Writing from Personal Dreams
Dreams - even daydreams - can be excellent sources for writing ideas. I've heard of authors keeping a paper and pencil beside their beds so that, upon waking, they could write down their dreams before forgetting them.
Something like that happened to me. One morning, in that time between being 100% asleep and being 100% awake, the entire story of Mumsket came to me - complete with the title character's name and the language she speaks. I knew at once the entire plot when I sat down at the computer to outline the book.
The same thing happened with another book - Chippin Cleats. I know very little about inner city gangs, but because of my "dream", I could write a legitimate and believable story.
In each of these books, I put myself in the shoes of a character that it very unlike myself. I became a troubled youth, looking for a solid role model. I became a bad boy with a taste for blood. And then I was able to solve their issues. I describe it as rescuing their souls - something I wish I could do more of in real life).
It all starts with a dream, or at the very least, a good imagination. However, as a writer, I have to make sure my ideas area original. The danger is that I have dreamed bits and pieces of things I have seen in my waking hours, bits of books I've read, pieces of movies I've watched. Or video games I have played. That can't happen!
Something like that happened to me. One morning, in that time between being 100% asleep and being 100% awake, the entire story of Mumsket came to me - complete with the title character's name and the language she speaks. I knew at once the entire plot when I sat down at the computer to outline the book.
The same thing happened with another book - Chippin Cleats. I know very little about inner city gangs, but because of my "dream", I could write a legitimate and believable story.
In each of these books, I put myself in the shoes of a character that it very unlike myself. I became a troubled youth, looking for a solid role model. I became a bad boy with a taste for blood. And then I was able to solve their issues. I describe it as rescuing their souls - something I wish I could do more of in real life).
It all starts with a dream, or at the very least, a good imagination. However, as a writer, I have to make sure my ideas area original. The danger is that I have dreamed bits and pieces of things I have seen in my waking hours, bits of books I've read, pieces of movies I've watched. Or video games I have played. That can't happen!