tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post2308890142096711603..comments2023-09-23T04:56:51.617-07:00Comments on Forensics & Faith: Writing the Dream Sequence~ Brandilyn Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-85559875843480356472013-06-17T15:56:11.390-07:002013-06-17T15:56:11.390-07:00Mary, glad you found this helpful.
I'm so sor...Mary, glad you found this helpful.<br /><br />I'm so sorry to hear you're battling Lyme. Hope you have a good Lyme-literate doc. Have you read my book Over the Edge? It's my suspense about Lyme disease, laying out the challenges in diagnosing and treatment. Blessings, Mary.~ Brandilyn Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-7372603229847838102013-06-17T13:38:00.718-07:002013-06-17T13:38:00.718-07:00Hi Brandilynn,
This post has helped me so much as...Hi Brandilynn, <br />This post has helped me so much as I am using a recurring dream and dream sequences in my book that are integral to the story but needed to know how to best implement them. Again thank you for such a helpful post. I just read on the rest of your site that you have been battling Lyme as well, I am doing the same and writing has definitely been a part of that healing process. Wishing you the best with your recovery and with your health! -MaryAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13648744400093606738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-85942236825077341282013-03-05T18:32:41.528-08:002013-03-05T18:32:41.528-08:00Huh...so my (first) novel has a plot that involves...Huh...so my (first) novel has a plot that involves a mesh of the (ancient) past and the present...There is a supernatural element to it all (especially when they all meet). There are continuous echoes of terrible events in the past--and some of these are communicated to the characters in the present via dreams (that generally serve as foreshadow). I'll have to look at these again when I'm done writing...<br /><br />However, coming to part II, I've found an interesting new challenge...The point of view character in several of the chapters is a (Roman) slave who yearns for things beyond his reach; I imagined he should experience many of these things through dreams...His world is very isolated, and there is a big disconnect between his real life and what he "dreams" of (pardon the pun)...Anyway, challenging...Bernardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-81629400072639789712012-09-24T11:22:35.222-07:002012-09-24T11:22:35.222-07:00Well, thanks for the tips BranDilyn. I'm 13 an...Well, thanks for the tips BranDilyn. I'm 13 and I'm publishing a book, but, it starts with the sme dream sequence, but, my main protagonist woke up wide eyed to her Mom moping her forehead. I have tried really hard on this book and I particularly enjoy the dream sequence. I didn't write the dreams in italics though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-10206186989941989662011-08-14T13:21:58.478-07:002011-08-14T13:21:58.478-07:00Anonymous, because this is your first novel, I enc...Anonymous, because this is your first novel, I encourage you to not start with a dream. Really, most of the time editors dislike them. And most of the time dreams are used improperly. Better for you to play it safe and start another way.~ Brandilyn Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-49227528436782228242011-08-13T07:16:49.579-07:002011-08-13T07:16:49.579-07:00Thank you for writing this blog, Brandilyn. I am v...Thank you for writing this blog, Brandilyn. I am very new to writing and have been working on my first novel (which I wanted to begin with a dream sequence). I had never before heard of people speaking against it until this blog, and I was quite surprised. I have a question, though...I wanted my dream sequence to be in third person and I noticed that yours (in Color the Sidewalk for Me) was in first. Is it a bad idea to write a dream sequence in third person? The dream is the main character's muddled recollection of an event that happened in his childhood, so it does give back-story. Though, I didn't want the reader to know straight away that it was a dream.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-59669705963222407092010-09-19T05:10:07.914-07:002010-09-19T05:10:07.914-07:00Thank you for posting this. Just about everywhere...Thank you for posting this. Just about everywhere else I've seen starts with "Don't do it" or the writers tend to discourage people wanting to do one. No one seems to even want to try dreams out of fear of getting rejected.Linda Maye Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07203020058437093901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-74230118810663174252010-07-06T12:44:38.668-07:002010-07-06T12:44:38.668-07:00Thank you so much Brandilyn for writting this blog...Thank you so much Brandilyn for writting this blog. I've been trying to figure out how to write my dream sequence the in a way the reader would understand.<br /><br />I am still a young writter trying to find her way in but, i know i could be good at it. So again I thank you for helping me understand the right way to write a dream sequence.Undecidednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-45270470702925311662008-12-22T17:59:00.000-08:002008-12-22T17:59:00.000-08:00One of the things that irritated me to death in th...One of the things that irritated me to death in the Twilight series was the constant use of dreams. In each book I think at least three dream sequences were used, and in some, many more. A few of them were interesting and helpful to the plot, but the others, stuck in the middle of building suspense and such, were just horribly annoying and completely useless. But I admit that I hate reading all dream sequences, even the good kind.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-66256545886651260672008-12-03T12:14:00.000-08:002008-12-03T12:14:00.000-08:00It's not full stream of consciousness, because tha...It's not full stream of consciousness, because that's very hard to follow. It's first person, but it has to have the feel of a dream. They're otherworldly. They morph from one scene to another. <BR/><BR/>Go to my web site and read the opening to Color the Sidewalk for Me. You'll get an idea of what I mean.~ Brandilyn Collinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-28536008879710059962008-12-03T11:59:00.000-08:002008-12-03T11:59:00.000-08:00I am a first time novel writer and am starting my ...I am a first time novel writer and am starting my novel with a dream: It introduces a key supporting character who "emerges" from the dream. It sets the stage for understanding the main character's guilt and deep despair because it makes him realize what he has done in real life. The remainder of the book involves his quest for redemption.<BR/><BR/>Your suggestions have been very helpful, but I have a question about first person. Do you write as "stream of consciousness" or do you write in first person?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-84284172281352692952008-02-15T17:06:00.000-08:002008-02-15T17:06:00.000-08:00OGM this helped me so much with my novel that i'm ...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.<BR/>ThanxAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-63645747620717431942007-11-08T13:13:00.000-08:002007-11-08T13:13:00.000-08:00thank you so much, this really helped in my upcomi...thank you so much, this really helped in my upcoming novel I am writngAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1364736152045530852007-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:002007-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:00I, too, have awakened shrieking bloody murder from...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.<BR/><BR/>Excellent post, most helpful -- thanks!! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-90219198315521705792007-05-25T16:25:00.000-07:002007-05-25T16:25:00.000-07:00The first published author Mom and I sat down with...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. <BR/><BR/>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. <BR/><BR/>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!Christina Tarabochiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917807123445539587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-38703084646354755492007-05-24T22:34:00.000-07:002007-05-24T22:34:00.000-07:00My upcoming med thriller, Informed Consent (Cook),...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. <BR/><BR/>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?aspire2https://www.blogger.com/profile/11559340357457209175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-89096778543921194692007-05-24T22:26:00.000-07:002007-05-24T22:26:00.000-07:00Eww, good stuff. And so timely for me. Have a very...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. :-)Dineen A. Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08560463944362266736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-3496912895171763252007-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:002007-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:00Eden, what a crack-up! : )I've never screamed to ...Eden, what a crack-up! : )<BR/><BR/>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!<BR/><BR/>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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-23931527141240323392007-05-24T11:08:00.000-07:002007-05-24T11:08:00.000-07:00Hey Brandilyn! Interesting post. I don't mind dr...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. lol<BR/><BR/>I do have one little thing to say, though.<BR/><BR/>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. lolEdenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08632769966122465217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-66737865116692306432007-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:002007-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:00What a timely post! I need to send my ms out today...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.<BR/><BR/>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!<BR/><BR/>Tina HelmuthAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-38298650415458273772007-05-24T06:29:00.000-07:002007-05-24T06:29:00.000-07:00Brandilyn, I'm SO glad you wrote this post! It sho...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.<BR/><BR/>Long before I was an editor, I hated dreams in novels because they seemed like a convenient (i.e. <I>cheap</I>) 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.<BR/><BR/>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.Rachellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13987272970550279776noreply@blogger.com