Re: B5's roster of strong women characters...this is something of a
bugaboo/obsession with me. I *love* writing strong women. (For that
matter, I love strong-willed, independent, smart women in real life as
well; I love being outsmarted, love it when someone can go toe-to-toe
with me on something.) Generally, and this isn't entirely intentional,
women on shows I work on tend to get some of the best lines, as is often
the case with Ivanova. It's not a case of being "one of the boys," but
being one of the *people*. There's a subtle difference.

The women I write are often very close to many of the women I've been
involved with over the years. So far, no one's sued....

jms