Do Your Dreams Inspire You?

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boardj
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Do Your Dreams Inspire You?

Post by boardj »

So I've noticed that majority of my book/story ideas come from my dreams. Does this happen for anyone else? Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night from a dream and you just have to write it down?
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Post by eastandalchemy »

All the time! I've been recording my dreams for some time now and it's very insightful, plus I've been able to use quite a bit of what appears in the dream world in my writing.
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Post by Hiprince001 »

Most times my dreams serve as my inspirations...one thing i discovered earlier is our dreams may not turn us turn up as at the first time
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Post by Nisha Ward »

When I was younger they did but now they're way too creepy to write. I used to have some pretty weird, creative dreams though.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Post by JPalomares »

Howdy, all,

One of my favorite stories about the use of dreams in the writing process comes from none other than Mary Shelley, author of the well-beloved Frankenstein.

The future Mrs. Shelley, on that fateful trip that spawned the novel, fell asleep on the night of a thunderstorm, after an evening of conversation tending towards the macabre. She writes of her dream (of which I include only the barest portion here), "I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion."

Frankenstein is often published with a full transcription and narrative of the dream and events surrounding, but it can also be found simply enough online. Here is one such telling for your convenience: Shelley.

Happy dreaming,
JPalomares
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Post by Kyrenora »

Some of my best work has been inspired by events or characters that occurred in my dreams. Unfortunately, a lot of my dreams (upon waking) seem to be random snippets that don't really fit together, so it's difficult to make a full narrative out of any of them. I can definitely steal pieces and sew some of them together, though.

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Nisha Ward wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 08:03 When I was younger they did but now they're way too creepy to write. I used to have some pretty weird, creative dreams though.
^Why not write down the creepy stories? That's actually where Lovecraft got a lot of his horror stories from.
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Post by Nisha Ward »

Kyrenora wrote: 27 Apr 2019, 12:06 Some of my best work has been inspired by events or characters that occurred in my dreams. Unfortunately, a lot of my dreams (upon waking) seem to be random snippets that don't really fit together, so it's difficult to make a full narrative out of any of them. I can definitely steal pieces and sew some of them together, though.

---
Nisha Ward wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 08:03 When I was younger they did but now they're way too creepy to write. I used to have some pretty weird, creative dreams though.
^Why not write down the creepy stories? That's actually where Lovecraft got a lot of his horror stories from.
I'd do that, but lately it fades within an hour of waking, so I remember the feeling but not the actual content of the dream.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Post by Kyrenora »

Nisha Ward wrote: 28 Apr 2019, 05:42
Kyrenora wrote: 27 Apr 2019, 12:06 Some of my best work has been inspired by events or characters that occurred in my dreams. Unfortunately, a lot of my dreams (upon waking) seem to be random snippets that don't really fit together, so it's difficult to make a full narrative out of any of them. I can definitely steal pieces and sew some of them together, though.

---
Nisha Ward wrote: 14 Apr 2019, 08:03 When I was younger they did but now they're way too creepy to write. I used to have some pretty weird, creative dreams though.
^Why not write down the creepy stories? That's actually where Lovecraft got a lot of his horror stories from.
I'd do that, but lately it fades within an hour of waking, so I remember the feeling but not the actual content of the dream.
That makes sense. If something really catches my attention in the dream world, I try to get down as many bullet points as I can before it starts to fade. It goes so fast, though. Something is always going to get lost.
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Post by milissamcdaniel1 »

I occasionally have a dream that sparks a story idea. My biggest problem is that often, by the time I get out of bed, I've forgotten all the details! That happened to me just a few weeks ago, and I can't recall enough to actually start writing. I guess I need to keep a pen and notebook by my bed!
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Post by clint_csperry-org »

When I can remember them, yes. I keep a journal next to the bed for that purpose. I have several short stories that come from that source. My wife usually has dreams that are ten times more vivid than mine and I have been known to take ideas from them too. (Yes, she knows I do this.)
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Post by WhiteLotus »

I have a lot of weird (the good kind of weird), interesting, action-filled dreams; when I was younger I used to try to make them into stories, but they were far too convoluted and strange, and yet vague, to make into something that made sense, so I just stopped trying. I still note down most of my dreams if I remember them and find them interesting, though, so maybe someday one will turn into a story.
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Post by TLWoodliff »

I hope not. I dreamed lemon juice was oozing from shoulder sores. I don't want to record that in my books. Lol
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Post by ElizaPeaks »

You know, I've never written anything based off of a dream before, but it sounds like fun! There are a handful of dreams that have stuck with me over the years, and there are a few that I've written down... They would make a really fun short story collection!
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Post by rubinelli »

Yes! My dreams are usually pretty weird but some parts can lend themselves very well to interesting characters and plots!
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Post by DD129 »

I don’t use my dreams as writing material, though that’s mostly because I can’t remember a lot of my dreams. The ones I do remember are either weird or disturbing. Very few would make a good story so I tend to disregard them.
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