Neil Hayes is living the dream of nearly every author. His book is being made into a movie.

In 2002, Hayes wrote, When the Game Stands Tall: The Story of the De La Salle Spartans and Football’s Longest Winning Streak. The high school in Concord, Calif. had an epic 151-game winning streak that stretched over 13 years.

It took almost as long for the book to be made into a movie. But after many twists, turns, and seemingly roadblocks, the film actually just completed shooting in New Orleans. The cast includes Jim Caviezel as coach Bob Ladouceur, Laura Dern as his wife, and Michael Chiklis as De La Salle’s defensive coordinator.

Thomas Carter (Coach Carter) is the director, and Scott Marshall Smith adapted the screenplay from Hayes’ book. The film is slated for release in fall, 2014.

Hayes left his job at the Chicago Sun-Times so he could be a consultant during the filming of the movie. Here’s my Q/A with him about the entire experience.

You wrote this book in 2002. Did you ever dream it would be a movie?

I never dreamed this big. I just wanted to write something that fully explained the most unique football program and coach I have ever encountered. Big publishers wouldn’t touch it. They said it was too regional of a subject so I went with a local publisher. I was convinced this story would resonate. It’s very gratifying to know my instincts were correct.

As far as the movie goes, it has taken 10 years and two different producers to get to this point. I never allowed myself to believe it would happen until it actually did.

How much input did you have on the script?

Although I didn’t write the script, I was included from the very beginning and felt my voice was heard and that I impacted the script throughout the process.

What has it been like to be in New Orleans to watch the film get made? What have you learned about making a movie?

Surreal. That’s the only way to describe watching actors such as Jim Caviezel, Laura Dern and Michael Chiklis play characters I know so well.

As far as the actual making of the movie, it’s as grueling as it is rewarding. We are working a minimum of 12 hours a day while switching back and forth from day shoots to all-nighters. You film all these short scenes, from three or four different angles, and not even in chronological order. Then it all gets pieced together in post-production. It’s an amazing creative process to watch unfold.

How much interaction have you had with the actors?

Tons. I spent a lot of time with Jim early in the process to help him understand his character. Chiklis is from Boston and is a huge Bruins fan, which has made the Stanley Cup Finals interesting. Laura’s one of the most approachable people you could meet and is a bright light whenever she walks on set. The young actors playing football players are terrific guys and terrific actors who have been a blast to be around.

Why did you decide to leave the Sun-Times?

Being on set during the making of a movie based on my book is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Short version: What made the DeLaSalle story so special? Why has this story resonated through the years?

Here’s the quote from Bob Ladouceur that convinced me this story had to be told.

“Kids respect true humility and that you stand for something more than winning. They’ll fight for you and your program if you stand for more than that. It boils down to what you believe in as a person, and I’m talking about how life should be lived and how people should be treated. Kids see all that. It’s a whole package of things that has nothing to do with standing in front of a team with a piece of chalk. You can know who to block and what play to call, but it has no meaning unless the kids know who you are. Our kids aren’t fighting for wins. They’re fighting for a belief in what we stand for.”