Comments on: Writing the Dream Sequence

By: Rachelle

Rachelle — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 02:48:20 +0000

Brandilyn, I’m SO glad you wrote this post! It should be required reading for all fiction writers. You raise some great points and these are excellent guidelines.Long before I was an editor, I hated dreams in novels because they seemed like a convenient (i.e. cheap) way to convey something about the character. I felt like an author could put whatever they wanted in a dream, without restrictions of it having to be realistic, and therefore it always felt false and I, as a reader, felt manipulated.But sometimes I read a dream sequence that I don’t object to — and every single time, it surprises me! I know I’ve read a couple of them in your books, and they didn’t bother me. I know it’s because you understand these prinicples you’ve elucidated here, and I hope everyone who writes fiction will learn to understand them, too.

By: London Tyler

London Tyler — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 22:21:18 +0000

What a timely post! I need to send my ms out today. I don’t have any actual dream sequences, but I have my protagonist wake up from a dream. With a red face I admit that she sat up with a scream dying in her throat. I fixed it.The odd thing is that no critique parnter had ever mentioned it. I didn’t think anything of it, either, until you pointed out that it just doesn’t happen, at least not commomly. Thanks!Tina Helmuth

By: Once Upon a Dream...

Once Upon a Dream... — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:31:42 +0000

Hey Brandilyn! Interesting post. I don’t mind dreams in novels. No, never used any in my own writing. why? b/c i dont’ write. lolI do have one little thing to say, though.I have bolted upright from a dream and been screaming at the same time. This occurred as a teenager and a young adult while in college. I also sleep walk, cook in my sleep and speak in 3 different languages in my sleep. lol My mom has always told me that it was interesting to watch me do these things. lol

By: donna fleisher

donna fleisher — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:34:02 +0000

Eden, what a crack-up! : )I’ve never screamed to wake myself up from a dream, but when I was young and knew a dream was headed in a baaaad direction, I would stick out my tongue. It was reeeeally hard to do, but it worked every time!I’m hoping the two dreams I used in Valiant Hope worked. They were some of the hardest writing I did for my series. The second one went on for pages, so we used a whole different font — not italics.

By: Dineen A. Miller

Dineen A. Miller — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 03:45:35 +0000

Eww, good stuff. And so timely for me. Have a very brief dream/nightmare sequence because it has to do with a vision the heroine had in the first book. So reading this affirmed I’d handled it appropriately. Until I got to #7. LOL! Guess I’ll do some editing tomorrow.

By: San

San — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:58:05 +0000

My upcoming med thriller, Informed Consent (Cook), has a short dream sequence. Initially I had the dream set off in italics, but I wanted to avoid tipping off the reader so he/she would momentarily feel with the character his bewilderment. Two weeks ago during one of my edit sessions, I removed the italics. I felt like I was violating “the rules,” but my gut said to go ahead anyway. I love that you wrote not only the guidelines but also the exceptions. Sometimes I think the difference between a good and a great writer is knowing when and why to break rules. Cormac McCarthy broke tons of punctuation rules in “The Road,” and he’s done all right as a writer, huh?

By: Christina Berry

Christina Berry — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:36:35 +0000

The first published author Mom and I sat down with said, “You cannot start your book with a dream.” We went out to the book table and picked up a Patricia Rushford book–that started with a dream. We did end up taking it out of the opening because the ominous nature was not a good forecast of the overall tone of the book and we didn’t want to promise something to the reader we didn’t deliver. However, because it was a recurring dream, we broke it into three sections that happen in each third of the book. Only one paragraph overlaps and it’s italized. Hope it worked as we know a couple of editors are meeting today to discuss us and that particular manuscript! I’ve been praying all day!

By: Nikhil Kennedy

Nikhil Kennedy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 13:26:08 +0000

I, too, have awakened shrieking bloody murder from nightmares, scaring the crap out of my poor S.O. Thankfully, it doesn’t happen all that often. But you’re right, that has been so overused in fiction and movies that it’s become trite, and now fails to evoke reader sympathy — and that’s the best reason to not end the dream sequence ‘bolt upright and screaming’. Ick — *so* Hollywood.Excellent post, most helpful — thanks!!

By: Truman Chadwick

Truman Chadwick — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:57:48 +0000

thank you so much, this really helped in my upcoming novel I am writng

By: Haden Nelson

Haden Nelson — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 07:57:46 +0000

OGM this helped me so much with my novel that i’m writing. I’m new to this whole novel writing thing and this really helped me with a dream scene in my novel. I really liked how you not only gave the rules but you also gave the exceptions.Thanx