Helen Jacey 
The Woman in the Story [EPUB ebook] 
Writing Memorable Female Characters

For over six years, The Woman in the Story has been the go-to resource for writers who want to be gender-mindful when they figure how to create female characters. Inspired by female psychology and gender issues, this how-to book casts a refreshingly honest and empowering women-centric light on every stage of the screenwriting process.

Cuprins

Acknowledgments

Foreword by Susan Cartsonis, Producer What Women Want & The Duff

Introduction to the Second Edition by Helen Jacey

1. The Power of the Female Protagonist

Why Choose a Female Protagonist

Being Wise

The Feminine Super Themes

2. Going Against Type: The M-Factor

Choosing a Character

Creating Dimension

The Dimensionality Diagram

Stereotypicality

Archetypality

Relatability

Credibility

Memorability

Originality

The Memorability Factor

A Memorable Story

Likeability

3. Making It Personal: Using Role-Choices

How to Use Role-Choices

Role-Choices and Maturity

Heroine

Nurturer

Dependant

Believer

Masculine Role-Choices

Case Study: Female Characters in Game of Thrones

4. The Real Heroine’s Journey

The Heroine’s Journey in Male Protagonist Stories

Building a Journey of Emotional Identity

Using a Phase Approach

Phases and Structure

Identity Phases

Relating Phases

Momentum Phases

Case Study: Wild

5. Women in Trouble: The Layers of Conflict

Tricky Women

Internal Conflict

Significant Other Conflict

Family and Friends Conflict

Work and Community Conflict

Society Conflict

National Conflict

Global Conflict

Case Study: Girlhood

6. Feeling Good and Finding Love: The Layers of Union

Internal Union

Significant Other Union

Family and Friends Union

Work and Community Union

Society Union

National Union

Global Union

Cast Study: Maleficent

7. Creating Female Driven Biopics

Why a Biopic?

Story Types for Female Protagonist Biopics

Researching the Character

Case Study: Saving Mr. Banks and Bessie

8. Creating TV Female Protagonists: All About the Metaphoric Wound

Meandering Female Protagonists

Finding the Theme

Wound Elements

Case Study: Orange is the New Black

9. The Unsung Female Protagonist

Uncharted Story Territory

Composite Female Characters

Pushing the Boundaries

Transmedia Female Protagonists

Case Study: Norma Bates in Bates Motel

10. Bringing It All Together: Analysis of The Hunger Games

Super Theme

M-Factor

Role-Choices

Phases on the Journey

The Metaphoric Wound

Layers of Conflict

Layers of Union

References

Film

Television

Further Reading

About the Author

Despre autor

Helen Jacey is a professional screenwriter, lecturer, and author. She received an MA in Screen-writing at the London Institute and her doctorate from the University of the Arts London. Realizing that most screenwriting books don’t address the female character, Helen embarked on her own quest to explore gender issues and screenwriting, leading her to write The Woman in the Story.

Before Helen became a screenwriter, she worked for international aid agencies, developing pro-grams for vulnerable women and children. This work inspired some of her first original screenplays. She has written projects for numerous UK and European production companies, including four bio-pics about legendary women — including Eleanora Duse, Jean Rhys, Mina Loy, and Duchess Anna Amalia of Weimar! Helen widely lectures on screenwriting all over the world and is a story consultant for independent filmmakers. Her highly popular Writing the Heroine’s Story seminar is run several times a year, attended by international screenwriters and fiction writers. She lectures widely at uni-versities as a guest lecturer, and also gives keynote speeches, most notably one in honor of Liv Ullmann in Oslo. Helen is currently writing a new screenwriting book and researching her first novel. She is married, a mother and stepmother. For more updates on Helen’s work visit www.helenjacey.com