Genre

WAR, POLITICS, DRAMA, ACTION

Brief

After losing her best friend to the Union Army, Emma Dyke disguises herself as a man to enlist. After adjusting to life as a hardened soldier, Emma is sent behind enemy lines as a spy only to have her intel go unheeded. After a charge gone wrong, Emma is wounded in battle and her secret is discovered by the men trying to save her.

Overall Rating

FAIR

Point of View

FIRST PERSON

Narrative Elements

Authors Writing Style: FAIR

Characterization: FAIR

Commerciality: GOOD

Franchise Potential: FAIR

Pace: FAIR

Premise: GOOD

Structure: FAIR

Theme: FAIR

Accuracy of Book Profile

The Book Profile does a great job of selling the storyline and highlighting its uniqueness. That said, the Short Summary could use some work. It should be descriptive but succinct, like as follows: 'After losing her best friend to the Union Army, Emma Dyke disguises herself as a man and joins in the fight. Leaving behind a rigid father and an older man desperate to marry her, she becomes a hardened soldier dead set on defeating the rebels. But Emma gets more than she bargained for when she's sent behind enemy lines as a spy only to have her intel ignored. After being wounded in the very charge she tried to prevent, Emma's secret is revealed to those trying to save her.'

Draw of Story

The first few pages do a fantastic job of putting us in the heart of the story and generating tension and suspense. This section is written in such a way that the reader assumes the soldier is male, and we're rewarded with an intriguing hook when we're first introduced to Emma. It's quite cleverly done, and it leaves us wanting to continue the story. When we're thrust into Emma's pre-soldier life in Michigan, the initial hook does its job by satiating us with anecdotes from Emma's life on the farm. She feels stuck, and useless as a woman in a man's world, and we sympathize with her easily. We know she's tough and can relate with her need to defend her country, so we root for her as she prepares to leave her old life behind and fight with the vigor that's made her a lifelong oddity in her community.

Possible Drawbacks

Generally, the pacing is a bit slow and at certain points we are left waiting for the action and adventure we've come to expect from this genre. It might help to strike more of a balance between action and Emma's perceptions, in order to preserve the tension and create the suspense necessary to engage an audience over the course of the story. For instance, it feels like Emma is at camp for quite a long time, but most of the information we gather are anecdotes and small details that certainly make the setting shine, but may not do quite as much for the story structure overall. It could be beneficial to elevate the action at the camp, by focusing less on the rich, historical detail and more on Emma learning how to be a soldier. Seeing her struggle with some high-tension moments, be it with shooting or something like hand-to-hand combat practice is sure to ignite emotion in her. It might also give us the chance to see her improving, and thus her character progressing as she gets closer and closer to the battlefield.

Use of Special Effects

THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

Primary Hook of Story

Put simply, Emma is a woman in a man's world. This hook is timeless enough to be familiar and well-received, but elevated by the rich historical detail and the added oppression of being a woman in the nineteenth century. Emma has to face not only the Confederates, but the very men she fights alongside all while trying to prove her grit to her company and to herself. The fact that it's based on a true story is a draw as well, making this female-driven narrative all the more empowering and intriguing.

Fanbase Potential

Emma's character is ripe for Awards potential, based on the range of emotions she has to go through over the course of the story. Her character arc progresses steadily as the story unravels, which would give an actress room to grow and explore her psyche through many unfathomable situations. Old Man's character could be ripe for supporting Awards too, based on the bond he forms with Emma and the stoic but always warm calm he maintains throughout the story. Additionally, there could be below-the-line Awards potential. An adaptation like this would require clever cinematography, authentic costuming and certainly a memorable score.

Awards Potential

In many ways, this story has something for everyone. It could appeal to history buffs, anyone who enjoys female-driven narratives or films rooted in female empowerment, fans of war dramas and those who crave adventure and fish-out-of-water tropes. While it is suited mostly to a PG-13+ audience because of the carnage, the target demographic is likely large because the premise can be appreciated regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, religion or political leanings. That said, because of the US-centric subject matter it could have a more difficult time performing well internationally.

Envisioned Budget

LARGE BUDGET

Similar Films/TV Series

MULAN, THE HUNGER GAMES, SHE'S THE MAN, LINCOLN

What’s New About the Story

The fact that this is based on a true, but mostly untold story is a huge draw. And the fact that it's a female-driven story in a male-dominated historical period makes it even more unique. The source material does a great job of getting into Emma's head enough to make the anecdotes feel rich, but also doesn't ever compromise her femininity to a point where it becomes unrecognizable. To make the story more unique would likely mean striking the perfect balance between action and reflection. Juxtaposing things like historical fact and character introspection against a dramatized action plot could help better structure the story and make it feel more succinct, and well-rounded. Juggling these facets in a war drama is a difficult task, but one that could really help this story stand out.

Lead Characters

Emma is tough as nails in a world where she's expected to be anything but, and that makes her likable right away. She's also wonderfully perceptive, which deepens the story as a whole and makes way for tremendously rich, meaty detail. She is easy to root for, with pure motivations and a good heart. Her bunkmates, Sam and Old Man, are both rich in development and juxtaposed against each other, help to round out Emma's world after enlisting. They are a great source of experience, and representative of the average civil war soldier with just enough uniqueness to make them memorable.

Uniqueness of Story

While the source material is rich and the premise intensely intriguing, this doesn't feel like a rare gem quite yet. In terms of adaptation, the story seems to be lacking the necessary balance between introspection and action, which is widely expected in the genre. There's also a lot to keep track of here and the project could potentially benefit from a more streamlined focus and a quicker pace to preserve the tension. It may be worth revisiting a favored story structure method, like the Hero's Journey or the Save the Cat beat sheet. Though there is a commendable understanding of subject matter and storytelling here, it could help to cross-reference the scenes against the three-act structure to ensure that the story moves along without spending too much time on anecdotes, historical detail or subplots.

Possible Formats

Film - Studio, Film - Streaming

Analyst Recommendation

WORK IN PROGRESS

Justification

Although the source material is rich, it feels like a bit more streamlining is required in order to deem this suitable for consideration. Emma's perceptions and intense introspection often overtakes the action expected in a war drama, and the pacing sometimes feels slower than it should for a high-stakes, high-tension premise. The structure also feels like it's a bit shaky because of the deep attention to detail and the inclusion of anecdotes that, while interesting, don't quite move the story along.

Tips for Improvement

A strong balance between action and reaction would be a great first step in readying this for adaptation. Focusing more on the logistics of Emma's life as a soldier, and highlighting more of her struggles as plot points could be helpful. Watching her learn things like hand-to-hand combat, how to march, and how to ready for a life or death battle would likely go a long way in further developing the action plot so revered in war dramas. It would also increasingly raise the tension, and likely sustain it throughout. Additionally, streamlining the focus a little bit might help to solidify the structure and ensure that the pacing moves as efficiently as it should. Capitalizing on high-stakes, high-tension moments would offer up some of the familiar emotions we get in other stories of the genre, and work to keep the audience intrigued over the course of the entire story.