For most writers, seeing their book on screen is a dream that depends on a studio saying yes. Not long ago that was the only way. Today it is possible to turn a novel into a film yourself, and that is exactly what I am doing with my science fiction story, Blue the Ancient Rock.

Why I started

When I wrote Blue the Ancient Rock, I could see every scene: the rock on the edge of the solar system, seventy times bigger than Halley's comet, and Dave Chalice on board the starship Solo 59 heading out to meet it. Words can only carry so much of that. I wanted readers to see it the way I saw it.

AI tools have made that possible for one person with a story. They do not replace the writer. They give the writer a camera, a cast and a crew that were never within reach before.

Chapter by chapter

Rather than try to make the whole film at once, I am releasing it in chapters, the same way the book unfolds. So far you can watch:

  • Chapter 1: It's Alien!
  • Chapter 2: Death of a Star: Aiming for the Sun
  • Chapter 3: Lightspeed Discovered: Can We Escape Earth?
  • Episode 4: Seracuse Island
  • and the official trailer

Episode 5 is coming soon. All the chapters play on the Movie page of this site.

What I have learnt so far

  • The story still comes first. The tools can make anything look impressive, but only a good story makes people keep watching. Everything starts from the book.
  • Think in scenes. A chapter of a novel has to be broken into moments you can show: a place, a character, an action. Writing poetry helped me here, because a poem is built from images too.
  • Short episodes work. Releasing chapter by chapter keeps the work manageable and gives viewers something to come back for.
  • Keep learning. The tools improve all the time, and each chapter teaches me something I can use in the next.

You can do this with your own story

If you have written a book, a short story or even a poem, you can bring it to the screen too. It no longer takes a studio, only the willingness to start and to learn as you go. That is a theme that runs through all my work: the tools are now in everyone's hands, and the only question is whether you will use them.

If you would like to know more, sign up on the Movie page under "Turn your story into an AI movie" for free information.

Watch and read