Every story has to begin somewhere

Why I made this blog:
I'd always thought about screenwriting, but the push to actually do it came at the end of a heist movie where, after 2 hours of getting lied to, the woman got left waiting for her man while he was off in a gun battle with a cop, who kept the dough. I thought to myself, "I would've had her drive off with the bag of money." I decided it was time to write my own endings for my own heroines. I'm hoping that analyzing shows and films will help me to define what I want to do (and not do) with my own characters and story lines.

And then there's television. When I was young, I could only watch one show a day (outside of public television). It always came down to Wonder Woman or Bionic Woman (though Wonder Woman usually won - couldn't resist that lasso!). In the 80s we had Cagney and Lacey. In the 90s, Scully and Buffy. In the Oughts, so far we've seen Sydney Bristow, Veronica Mars, Starbuck, Brenda Johnson, Vicki Nelson, and I would argue, Laura Roslin, Nancy Botwin and Betty Suarez.

What I want to do here:
My plan is to provide commentary on female characters in television and film, penned by both male and female writers. The choices made by writers, actors, networks. Where characters are allowed to go and grow over the course of their story.

I'll be analyzing current shows and films as well as referencing and studying older work. And I'll also occasionally be showcasing women who work in the industry, as this is a source of interest to me!

What I'm not interested in looking at (at least right now)
Comedy. Don't get me wrong, I like to laugh. And there's no doubt Roseanne for example was a SFL (Strong Female Lead). But I barely have enough time to watch all the drama shows I'm interested in, let alone develop a new interest in comedy.
Grisly Crime Drama. I admit it, I get squicked out by intensive forensics, and don't really feel the need to fill my mind with all the details of horrific crimes. This means no CSI, no Cold Case, and probably no Bones (though I'm going to try an ep).

Who the heck am I?
I am a writer and filmmaker. After three years of making short films and receiving grants to write, in 2006-07, I attended the Canadian Film Centre's Television program. I got to work with Barbara Samuels (now there's a SFL!) and a room of talented up-and-comers to create a mini-series. I'm now working on specs, original series ideas, and features, and pitching them to Canadian broadcasters and production companies.

I hope you'll join me in my investigations. I welcome your opinions, theories, counter-evidence, and of course suggestions for shows or films to watch!