MELISSA'S DIARY 

                                         Historical Drama | Treatment | Based on a True Story

LOGLINE

In 1875 Maine, Melissa Colby Holden becomes the state's first permanent female lighthouse keeper after her husband's death. But when authorities strip her position due to gender discrimination, she transforms from wife/mother, maritime guardian, shipping entrepreneur into a pioneering women's and children’s rights activist. Based on the true story.

THE STORY

Melissa's discovered diary reveals an extraordinary American Story spanning 1857-1920. A Native American woman who became Maine's only female lighthouse keeper.  For years she battled deadly storms and guided ships to safety — only to lose her position because authorities deemed women unfit for the role. “Stag Light." A "Life's Diary" full of success, death, tragedies, innovations, untold perils, and murder all in a male-dominated administration determined to erase her legacy and the rights of every woman. But they couldn't. Melissa channelled her fury to petition for children’s rights and into the women's suffrage movement, ultimately assisted in the passing of the 19th Amendment.

MARKET APPEAL

Target Audiences:

• Historical drama fans (The Crown, Gilded Age, Bridgerton, Buccaneer, Anne with an E)

• Women's empowerment narratives (Suffragette, Hidden Figures)

• Maritime adventure enthusiasts (Master and Commander, The Lighthouse)

Completed Ready for Production/Publish:

• Streaming series (4-Seasons, screen plays completed ready to publish/develop)

• Diary books completed (ready to publish, currently available on Flipbook )

• Feature film (120 minutes, ready for development)

WHY NOW?

We live in an era that just now is focused on overlooked historical figures and women's rights. Melissa's historic Diary provides unprecedented access to a woman who literally kept the lights burning while fighting for equality. This isn't just period entertainment—it's a rediscovered American Story with powerful contemporary resonance.