I don’t know about other writers, but I dream plots. Often I wake up in the middle of the night caught up in one of these intricate dreams and think, “Wow, this is a great book.”
I dream entire plots. It must be the writer in me. Half asleep, these book dreams, complete with lots of layers of story and plot, seem amazing. However, when I am actually awake, they tend to fall apart.
Last night I had a dream that even asleep I realized was a good mystery. I liked all the characters and I really wanted to know how it ended – until I realized that the “prize” everyone was so determined to find was no Maltese Falcon. It was a meatball.
I have no idea what that was about except it could be the diet I’m on.
My daughter and I were questioning recently where crazy dreams come from. I have very bizarre dreams and so does she. Years ago when I was doing a book about people who kill while sleepwalking, I learned that it is often hereditary. Sleep walking and weird dreams – not killing people while asleep, though it could be hereditary too. Maybe those people didn’t get a chance to reproduce.
I used to be a sleepwalker. At college, I would wake up at the top of the stairwell and wonder where I’d been. My daughter said the same thing happened to her – but she would wake up outside. Scary at the time.
Some dreams are pretty easy to figure out. After I sold my first book, a friend and I went to a writers’ conference on the west coast. I woke that night standing on my bed, hands against the wall, screaming. In the nightmare, I was on the outside of a spaceship, clinging to the rough metal. The spaceship was turning slowly and I was about to drop off into…that’s just it, I didn’t know what was out there. I do now. No wonder I was so terrified. ☺
It didn’t take much to figure out that dream. I was headed into alien, scary territory.
My favorite dreams are the ones where I get to fly. Those are supposed to be happy dreams, that all is well in my world. I want more of those.
The other dreams I often have, when I’m not writing books in my sleep, are ones where I have a baby and I keep forgetting where I left it. Something important that I’ve forgotten? Who knows since I don’t have a baby I’ve forgotten anywhere.
I did have a dream once about this small group of women who lived on a cul de sac. That one was a lot like Desperate Housewives – long before the show. Except in my dream, my character discovered what had happened to all their husbands. Pretty scary stuff, my dreams are often made of.
Do you dream plots? Have nightmares? Walk in your sleep? Do you think dreams are trying to tell us something about ourselves?
I have those dreams too, BJ! We are scary people!!!!
Aren’t we tho. 🙂
Hi B.J.,
How cool! You are lucky to wake up with fresh ideas. I find that when I go to sleep thinking about my WIP, then I often wake up with my next scene running through my head or maybe the dialogue. I think sleep is a good time for creativity because your mind is loose.
Laura, that is often the case huh. I love it when I work out problems with a story in my sleep.
The shower is also a break place for figuring things out. That and driving.
I’m going on a road trip later today so I’m hoping to do some “plotting.”
The most disturbing dream I ever had was being on a plane that was about to crash. The next thing I knew I was standing on the ground with my husband watching the plane, in flames, going down. I turned to him and said, “You know we’re still on board that plane, right?” Creepy feeling lingered for days.
Wooo Amanda, that gives me chills!!
Great dream. What is funny is that I can just hear you telling him that. 🙂
I had a roommate in college who sleepwalked. Luckily, I’m a light sleeper and would get up to follow her. I could usually steer her back to bed but I can’t imagine how scary it would be to wake up alone in some weird place. Ugh!
I dream “movies,” which is why I think my writing style is more “cinematic” with lots of POVs. If I wake up in the middle of it, I write down the plot and characters in the journal I keep next to the bed. If I dream it all the way through, I usually forget it by my first cup of coffee.
As for the meatball? Did you look for the diamond or the tiny USB that was hidden inside? 😉
LOL Silver. Why didn’t I think about looking inside the meatball! Girl, you are good!!
I have those dreams, too! Often though, when I’m in the middle of a story, it takes over my dreams–this is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, in my dreams, the story goes off in a direction I don’t want, then i end up fighting with myself–no winners there. Wouldn’t the shrinks love to crawl into out heads:)
Yikes Deborah, shrinks inside our heads. How scary would that be for them. 🙂
I don’t think I dream much! Now I’m kind of jealous of everyone. I would pay good money to have dreams that gave me great plots and characters that stuck around when I woke.
Don’t be too jealous Kendra. Like I said most of mine sound great in the middle of the night but on waking…not so much.
I’ve had the flying dreams, loved them. I’ve also had the forgotten baby one, not as much fun. I’m a nurse so I’ve had the one where I forgot to give everyone their 9am meds and now it’s time for the 1pm meds. Panic time. Some dreams are just a reflection of our current issues, some-who knows where they come from. I used to dream I could breathe under water and that I could run reallyfast without losing my breath.
Carol, I love your flying and breathing dreams. Definitely the good ones.
The baby one…I do wonder about it. I’m glad it might be universal anyway.
Thanks for sharing,
HAHA! BJ, I’m like you! Or has my husband likes to say, “You’ve got a 24-hour movie theater happening in your brain!”
Some nights, I wake up EXHAUSTED because of my dreams! I’m never allowed to just….sleep. Something is always going on!
But NEVER a meatball. Just sayin’.
xxxxxxxxxxx 2 U,
— Josie
LOL, Josie. I guess your meatball dream is yet to come. 🙂
I’m with you about being exhausted some mornings. I often play Words with Friends before I go to bed and spend half the night trying to come up with words. Geez.
Wow! Nice to know I’m not the only person who plots their whole book in their sleep.
My daughter sleepwalks, and now her son, but they are the only ones in the family.
I have some scary-ass dreams, especially after taking Nyquil. If I ever need a horror story I might try that on purpose. LOL
Nyquil? Oh Jill. I’ve had some scary ones where I wake up terrified and don’t know where I am. Those are definitely the worst.
Wild about your daughter and now her son sleepwalking. Wonder if it skips a generation.
I wish I dreamed of plots. I find that in the few minutes before I fall asleep and the few minutes after I wake up, I get ideas for my plots.