This isn’t quite the same as the question about what animal I’d choose to live as for a day, but there’s a similar problem: there’s a lot of risk involved.

If I switched lives with a fictional character, would I also inherit all of that character’s dangers? Because that changes things considerably. I don’t particularly want to spend a week being chased by assassins, fighting supervillains or narrowly escaping elaborate death traps.

And what happens to the fictional character? Does he have to spend the week living my life in the real world? That might actually be more dangerous for him. Fictional characters are safe in their fictional universes, where the writer can always find a way to keep them alive.

But if I get transported into the fictional universe and get all the protections that come with being the main character, then I have an answer.

Bond. James Bond.

Cool, sexy, composed, desirable and almost always with the upper hand. Yeah, I could spend a week sipping martinis—shaken, not stirred—driving absurdly expensive cars, wearing tailored tuxedos and canoodling with women who somehow all have very suggestive names.

There would undoubtedly be some shooting, chasing and international espionage involved, but I’m assuming plot armor comes with the deal. Bond gets captured regularly, but somehow the villain always decides to explain the entire plan instead of simply killing him. That seems like a useful perk.

I could absolutely live that life for a week.

The hardest part would be returning to the real world, where Aston Martins don’t magically appear in the driveway and international intrigue rarely interrupts dinner.

Then again, I do have Daryl.

And I can always make myself a martini.

Although I’d probably pour bourbon instead.

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Copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.