--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 'Fanboys' was the first real screenplay…" description: "\"'Fanboys' was the first real screenplay that I ever wrote that was an original story with my own characters.\" — Ernest Cline" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/ernest-cline-1857_first_fanboys-was-the-first-real-screenplay-th_445741.png" --- # 'Fanboys' was the first real screenplay that I ever wrote… ![“'Fanboys' was the first real screenplay that I ever wrote that was an original story with my own characters.” quote by Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/ernest-cline-1857_first_fanboys-was-the-first-real-screenplay-th_445741.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/ernest-cline-1857_first_fanboys-was-the-first-real-screenplay-th_445741.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/ernest-cline-1857_first_fanboys-was-the-first-real-screenplay-th_445741.png) > “'Fanboys' was the first real screenplay that I ever wrote that was an original story with my own characters.” [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author marks his first original screenplay as a milestone, emphasizing personal ownership of story and characters. **In simple terms:** First original script was a breakthrough. Key Takeaway Celebrate personal creative milestones. Themes writing originality milestones Mood proud hopeful Type creative motivational When to use this quote - film pitches - writing workshops - self‑publishing - creative retreats Key Concepts screenwriting character development Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to create original stories? - How do you balance originality with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Original work can face market resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fanboys Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fanboys-real-3900332/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Original Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-story-1143115/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-screenplay-3900330/) [Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay/) [Screenplay Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay-wrote-881419/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Wrote Original](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-original-3900331/) ## Related quotes > [I found, after the experience of making 'Shaun Of The Dead' and then returning to the blank page - because 'Shaun Of The Dead'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-found-after-the-experience-of-making-shaun-of-the-dead-and-then/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [Once I was in college, I was actually trying to write a comedy screenplay and I wrote basically the worst movie ever and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scot-armstrong/once-i-was-in-college-i-was-actually-trying-to-write-a-comedy/) [Scot Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scot-armstrong/) > [The first comedy screenplay that I wrote was Animal House and I always thought I could and should be a director but no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/the-first-comedy-screenplay-that-i-wrote-was-animal-house-and-i/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I wrote 'Yellow Submarine' for the Beatles. I wrote the screenplay for 'The Games,' about the Olympic Games. I wrote 'Love Story,' both the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/i-wrote-yellow-submarine-for-the-beatles-i-wrote-the-screenplay-for/) [Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/) > [First, there has been a lot of interest in The Drive-in, but, alas, it hasn't actually come to fruition. Maybe soon. Don really got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/first-there-has-been-a-lot-of-interest-in-the-drive-in-but-alas-it/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [I was in Siena and decided I wanted to write a story set there. 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I don't write stories about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satyajit-ray/when-i-write-an-original-story-i-write-about-people-i-know-first-hand/) [Satyajit Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satyajit-ray/) > [In any culture, if information is to maximise in a contextual space, and new meanings be born, the original story has to have substance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-foden/in-any-culture-if-information-is-to-maximise-in-a-contextual-space/) [Giles Foden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-foden/) > [I do not know if Alice in Wonderland was an original story-I was, at least, no conscious imitator in writing it-but I do know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/i-do-not-know-if-alice-in-wonderland-was-an-original-story-i-was-at/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [“It is true that the original of this story is put into new words, and the style of the famous lady we here speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-defoe/it-is-true-that-the-original-of-this-story-is-put-into-new-words-and/) [Daniel Defoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-defoe/) > [“The World is a very old place, so you'll never be able to tell a completely original story”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/the-world-is-a-very-old-place-so-you-ll-never-be-able-to-tell-a/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [If I could find the right kind of property, get tied in with the right movie, I'd love to be involved, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/if-i-could-find-the-right-kind-of-property-get-tied-in-with-the-right/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) ## More by Ernest Cline > [“Halliday’s favorites, like WarGames, Ghostbusters, Real Genius, Better Off Dead, or Revenge of the Nerds”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/halliday-s-favorites-like-wargames-ghostbusters-real-genius-better/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“Ray seemed to subsist primarily on a diet of high-fructose junk food and old videogames. It was hard not to love the guy. Back”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/ray-seemed-to-subsist-primarily-on-a-diet-of-high-fructose-junk-food/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“Besides, what if BSG and Firefly took place in the same universe? You ever consider that?” I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/besides-what-if-bsg-and-firefly-took-place-in-the-same-universe-you/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [My characters are all kind of geek archetypes of people I've encountered at gaming and comic book conventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/my-characters-are-all-kind-of-geek-archetypes-of-people-i-ve/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“I understood her, trusted her, and loved her as a dear friend. 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I tried to remain skeptical. I reminded myself that I was a man of science, even if I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/tried-to-keep-my-cool-i-tried-to-remain-skeptical-i-reminded-myself/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [I notice when I'm at a party where I don't know anybody - even if I have nothing in common with somebody - we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-notice-when-i-m-at-a-party-where-i-don-t-know-anybody-even-if-i/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [“Not trusting my instincts any further, I loaded up a piece of high-end avatar dance software called Travoltra, which I’d downloaded and tested earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/not-trusting-my-instincts-any-further-i-loaded-up-a-piece-of-high-end/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) > [I burned through all of my extra lives in a matter of minutes, and my two least-favorite words appeared on the screen: GAME OVER.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/i-burned-through-all-of-my-extra-lives-in-a-matter-of-minutes-and-my/) [Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) [Explore all 184 Ernest Cline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/) ## More First quotes > [Life is going to hit you some line drives, and sometimes you'll have to think fast. However, it's better to think first than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/life-is-going-to-hit-you-some-line-drives-and-sometimes-you-ll-have/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [You always hear actors say, 'Theater is my first love,' and it is. 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Sometimes it's good, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-gabbana/our-fashion-for-us-it-s-an-expression-first-of-all-of-life-i-put-all/) [Stefano Gabbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-gabbana/) > [When I first started making music, it was learning other people's songs and putting them onto four-track. Like Beatles songs and stuff. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/when-i-first-started-making-music-it-was-learning-other-people-s/) [M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/) > [Oh, I'm a great believer in the power of the pause. Radio is a bit brasher now. My style was slower. I just used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-wogan/oh-i-m-a-great-believer-in-the-power-of-the-pause-radio-is-a-bit/) [Terry Wogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-wogan/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [I have to say, I grew up with fashion because my mother was a seamstress, and she had an atelier. She would cut the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donatella-versace/i-have-to-say-i-grew-up-with-fashion-because-my-mother-was-a/) [Donatella Versace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donatella-versace/) > [We do need different types of propulsion to get to Mars. 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