Location... location... location!

When I thought about the setting of I Wish... it really wasn't very hard to fall back on my childhood hometown of Springfield, Oregon as a guide. Living in that particular area of Oregon was like living on the edge of a fantasy world.

Springfield is small enough to still be quaint, but big enough to have something to do past 9:00 at night. The town often falls victim to relentless rain, but the rain makes everything a lush green that practically begs you to go barefoot.

To the east of Springfield lies a ridge of mountains... To the west is the ocean... And filling the areas in between is one continuous magical forest filled with creatures of all sizes.

I have fond memories of walking to school each day with my dad, swimming at the local indoor pool with friends, delving into endless bookshelves at the public library, and playing soccer in the numerous parks around town.

To me, Springfield was a non-fiction town begging to be fictionalized.