Dreaming What You Write

Varthikes · Jun 8, 2007

Many of us undoubtedly write stories from what we dream, but have you ever had a dream from what you wrote first?

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I had two such dreams about seven months ago involving the Dragon world that I'm currently writing a series about. In that series the Dragons allowed the Humans to establish a colony on their world.

The first had the colonists ruining the environment of that world, much like what Humans are doing to the Earth now, and creating trouble for the Dragons. The two main characters of the series--one Human, the other a Dragon--were walking around a lake with the Human character's daughter and discussing the problem, trying to decide what to do about it. The daughter proposes--in Disney-song fashion--an idea that involved her father dressing up like a girl.

The second was more in line with a particular story that I was working on at the time about an insect-like alien that crashed on the Dragon world in a test warp ship. I was the alien waking up in the colony's Infirmary (my bedroom in my dream). I was exploring the closet while the Humans looked on.

Petroglyph · Jun 8, 2007

I dream of plot holes. For some reason they are obvious to me in dreams even when I miss them on the page.

sunna · Jun 8, 2007

When I was in the home stretch of my first novel, writing every day after work for about 6 hours and obsessing over every word, I dreamed of my characters almost every night. It actually worked both ways: my dreams would often start with what I'd written, and then go off on on tangents, some of which were so cool I ended up changing the plot to incorporate them.

I'm pretty sure my husband and more than one friend considered having me committed (if only to shut me up), but damn it was fun.

Kate Thornton · Jun 8, 2007

Yes, characters from my stories sometimes make an appearance (beating out Abe Lincoln, the rodent & the spaceman)

ChaosTitan · Jun 8, 2007

I've dreamed about my characters, but never anything useful enough to use in the story.

stormie · Jun 8, 2007

Yup, I have. But only if I'm really into the story. And then that's a good sign.

Robert L.B. · Jun 8, 2007

All the time. Ever combined lucid dreaming with the fact that, as a writer, you have dozens of characters at your command?

Battle Royale in my dreams tonight. The favorite to win in the 2v2 competition is Monk and Phantom.

Best way for me to get ideas as to how they fight. Watch it firsthand!

lfraser · Jun 8, 2007

I don't dream what I write, but sometimes I write what I dream -- not so much what a particular dream was about, but the feelings I experienced. Dream emotions are very intense.

jmindigo · Jun 9, 2007

I don't seem to dream about my characters all that often, they bug me enough when I'm awake, but the act of dreaming itself re-energizes me and often gives me new character or story/plot ideas.

seun · Jun 9, 2007

I don't dream of my characters although the overall story occasionally makes an appearance in my dreams.
I've tried a few times to capture the strength of an emotion in a dream. It doesn't often work.

Dreaming What You Write

Varthikes

Dragon Writer

Petroglyph

gestating a plot

sunna

Kate Thornton

Still Happy to be Here. Or Anywhere

ChaosTitan

Around

stormie

storm central

Robert L.B.

Tao of Wonka

lfraser

Bored and Frantic

jmindigo

seun

Horror Man