Why is starting a novel with a dream considered bad?

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Exir

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Is it because it is gimmicky? Is it because it is cliche? Or because dreams are just not interesting? What is the reason behind the rule?
 

Marian Perera

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Is it because it is gimmicky? Is it because it is cliche? Or because dreams are just not interesting? What is the reason behind the rule?

One reason I've heard is because a dream isn't real, and is therefore not likely to hurt the character, even if he or she dreams about being attacked by a serial killer. And if you don't let the readers know it's a dream, and they get worried about this character who seems to be in trouble, they might stop reading when they realize that nothing bad is actually happening to the character.

If it overcomes these concerns, though, I can see a dream at the start of the story working. It's just that, very often, these kinds of starts don't work so well.
 

SPMiller

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Or because dreams are just not interesting?
Ding ding ding. Dreams tend to be boring for everyone except the person who dreamed.

Annnnnnd I proceeded to restate almost verbatim what QoS wrote, so I'm going to edit this post and say something else. Uh, let's see here.

Dreams are often abused. There's the cliched "... and it was all a dream LOL!" ending which I hate. And there's the dream-as-prophecy cliche, which I also hate.
 
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dpaterso

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My vote, I'm suspicious that what follows after the character wakes up might be a continuation of the dream, and he hasn't really woken up at all. So the author has to work harder to convince me this isn't a cheap trick that's going to end with author saying, "Hah! Fooled you!" and me gnashing my teeth and TBAR.*

Having said that, I've written dream openings that have, in my humble opinion, worked for the story.

* Throwing Book Across Room

-Derek
 

Exir

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Okay. Well, the dream isn't exactly the very opening - but it gets mentioned quite early in the story. And the reader KNOWS the narrator is describing the dream beforehand. And it is not meant as a prophecy/symbolism. It is just there to show the character's most heartfelt desires.
 

HeronW

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A dream known/hinted to be one and used as a flashback can work, ex:
Dad hands Arnie the fishing pole, odd, because Dad passed when Arnie was 8 and he's 37 now. Arnie awoke missing his father all over again.
 

maestrowork

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It's because many "dream" sequences are badly written. They're used to either "reveal" a plot element or something about the character -- such can be done more effectively via a "real" plot or character development, but many writers opt for the quick and dirty by using dreams. Worse, they may be used to "fool" the readers into believing something really happens; then comes the "oh, it's just a dream."

In reality, most dreams are not sensible, rational, or even structured. They're random and can't be easily interpreted -- what you dream about is seldom relevant to what you're actually thinking/feeling. Unless Freddy Kruger actually kills you in a dream, it's not actually threatening in any real way. The conflict, thus, is artificial. So it's hard to suspend the readers' disbelief and most often, it comes off as lazy writing, or a different ways for the characters to do navel-gazing, without any base in how dreams actually work in real life.

The only dreams that really work are those with true mythical or fantastical quality (for example, Freddy Kruger, or an Angel delivers a message from God, or a recurring nightmare with similar themes, or seeing the future, etc.). Once in set it in the context of magic or myth, then it's easier to suspend the disbelief and the dreams actually become an integral part of the story.


And it is not meant as a prophecy/symbolism. It is just there to show the character's most heartfelt desires.

Like I said above, such revelation can be done more effectively by going direct. Using a dream to show us "he desires her/wealth/fame/etc.) tend to feel "cheap." And rarely do dreams actually show you the actual thing. So you risk losing the readers' patience or suspension of disbelief.
 
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Linda Adams

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Think about why you need the dream in the beginning of the novel. A lot of writers use them because they can't figure out how to get that backstory into the story or convey other kinds of information.

It is just there to show the character's most heartfelt desires.

You can't convey this in the story by any other means? Personally, I think it would be far more interesting to have it unfold over a number of chapters with all the required complications and problems that accompany it than to give it to the reader in a dream.

Is it because it is cliche?

The agents do get an awful lot of submissions that start with a character dreaming--most often as backstory or info dumps--so having one adds a reason for the agent to reject the story.
 

Elaine Margarett

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I don't like dreams because they're gimicky. It's why I stopped watching the TV show Medium, despite the wonderful Patty Arquette (sp?). The whole - show the dream to the audience; the audience isn't aware at first it's a dream and then PA wakes up in her bed beside her husband and everybody releases a collective sigh of relief, thing- wore thin on me.

After the third episode of exactly the same opening I stopped watching. (I would have thrown the TV across the room but that get's costly.) I know the premise of the story is that she dreams things, but the repetition and the whole "is it/isn't it a dream" made me feel manipulated.
 

blacbird

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It's because many "dream" sequences are badly written. They're used to either "reveal" a plot element or something about the character -- such can be done more effectively via a "real" plot or character development, but many writers opt for the quick and dirty by using dreams.

I was about to say exactly what Maestro has said, but he's said it better than I could so I'll just add my second, for emphasis.

caw
 

Stormhawk

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I used to start with a flashback, but have it structured as a dream since the MC woke up at the beginning of the next chapter (shut up, I was young and stupid...).

Now it's just a flashback, it's quicker, and there's no chance it's a dream, as when we're reintroduced to the MC, she's awake, not thinking about anything that happened in the flashback and quite angry.
 

Kalyke

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It is quite possible Storm Hawk that beginning a book with a dream means beginning it with the character asleep. There is no action in sleeping. If you need a flashback at the beginning of a book, why not just start the story where it was you started it? I think the book "The Dead Zone" by Stephan King has some nice examples of flashbacks, dreams, psychic "seeing," and other mental things. He goes back and forward in the character's life quite nicely as I recall. You might read it or re-read it to see how King deals with this subject.
 

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It is a clcihe and also a cheat. You decide to give a damn about the character ans the action so when it is not real it feels like you've been 'had'. and would have to start all over again.
 

KCH

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I don't like dreams because they're gimicky. It's why I stopped watching the TV show Medium, despite the wonderful Patty Arquette (sp?). The whole - show the dream to the audience; the audience isn't aware at first it's a dream and then PA wakes up in her bed beside her husband and everybody releases a collective sigh of relief, thing- wore thin on me.

After the third episode of exactly the same opening I stopped watching. (I would have thrown the TV across the room but that get's costly.) I know the premise of the story is that she dreams things, but the repetition and the whole "is it/isn't it a dream" made me feel manipulated.

Medium is the first thing I thought of too. I quit watching after the second episode, and remember thinking how many agents and editors must now be puzzling over just why they were suddenly getting stacks of those blasted dream sequence openings.
 

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Medium is the first thing I thought of too. I quit watching after the second episode, and remember thinking how many agents and editors must now be puzzling over just why they were suddenly getting stacks of those blasted dream sequence openings.

You guys are missing out on some good, innovative writing, IMO.

Medium always begins with a dream sequence, and regular viewers know it. The point isn't manipulating the viewer or whatever suspense may or may not be in the dream, but how Allison is going to interpret/misinterpret what she's dreamed, and how it will tie into the reality of what's going on in her life at the time.

Just sayin'.
 

RickN

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I don't like dreams because they're gimicky. It's why I stopped watching the TV show Medium, despite the wonderful Patty Arquette (sp?). The whole - show the dream to the audience; the audience isn't aware at first it's a dream and then PA wakes up in her bed beside her husband and everybody releases a collective sigh of relief, thing- wore thin on me.

Medium always starts with a dream.

House always starts with a person getting sick.

CSI always starts with a crime.

Bones always starts with a disgusting corpse.

And then the show evolves from there.........

It's not a gimmick; it's their signature. A different story than if a dream is used as a method to get backstory into the plot, fool the reader, etc.
 

James81

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I would say that it's bad because it gives the reader a false sense of what the character really is or the "reality" that you are going to construct in your book.

In short, it's confusing because the dream will lead the reader to believe things that aren't true BEFORE you have established boundaries and a reality to your story.
 

nessam

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Medium always starts with a dream.

House always starts with a person getting sick.

CSI always starts with a crime.

Bones always starts with a disgusting corpse.

And then the show evolves from there.........

It's not a gimmick; it's their signature. A different story than if a dream is used as a method to get backstory into the plot, fool the reader, etc.


I second this.

and that most dream sequences are badly written
I hate when a book opens with boring back story
and despise when I read a whole book and "it was all a dream"

If you can open with a dream and get around all that- Go for it.
 

CDarklock

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It's not a gimmick; it's their signature.

I don't actually think the two are mutually exclusive.

The beginning of House invariably strikes me as gimmicky, but I forgive it because I know the rest of the episode will be entertaining.

The beginning of Bones somehow never strikes me as gimmicky, even though it's every bit as predictable.

After some cursory consideration, I think the difference is that Bones always leaves me with a different question, whereas House always leaves me with the same question: "What is wrong with this person?"

The patient, not Greg.

Bones gives enough information in that intro to see that this question is distinct from the others I've seen previously. I have very specific questions, as opposed to the monotony of the House intro always resulting in "Why did that person fall down?"

Dreams introducing a novel are frequently a way to titillate the reader with questions and fascinating ideas, which you then never answer because your dreamer awakens. The tension thus produced is never relieved, and at the end of the book, it remains. So even if the rest of your book is great, the reader gets to the end still thinking "what about the purple trees?!" and feels let down. This particular contract (to answer your readers' questions) has been broken so many times with the excuse of "it was a dream", many readers immediately expect it to be broken in the end when they read about your sleeper awakening, and they stop believing you're going to hold up your end of the bargain.
 

Elaine Margarett

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Medium always starts with a dream.


.


Does it? I thought there were times when it doesn't start this way and then the "dream" gets slipped in to give the audience that false shot of suspense/concern/adrenaline/whatever. And yes, one person's signature is another person's gimmick.

House, sigh, I don't really care for that show either because, 1) I don't like the main character (yeah, yeah, I know that's his schitck, I mean signature) and, 2) it's so predictable. The patient is going to die; don't know what it is and it doesn't matter because no matter what, the cure will either kill him, or make him better. Not to mention I find it hard to belive a hospital would tolerate someone like House.

CSI and Bones; not a fan. I find the gross autopsy/graphic crime re-enactments gratuitous.

Law and Order starts with a body, (as do most mysteries) but for the most part the writing transcends the gimmick.

So I guess what I'm saying is you take a chance starting your ms with a dream. Some might perceive it as perfectly fine; others gimmmicky and cliched. You take a chance; but if the writing is good enough, it might not matter.
 
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Atlantis

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Is it because it is gimmicky? Is it because it is cliche? Or because dreams are just not interesting? What is the reason behind the rule?

All depends. Its your story and if it fits into your plot then I think you should go with it. You know whats best for your book. Dreams, if done right, can be good openers. It all depends whats in them and how they're written. You could start the book off with a single voice:

"Help me..."

Jason awoke with a gasp.

Or dull a full fledged dream from the character's point of view that will have them running around a mist-filled moor chasing zombies. Or you could not mention the dream at all. You could have your character wake up sweating and dicuss the dream with someone else. Make sure it furthers the plot though.
 

A. J. Luxton

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I have opened on a dream, but *always* made sure it was flagged as such and didn't go on more than two paragraphs. ("In the dream snakes pursued her out of the office and down the street...") IMO, it's the "Look! That was just a dream! Haha, fooled you!" stuff that exasperates people.
 

WannabeWriter

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Or what about starting a book with an intense thought about something or worrying that a certain thing could happen?
 

Judg

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What exasperates me about dreams in novels is that they are usually coherent. In real life, dreams are not. It is never a good idea to make your reader sneer, "Yeah, right." And the vast majority of dreams in books make me do just that.

Indicating that a character is having a recurring nightmare about being chased by a man with a knife, for instance, might be an entirely viable thing. That is believable, because that is the way dreams really work.

A dream as more than a dream can work too, when it's a message of some sort or something, but then we're clearly in the paranormal. But what I never buy is what is supposed to be a normal dream unrolling like a piece of flash fiction.
 
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