Writers daydream and not just about their current WIP. We always have another story in the back of our mind vying for attention at the front of our mind, ideas for a terrific blog post, sometimes an article, or at the very least, a great response to something we saw on social media.

One of our favorite things we like to fantasize about is having our novels made into movies. I believe this is because so many of us think in images as we translate these pictures to the page, so naturally, we could envision them on screen. I’m pretty sure one of my blog posts addresses the truth that not every book needs to be made into a movie, and I’ll stand by that conviction, but I’ll also admit that I dream about seeing any one of my novels as a movie.

I’ve paused in my writing to search for actors and actresses in the appropriate age range and those with similar features and height requirements. But recently, my thoughts on seeing Realm, in particular, made into a movie took a slightly different turn. It started when I played my Studio Ghibli playlist as background music while writing. And now I must make a small confession.

I grew up watching Speed Racer, Marine Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Star Blazers, Battle of the Planets, Voltron, and Robotech. These are the American names for shows we called cartoons before we knew there was such a thing as anime. It was fine when I was very little in the ‘70s, but as a teen in the ‘80s, I knew better than to be open about my love for cartoons/animation.

One good thing in this whole tale is that I married a man who grew up watching and loving the same cartoons I did. We were closet anime fans together. And then one day, I was old enough to openly watch cartoons again, or maybe I finally grew beyond caring what anyone thought about my love of anime. I remember cautiously using my son as cover for watching Studio Ghibli movies.

I tell you all this because I can see the influence anime has had on my writing. I wanted characters that reminded me of the ones with whom I fell in love during my youth. So, I created them, most specifically, in Realm. Which brings me back to my new fantasy regarding my novel.

While I can absolutely see Realm as a movie at the theater, my novel as a series would have more time to capture all that the story involves. Even better, as an anime series, the characters and places could be drawn exactly as they are described and as I imagined them. I’m talking exceptionally high-end anime with all the best voice actors and actresses. What a dream!

I would, of course, need to be involved with the production because there are certain points that I insist be maintained, but I’m no tyrant, and I would yield to those bringing my story to life for all the adults who grew up watching anime. After all, I understand translating from the page to the screen requires certain tweaks.

Also, I have music in mind for the series that went into the creation of Realm as a novel. I’d like to shine a light on these musicians because I’m a huge proponent of providing opportunities, lending a hand, and giving other artists shoulders to stand on. I know you’d come to love these songs (with and without words) as much as I do. You’ll be singing or humming them long after the credits have rolled.

Maybe one day, when you least expect it and the Lord’s timing allows, you’ll come across a movie poster, trailer, or commercial for a new show called Realm. Hopefully, you’ll have read the book first and joined the ranks of the Realmers. Until then, let’s keep dreaming.