Dreams and the Creative Process

Posted by Sarah Turner Mar 3, 2008

This morning I woke up dreaming about writing. Not of the physical act of writing, but of the story I'm in the middle of. The twist I can't quite work out. I rolled out of bed, blurry eyed, stumbled to my computer and typed madly, trying to capture the last fragments of the dream. What resulted was illogical and incomplete, but surprisingly rich in detail and character. It's like my story talked to me through my dreams. And the twist, remarkably, cleared itself up.

Our dreams are a resource we can use to help with our creative writing. Through dreaming, our mind works out emotional and psychological issues and filters through the day's events. Dreams are a way for us to tune into our creative unconscious.

Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer prize-winning author, emphasizes the importance of dreams, yearning and sensuality in writing. In From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction (Grove Press, 2006) Butler argues that new writers would do well to listen to their dreams and the unconscious, rather than relying exclusively on logic and analysis in their writing.

For some of you, I'm sure this sounds too flaky or earth-mother-like. I say don't knock it 'til you try it. For just one week, pay attention to your dreams.

• Keep a journal by your bed, and jot things down as soon as you wake.
• Do some free writing from anything in your dream that stands out.
• Later, read your dream journal for elements that suggest story. Look for strong characters, interesting locations or fierce emotional responses.
• Don't take anything too literally, and don't be afraid to explore different meanings of the events dreamed.

For a more literal approach on how to use your dreams, here's an article on turning your dreams into a science fiction story.