Almost four hours ago, I laid down to get some sleep after an exhausting (yet fantastic) weekend with Stacey going to workshops after workshops and having one on one conversations with different YA authors at our local annual Writer's Convention. It was one big information fest and, honestly quite a bit overwhelming, but there's nothing like being near other writers or hearing the success stories of published authors to get the creative juices flowing into overdrive and, evidently, inspiring detailed dreams that feel so real you wake up talking to yourself.
Now, for as long as I can remember I have always been an avid dreamer. I'm not one of those people who forgets their dreams upon waking because my dreams are usually very detailed and, while often odd in content and completely random, I remember almost every detail without even having to try. Knowing that, the dreams I've had tonight are some of the most vivid I have ever experienced in my life. In four hours I had three dreams, with three separate, I'm going to refer to them as storylines, and three separate sets of characters whose lives are so different in comparison that even now I am completely blown away at how clear my recollection is of them.
The last dream I had, which was about forty-five minutes ago, was so amazingly real and slightly terrifying, that once I woke up I had the strongest urge to write it down because everything about it seriously screams to be written into something more. I remember the names of the people in my dreams, their location, what they were wearing, what their lives are like, what the conflict is between them, and the incredibly disturbing yet realistic nature of what brings the two people together. It's so strong that right now, even if I wanted to forget it, it would be impossible. Maybe it's not rational, but I feel like it's something I have to write down right now without thinking or planning ahead, because the "storyline" is so focused I don't need any of that.
I guess I'm really just kind of jarred because this has never happened to me as a writer before, though I've heard of similar things happening to other authors. Stephanie Meyers wrote Twilight based off a dream that she had and look how far that franchise has come. So, I have to wonder how often do other authors use their dreams as a foundation for the "worlds" they build within their books. Is it a common occurrence? Are they as vivid and demanding as some of the dreams I've experienced? Or maybe I'm just completely insane and irrational, which is a definite possibility lol.
Whatever it is, on a personal level, I don't believe dreams like the ones I experienced are meant to be ignored. Especially when they are so detailed I'm fooled into forgetting what the boundaries between dreams and reality looks like and am temporarily unable to tell the difference between the two. I find it terribly exciting actually and it makes me want to start writing immediately. Granted, I all ready have a couple of writing projects that take precedence over this right now, I'm definitely going to keep in in mind because it's something that needs to be produced into fiction.
But, anyway, yeah...so I know this is a completely off the wall post that comes completely out of left field, but like I said before I seriously felt like it needed to be written. Now maybe I can get back to sleep and dreams some more. Right now, I feel like there is an entire minefield of future plots out there just waiting to be discovered in dreamland and I seriously can't wait to get started.
So, until next time, this Jennifer...signing off.
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