The Dodo Man was a script idea that sprang to life after I read an article in Scientific American describing this strange extinct bird in a book by Errol Fuller. My story grew into something pretty unique – an ecological adventure, set 340 years ago – and it wouldn’t let me go as I sent it out into the world.

I was thrilled to learn that producers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s company, Imagine

Entertainment, selected my script as a finalist, in the top one percent out of an estimated 5,000 submissions, in their Imagine Impact script development program.

Alas, I didn’t make it to the final 20 in this year’s Impact 2. But it was an honor to visit the Impact team leaders in their Beverly Hills office, and it was a huge deal for me, making it so far, and getting to pitch my story to real filmmakers. Who knows where this might lead? But it is gratifying when something that you’ve loved finally gets to spread its stubby little wings, even if he didn’t quite yet get off the ground.

Go, Dodo!