The Place of Dreams in a Diary
May 20th 2010 12:46
Dreams are one of the most widely spread and least understood experiences of humanity. We all have them, though some of us don't remember them. Almost none of us understand them. They're a mystery of life.
Your character probably dreams too, unless he or she is an android. And they probably remember their dreams once in a while. A diary is a safe place to think on paper about those dreams. A place where no one will judge your character for their crazy dreams, and nobody can make fun of what they dream about, no matter how ridiculous it seems.
If your character is a practitioner of some kind of magic, especially a seer of some kind, they probably actively work to understand their dreams. They might even have a specific dream diary. If they're the kind of person to do that, try writing a couple entries from that diary. Ask your character: what is the worst dream you've ever had? And go from there.
Ask your character: do you remember any of your dreams this week? If they say yes, let them fill their diary with this dream, and then question its meaning. They can work it out on paper, trying to decipher it. If they attach some kind of meaning to the dream, then they might even go hunting through libraries or the internet to find help with dream symbolism. There are a thousand different ways to decipher dreams, and your character might try and track every one.
What does your character dream about?
Your character probably dreams too, unless he or she is an android. And they probably remember their dreams once in a while. A diary is a safe place to think on paper about those dreams. A place where no one will judge your character for their crazy dreams, and nobody can make fun of what they dream about, no matter how ridiculous it seems.
If your character is a practitioner of some kind of magic, especially a seer of some kind, they probably actively work to understand their dreams. They might even have a specific dream diary. If they're the kind of person to do that, try writing a couple entries from that diary. Ask your character: what is the worst dream you've ever had? And go from there.
Ask your character: do you remember any of your dreams this week? If they say yes, let them fill their diary with this dream, and then question its meaning. They can work it out on paper, trying to decipher it. If they attach some kind of meaning to the dream, then they might even go hunting through libraries or the internet to find help with dream symbolism. There are a thousand different ways to decipher dreams, and your character might try and track every one.
What does your character dream about?
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Comment by RedParrot
Usual spot ...
Love today's exercise that I am going to do tomorrow. I had already devised today's entry before I hit the instructions.
I'm enjoying our discussions as well - this is a great deal of fun for me. There are so few places I have an opportunity to talk about / think about writing and developing so this month has really been special to me.
Cheers!
RP
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
I think dreams are an amazing way to get into the deeper mind of your character, and they've helped me a lot with voice. The idea of your character then inspecting their dreams is amazing for character development. It might never make the book but the depth will show.
I hope you will continue to read Fictional Worlds throughout the coming months. I quite enjoy our conversations about writing-I always love hearing different perspectives. And I will also be hosting more workshops over the next few months that I hope you will at least consider participating in.
~Dianna