I’ve recently watched The Decoy Bride (aff. link), a gem of a romcom from 2011. Maybe the Scottish countryside got to me. Maybe it was David Tennant and Kelly MacDonald’s collective charms, but I enjoyed every single moment of this film.

And since the male protagonist of the film, James, is an author, it fits my writing characters in film and TV series perfectly. Katie is also a writer in her own right. And as a bonus, the film is a good romcom example for writers and lovers of the genre, like myself.

So without further ado:

The Decoy Bride: Plot Summary (with Some Spoilers)

James (David Tennant) can’t wait to marry his beautiful and extremely famous fiancée Lara (Alice Eve). Unfortunately, the paparazzi (especially relentless Marco) are hot on their tail, and Lara will be damned if she lets her important day be photographed. So, she picks the perfect spot: remote and scarcely populated Scottish island Hegg, described to great detail in James’s book – Lara’s favorite. Never mind the fact that this is the first time James ever set foot on the place. (Complements of Google!)

But when Lara sees the diligent paparazzo Marco even there, she disappears on her wedding day. Unbeknownst to James, her agent Steve (Michael Urie) and his assistant (Sally Philips) enlist the help of unlucky-in-love Katie (Kelly Macdonald) to play decoy. James freaks out when he finds out the ruse and that he and Katie have accidentally actually gotten married.

Moreover, Steve locks them in the castle where the wedding was to take place, but soon restless James, and sick-of-his-attitude Katie find a way to escape. Once they both drop the attitude, though, they realize they have more in common then they initially thought. And their chemistry is off the charts. Can James find Lara before he falls in head over heels with Katie?

The Decoy Bride: Writing Characters (with Spoilers)

This film is a double treat in terms of writing characters as Katie worked as the writer of a pants catalog in the city and writes guide books of the island. There’s quite a bit of talk about how residents of the place view James’ book (hint: 4 out of 10 stars!) and one resident even uses it as toilet paper! Paparazzo Marco even reads it as he waits for Lara to appear, and is baffled when the couple of the novel don’t seem to be kissing any time soon. And Katie comments how the romance seems unbelievable.

When Katie opens up about how her fiance cheated on her, she says she was apparently one song and not an album. As James finds out where Lara is and they are about to part, Katie says. “One chapter. Not a book, right?” sadly. James kisses her on the forehead before leaving.

We don’t see exactly what happens after Lara and James meet the priest. We are shortly led to believe it might not be the happy ending we hoped. Luckily, it doesn’t last, though they do keep us wondering for a bit more.

And then we learn that James has written a second book (much more appreciated by the Hegg folk) and dedicated to his wife. Katie thinks it is dedicated to Lara and doesn’t even read the book. Apparently, this book is much better and only has one chapter.

As Katie is leaving the island by ferry, James arrives with a backpack and clears up the misunderstanding. His wife means Katie. And the dedication reads, sometimes a chapter can be a book. (Aww! I’m melting.) Kiss.

The End.

A note on writing about places you’ve never been:

Frankly, I am a fan of this concept. Write what you know is a misused, misinterpreted and often misguided writing advice. If we could only write about what we knew, we’d seriously worry about Stephen King’s mental state, wouldn’t we? Or thriller writers who are fascinated by serial killers?

Outlander (aff.link) is awesome, Diana Gabaldon wrote the first book without ever being there. I’m also pretty sure she never time-traveled.

You can write about anything and anywhere as long as you do your research. Maybe James could have done a better job by seeking people from the island and interviewing them, but in his defense, the island folk didn’t seem that easily accessible online to me. Maybe Katie would help if he could have found her?

So the lesson here is if you can imagine it and research it, you can write it.

Important note: Please don’t write an entire book with one chapter. 🙂 Leave it as what it is: a great line in a fictional story. We like chapters. Chapters are good. They make reading easier and more fun. 😉

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Written by Neil Jaworski and Sally Phillips. Directed by Sheree Folkson.