malone
Verticals For Good
+1 323-497-3429
havilah@verticalsforgood.com
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Verticals For Good Challenge Q&A Replay with Havilah Malone and special guest Kay Ross