Write Fatboy Write

I just watched a movie called RUN FATBOY RUN.  It stars Simon Pegg as  Dennis Doyle, a slacker type who tries to win back his almost ex-wife by entering a marathon.  He tries to go from a zero to a hero in a matter of weeks, battling several offbeat elements along the way.  One of those elements, is his ex's current love named Whit, played by Hank Azaria.  This fellow is an arrogant, wealthy business type who taunts Simon's character with words that make him insecure about the race, and about his place in the world.

One of the things he mentions to Simon, is THE WALL.  In the world of sports, the wall is that moment of truth when the physical pains of the race or the game battle with the mental stamina of the contestant or the team.  In the case of Simon, the Wall was the point in the race when he had to decide whether or not he could overcome the pain from the 20 or so miles he had run so far and the injury he had incurred, to finish the race and win back his son and girlfriend.  In other words, could his mental strength beat his physical weakness.

Now, I am not going to tell you what happens in the film, that would be wrong.  The film was enjoyable and I do recommend it for its comedic approach and its cast of characters.  I enjoyed its sense of humor and its storyline.  But what I truly appreciate from this film, and the reason I am using it for this article,  is the motivational concept of the wall.  I found that the wall analogy could be applied to anyone who is trying to accomplish any goal.

For an aspiring screenwriter like myself, and for someone who I assume the reader of this artcicle is, the wall blocking their success as a screenwriter can come in one of three ways:

1.  Starting a script:  Beginning a script is a challenge that can defeat many people before they even start their careers.  The wall in this case can be coming up with the idea for a script, or it could be where to begin the story, or it it could be that one piece of dialogue that just won't go anywhere.  It is up to the writer of such things to push down the wall and write no matter what, because if they don't continue to write, they are not going to get to the next wall.
2. Finishing the script:  This can be the biggest challenge for any writer.  Getting the thing going is tough, sure, but if the idea is incomplete or a writer can't figure out how they want the characters to evolve, or what they should say or do to get to that point, the story can go stale, stagnant, and eventually the writer can just give up and put their incomplete script on the shelves with the other half dozen scripts that hit the wall.  Its up to the writer at this point to analyze their reasons for writing this thing in the first place and to visualize the results that they can achieve by completing the script.
3. Selling the script:  This is the wall that sucks the life out of a writer.  They have entered the race, they have run 25 miles with a twisted nipple, and they can finally see the finish line, but they are so exhausted from the trip so far, that they just can't seem to push through to the end.  This is the wall that keeps talented writers from being successful writers.  The wall represents fear and axiety about the business of selling a script, and symbolizes the impression of the business that has been sold to all of us for so long; the idea that it is nearly impossible to cross that line and enter the world of writing for film or television, or stage.  It is up to the writer at this point to see how far they have come, and to remember why it was they started this race in the first place.  Once they see what a successful sale can do for a writer, knocking down that final wall should be easier than getting past the first one.

Poor analogies, perhaps, but they make sense, don't they?  You decide to enter the race, but you barely get past the starting gate.  You finally start to run, and perhaps you make it halfway, but you realise how far you have to go to complete the task, so you begin to doubt your abilities.  You eventually realize that you have the talent, you run 99% of the race, but you give up just before the finish line because you have been told all of these years that only a small percentage of runners make it to the finish line.  Well, my fellow creative soul, if you have trained for the race, and you believe in yourself, and you put forth the effort, why not finish the race that you have entered.

If you get a chance, and you enjoy a silly romantic comedy, check out RUN FATBOY RUN.  When you are done, use this character to motivate you to finish your own marathon; start a script, finish that script and get it sold.  Its only 26 miles to the finish, but look at how many other runners have made it before you!
>the dayscribber<