Character Gave Me A Nightmare

[TwentyFour]

While writing my novel I decided to kill off one of the mean characters. I had written a death scene and went to bed, but began to dream about him. He was standing right in front of me, not really doing anything...but he began to talk. He began to curse me, in fact, and tell me he should not be killed. The thing freaked me out so I deleted the death scene and kept him...anyone else have nightmares about your book or characters?

[Ad Astra]

Don't let me relive the experiences. ;_;

But yes, I do remember one--I had intents for a character to have a Dutch name even though she was part Japanese, and I had a nightmare where she cursed me off for not giving her a Japanese name. ;_;

Adele--gone.
Akia--new and improved.

[Oddsocks]

I've never had anything like that - and it's interesting from a psychological perspective. Just think what you'll dream if you ever kill off a nice character...

Were you aware of any guilt over it before you went to bed?

[TwentyFour]

Yes, I think that is why it happened. I felt he was a mean guy and should die in a shootout/car crash running from the law, but he didn't feel that was good enough. I kept him and he has now become a central antagonist of the novel, instead of dying within the first 100 or so pages.

[c2ckim]

I just love it when a chaaracter comes to life, don't you? and we think we're the writers? We're just the pens that write down the words...

[TwentyFour]

But what about all those voices...

...Looks about the room for ghosts...

[K_Woods]

Man, I wish I could remember my characters showing up in dreams. I have this nagging feeling that they have, but honestly, I remember so many of my dreams, albeit mostly bits and pieces, that it's all jumbled together and many bits aren't on the surface where they're nice and easy to reach.

I've been sussed at by historic figures in dreams before. I think that's a different sort of weirdness, though.

[TwentyFour]

Historical figures?...hmmm...

Imagine if you will: Dreaming of being in bed with Hitler, the war is ending, and he wants your opinion of his performance.

No, I didn't dream it but it's a funny/sickening historical type dream...

[icerose]

Two of my scariest horror stories came to me during the night. Believe me they were freaky. Got to meet the bad guys as they stalked me in my sleep.

[Bartholomew]

While writing my novel I decided to kill off one of the mean characters. I had written a death scene and went to bed, but began to dream about him. He was standing right in front of me, not really doing anything...but he began to talk. He began to curse me, in fact, and tell me he should not be killed. The thing freaked me out so I deleted the death scene and kept him...anyone else have nightmares about your book or characters?

If my characters--especially the dead ones--didn't talk to me in my dreams, I probably wouldn't write.

I remember a character in a mystery I was *THINKING* about writing helping me figure out how he was killed.

Go figure that one!

[SpookyWriter]

While writing my novel I decided to kill off one of the mean characters. I had written a death scene and went to bed, but began to dream about him. He was standing right in front of me, not really doing anything...but he began to talk. He began to curse me, in fact, and tell me he should not be killed. The thing freaked me out so I deleted the death scene and kept him...anyone else have nightmares about your book or characters?That's so freaky. I had nightmares of odd events or people who I never met (yet) and included some of the horror into my stories. But I've been lucky so far and haven't had a character come and wake me up after a bad scene at the keyboard.

I wonder if you could (has this been done before) have characters who constantly bug you to do something (write about them in a certain way) until it became an obsession?

Lots of good material for horror writers who have freaky characters bothering them after hours.

[Imelda]

Wow, I kinda wish I'd dream about my characters. Especially the hero ...
*Shakes self out of day dream*

Anyway, I think you're all really lucky! Your subconsciouses (is that even a word?) can keep working while your body sleeps. That's dedication!

[TwentyFour]

That was the only time it happened, glad it did...he became a great bad guy!

[Stew21]

I have dreamt about my characters before, though they haven't scared me in my dreams, it's a great way to get acquainted with their personalities in a passive/observation sort of way.


But if your talking about your characters coming to life you should read Peter Straub's The Night Room