(Re)Writing The Little Mermaid

This research project, (Re)Writing The Little Mermaid, investigates how to create a female protagonist with empowered agency by adapting a traditional fairy tale into a feature length animated screenplay. Using practitioner-based research, I pursue this research question with a content analysis examining the original story by Hans Christian Andersen (1837), the adaptation by Walt Disney Studios (1989) and the adaptation by Studio Ghibli, Ponyo (2000). Then, I keep a record of creative documents as I pursue my own screenplay, The Little Mermaid Revisited. This research is an attempt to create more empowered female characters on screen and to provide guidelines for screenwriters to do so. It is a response to the lack of empowered female representation on screen, and the possibilities that exist for writers to rectify this. This project seeks to add to the field of knowledge on how to craft strong female protagonists so others may use the insights in their own screenwriting practice, thereby improving female representation. The outcome of this project includes a set of guidelines for writing female protagonists with empowered agency. They include ensuring the protagonist has a structure and habitus that leads to empowerment; developing empowering relationships between the lead and supporting characters; providing the protagonist with choices that enables her agency; and ensuring the heroine leads the scene, plot point, and crucially, the resolution of her desires.