What Girls Are Good For: A Novel of Nellie Bly
GOTHIC FAMILY DRAMA BIOGRAPHICAL ADVENTURE HISTORICAL FICTION
19th Century
David Blixt
Logline
Nellie Bly invents undercover reporting to expose stories no one else tells, stories of working women, of divorce, of government corruption. Moving to New York, she risks everything for the biggest story of her career - feigning madness to expose the harsh conditions of the Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum.
Genre
Gothic, Family, Drama, Biographical, Adventure, Historical Fiction,
Short Summary
Cheated out of her father's fortune, Elizabeth Cochrane lives with her mother and 3 brothers, trying to make ends meet. A newspaper column dismissing working women spurs her to pen an angry reply, a letter that lands her a job unheard of in 1885 - a female reporter. She takes the name Nellie Bly.
Setting
1880s Pittsburgh, Mexico City, New York
Based on a True Story
Yes
Plot - Premise
Internal Journey/Rebirth
Plot - Other Elements
Meaningful Message, Philosophical Questions
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Main Character Details
Name: Nellie Bly (nee Elizabeth "Pink" Cochrane)
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Complex, Desperate, Unapologetic, Sarcastic, Aspiring, Insecure, Narcissistic, Perseverance, Adventurous, Blunt, Aggressive, Badass, Empathetic, Outspoken
Additional Character Details
Name: Erasmus Wilson (aka "The Quiet Observer")
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Charming, Heartthrob, Honorable, Patriotic, Confident, Educated, Engaging, Masculine, Selfless
Additional Character Details
Name: Mary Jane Cochrane
Age: 65
Gender: Female
Role: Skeptic
Key Traits: Uneducated, Charming, Complex, Empathetic, Insecure, Manipulative, Modest, Secretive
Additional Character Details
Name: Albert Cochrane
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Role: Antagonist
Key Traits: Confident, Manipulative, Power-hungry, Aggressive, Charming, Narcissistic, Sarcastic, Villainous, Funny, Greedy