Ok. Probably the best way to bore your friends and family is to start a detailed description of this fantastic dream you had the night before. But, if they provide some sort of window into my subconscious, then I think I should use them in the creative process.
The playwright Bill Naughton wrote a whole book on his, having recorded them meticulously for a large part of his later life, because he thought they were useful to the writer-it didn't prove to be an exciting read.
So, I wonder what other people do with their dreams. Do you write about them? Do you have notebook by the bed to record them? And, most importantly, do you find they contribute to your creative work?
PS: I hope none of you have dropped off whilst reading this.
I don't often have 'conscious' dreams, so I've never been influenced that way. Well, maybe by childhood nightmares I can still recall; the sort where something's chasing you and you can't get away from it. Last time I experienced something as nasty as that was a side-effect of (prescription) drugs so I tend not to dwell on it. P'raps I should try writing horror!
I did begin one chapter in my first novel with a dream sequence, even though it's not the done thing in current creative writing theory, apparently. It fitted character and story so I kept it.
I quite like using experiences and events which are not always easily explained, especially since I write historical fiction and individuals were often more affected by this type of thing centuries ago. There's a 'vision' in my latest WIP and something similar was widely reported during WW1. Nowadays it would be considered scientifically either as 'mass hysteria' or a mirage.
A bit like dreams, really - predictive experiences or random brainwaves? I'm in two minds :)
Good question Colin.
I have always dreamed vividly, every night, but I do not think it has ever directly influenced what I write on a conscious level.
However, I have wondered how much my writing effect what I dream. I know it does to some degree, either that or I have been watching too many David Lynch movies...
Interesting question!
I have such vivid dreams. I have done for as long as I can remember. I can even remember some of them all the way back when I was 6 years old - one very prominent one of miniature dinosaurs taking over my house and smacking my Dad over the head with a newspaper (totally bizarre).
After I started to terrify my mum by sleep-walking with my eyes open, I decided to try to write my dreams down. So I installed a notebook by my bed. It helps for other reasons because I get some of my best ideas as I'm trying to drift off - and if i don't write them down, they're pretty much gone forever.
I don't think the majority of my dreams make much sense to use in my books. But I did have one pretty good one which seemed to run the entire night. I woke up and wrote the whole thing down in the morning. I look back at it now and it looks a bit odd. At the time, I thought I'd dreamt up the next blockbuster ;)