There’s been a lot of handwringing lately about the WGA statistics released in April. They stated that female screenwriters make up only 15 percent of employed WGA writers. A drop from 17 percent in 2009. Female screenwriters' wages also fell to 77 cents on the dollar, from 82 cents in 2009.
This lack of employment of female screenwriters has sparked much online fervor. Even inciting Meryl Streep to fund a mentorship program to support women screenwriters over the age of 40.
Women directors have also been feeling the pain. The ACLU reported in May that fewer female directors are being hired now than twenty years ago. But the question is, how much of this supposed regression is down to sexism? And how much is due to other factors?
Firstly, take a look around Hollywood and see that there are successful female screenwriters and other industry leaders everywhere:
♦ Diablo Cody, Greta Gerwig, Nicole Holofcener, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay and Gillian Flynn, etc. are some of the best screenwriters in Hollywood.
♦ Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Tina Fey, Maya Rudolph, Amy Schumer and Amy Poehler, etc. are some of the most successful comedians around.
♦ Kelly Fremon Craig, Greta Gerwig, Brit Marling, Lynn Shelton, Kelly Reichardt, Debra Granik and Miranda July, etc. are some of the finest indie filmmakers in the business.
♦ Mara Brock Akil, Michelle Ashford, Shonda Rhimes, Marti Noxon, Courtney Kemp and Michelle King, etc. are some of the most powerful showrunners in TV.
♦ The success of female screenwriters such as Nicole Perlman with Guardians of the Galaxy, and Katie Dippold with The Heat, shows that women can write action at a blockbuster level.
♦ The source material for some of the biggest tent-pole franchises in recent history—The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey—etc. were all written by women.
Secondly, ignore the statistics and Hollywood's supposed sexism and just write.
Hollywood may be thought of as a "boys' club" by many female screenwriters just starting out, but despite the statistics, if you’re a female screenwriter who knows how to write, is willing to put her work out into the world and compete with the best, you will succeed.
Check out the related posts below on how to break in as a screenwriter and make your mark.
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Are you a female screenwriter put off by all the statistics about how hard it is for women in Hollywood? What's your strategy to break in? Let us know in the comments below.
How to Become a Screenwriter: The Ultimate Guide
How to Write a Screenplay for a Movie: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide
How to Write for TV: A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Your Career
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