Skip to main content

Script My Life: Jane, Jane, Carrie!

Some stories are best watched as they play out...



Ever watched a movie or TV series and relate to a character? How many parts of the plot line would you have loved to be part of your life? Filmmakers have managed to tap into our subconscious to draw emotions towards their films. There are certain characters that have become memorable with fans. We often quote them, use film analogies to explain real life and even play out the plot ourselves.

Relating film to real life has become a common feature on this blog. We called it Script My Life, of which many of you are a fan of. To date the most viewed posts are the 'SML' for 'Madea's Family Reunion' and 'Why Did I Get Married?'. All I can say is thank you.

We continue to bridge screenplays to our real lives today. Television series often bring various storylines in different genres. When I was young, I had an obsession with medical/hospital drama. Teen dramas became my thing during my early 20s. Remember 'Gossip Girl'? And then I met Jack Bauer in 24, my taste completely changed. Political dramas and crime series are my thing now.

Every now and then there's that girly series that I love. The female protagonists draw me into their lives. Each with their flaws projects certain traits about myself. They have those moments when I completely see myself. These female protagonists are writers. Each one is part of a different plot but their goal is to be best writer ever.

Meet Jane from Jane the Virgin. Jane from The Bold Type. And Carrie from Sex and the City. Oh, yes these are white female characters. I am known to be pro black, even so, pro African. Let's laugh, I'm a coconut! My taste in visual consumption rarely has anything to do with my wokeness. If something is good, it's good, especially if I like it. So let's go!

These three protagonists are somewhat reflections of Lady E. They have little habits that are so me it's frightening. But the common ground with all three is storytelling. How do these scripts fit into my life? Let's find out

Jane Gloriana Villenueva

Played by Gina Rodriguez, Jane Gloriana Villenueva, is a 30 year old, published author. Jane is the protagonist of Jane the Virgin, a telenovela styled comedy series. Jane was accidentally artificially inseminated with hotel heir, Rafael Solano's sperm. Fast forward, Jane and Rafael co-parent Mateo. Jane's life is dramatic in every single way - more than she imagined. Jane is a by the book type of girl. Some of her ideals were projected onto her by her strict Catholic abuela (grandmother), Alba. Jane was going to finish school, work whilst working on her novel. She would remain a virgin until she married her great fiancé, Michael Cordero. But that script has flipped several times over the years. We have watched Jane step out of her only black and white ideals to reading in between the lines. She is slowly unlearning her nosy, judge and at times pencil necked behaviour. Oh , yes, Jane can be very annoying. But she is a passionate writer. She writes from her heart. Some of her experiences are a glimpse of what I go through as a writer. She might not always get it right but she's a student of life.

Jane Sloan

My dream of working for a prestigious magazine has never been a secret. The idea of trying to beat deadlines, liaising with different departments, meeting fabulous people and publishing stories is everything. Here comes Jane Sloan. She is a young woman, in her mid twenties who's navigating the New York landscape with her two best friends, Stutton and Kat. Three seasons in, Jane Sloan subtly shadows Scarlet magazine editor-in-chief, Jacqueline Carlyl. (That woman is awesome, wardrobe and all). Jane has been trying to find her voice as a writer. Jacquiline often throws her into the deep end with uncomfortable subjects. Ironically,t those topics bring out great reads from Jane. Yet , Jane wants to be a 'serious' writer. She wants those investigation journalism pieces, exposé and political articles. Boss Jacquie, wants Jane to be the best writer that she is, not the one the one that she thinks that she should be. That was a mouthful! Jane is a by the book girl, who is a feminist. I am Jane Sloan. We both lost our mothers at a very young age. We were raised by male figures. We strongly believe in female empowerment. We want to write impactful stories. I would so love to have her two quirky best friends and fabulous wardrobe! After going through some depression about my own writing, Jacqueline's words to Jane comforted me. I need a Jacqueline in my life. Jane and I need to get out of our heads of the ideal writer. Instead, we need to use our drive, and personal stories to create the bigger picture. Did I mention that Jane actually won an award for her #MeToo inspired article, 'Carrying the Weight'? That's impact!

Carrie Bradshaw

Oh Carrie Bradshaw, the love of my life! The character that inspired the blogger in me. Of the three female writer protagonists, she's the fun one! Played by Sarah Jessica Parker, Carrie Bradshaw is the lead in the hit Sex and the City. Based in New York, Carrie is an often selfish, self-centered and dramatic character. She has a strobe light relationship with the emotionally unavailable Mr. Big. Yet in her 30s, Carrie's character shows us that there's no expiry date on getting it together. Carrie is somewhat balanced out by her three best friends Miranda (feminist), Charlotte  (the bourgie one) and Samantha (the freak). Sex, friendships, love and careers are the topics of Carrie Bradshaw's column. Carrie is personal in her column which I guess makes her appealing to a lot of us SATC fans. Not my taste, but Carrie's wardrobe is very interesting. What always baffled me is how could Carrie afford to shop on a columnist paycheck? Like she's always shopping. My Point of View (MPV) was inspired by Carrie Bradshaw. It's been my own column on the blogging sphere!

P.S. Always write your own love story!

Ciao!

Lady E

Comments

Popular Posts

Baa baa Black Sheep

‘Baa baa black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full One for the master, One for the dame, One for the little boy who lives down the lane.”-Baa baa Black Sheep, Nursery Rhyme Oh how I loved nursery school! Learning was so much fun and colourful as the teachers taught using music, visuals and lots of play and let’s not forget nap time! Gosh! (I stare into a blank space with so much nostalgia). Hmm, question! Is there more to life than trying to constantly fit into other people’s moulds? Are my imperfections so great that those around are blinded to the planks to the planks in their own eyes? Or maybe I am just not appropriately in the right place? At one point or another, we all have faced identity issues, or have suffered from the ‘I don’t fit in’ syndrome. The worst time is the puberty-adolescent period. As an individual, one tries to live up to expectations from parents, teachers, peers and society at large. During that same period, an ...

Single Ladies: Choc or Vanilla

All that talk about brown sugar yesterday,suddenly gave me a toothache, (Yeah, Dre, I heard you loud and clear!). Anyway,still on that subject of sweet things, ladies, chocolate, mocha or vanilla? As we pursue our quest for Mr Put-A-Ring-On-It,I am placing another option for us, getting a man outside our own race. (If you are cocoa you go for latte  and vice versa). Bachelor number 3: The Foreigner. On set of a production that I am working on, one of the ladies, (mixed race), was telling me how she has never dated a black man. It actually got me thinking, maybe I too, should fish in foreign waters. Why not, I have always been considered a coconut. My sisters have been telling me (for the longest time), that maybe I should get me a white man, or of the Caucasian persuasion because I think that I have failed with black 'men', and maybe I should *thinking*. I love my chocolate, but I do love the scent of vanilla. What are the advantages of dating outside one's race? First ...

Single Ladies: The Metrosexual

*Riding on a black horse* (I wish).* Beyoncé  wave* 'Hey single ladies!'. For a lady on a quest, the horse would have been ideal,right? Anyway ,how have y'all been? I hope the lessons that we are going through are helping us build character. (Wifen material). Today we have yet another bachelor under our radar. So we have so far, gone through our potential Mr Put-A-Ring-On-It who has been bachelor; the widower, the divorcee, the foreigner, the boy and last but not least, the single dad. Not so bad ladies. Now bachelor number six is,the metrosexual. Now why should we place such a man on our panel,you ask? Well,he is my personal favourite *wink*. The anatomy of a metrosexual. By definition a metrosexual is an urban man with a disposable income who spends a lot on his appearances. In other words, a guy's guy who is in touch with his inner pink. Now why would a metrosexual be a good candidate for Mr Put-A-Ring-On-It? He is not. Most metrosexual men, if not gay, or...

3 Things Learnt In January Via www.com

Bienvenue à la nouvelle année! To all those who survived the month of January, its infamous ‘disease’, and all that comes with a New Year, I salute you all as you fought bravely and now we begin the month of February, which is a new month, meaning new beginnings. So there’s a common saying that goes, ’How you start is how you finish’ and to add onto that statement, the pastor at the church that I attend often says, ‘How you leave is how you enter’, so pertaining to the year 2017, what’s the forecast? Well, for those who managed to utilise the unlimited Wi-Fi data provided by Zol during their holiday promotion or just use regular mobile data (well, after the slight ‘disruption’ due to data increases), managed to keep their fingers on the pulse of the streets of the World Wide Web, and they definitely can map out 2017’s direction. Actually the month of January made me realise that the acronym ‘IRL’ (in real life) should probably cease to exist in the urban dictionary because when you t...

Greatest Love

'Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all." - Whitney Houston That song really hits home. One of my favourite Whitney Houston songs. My father would play this song and encourage me to meditate upon the lyrics. He said to me, "When the world doesn't show you love, just remember that the greatest love is inside you." And yes, enough the times did the lyrics of the late Nippy resound in my mind. Happy Valentines day y'all! My timeline is painted red, and drunk in love. Congratulations to all those who got a ring-on-it on this day! Wishing you all the best on your journey down to the aisle.  I sat with myself and said, somewhere, somehow you ought to be green with envy or feel lonely, or slightly bitter. But I'm not. Apart from a very hectic day, I had a glass of wine and I'm reading a book about 'developing your conversion capability.' And listening to Ariana Grande's 'pov'. I love this song! There's a song that I...