A STORY IS BORN

by:  Linda Law

Many of us dream during sleep, and often by morning, or when we wake...the dream is no longer.  Poof...it's gone, it can be fragmented, and fading so quickly that before we realize it, we know it was nothing more than a "dream".

Dreams have been almost like a second life for me as some of the most interesting movies I've seen...have been while I sleep.  If I am quick..or better yet, Lucky....I take the opportunity, even in a drowsy state, to jot down every tiny piece of the dream/movie that I can recall onto paper.  Amazingly, once I've had time to go back and read the jottings made in a half sleepy mode...the results are often a basis for a short story or hopefully....a book!

Recently I experienced the most fantastic dream, and it seemed to tell me a story from beginning to end.  When I woke up, I had tears streaming down my face...and I replayed the dream verbally, and made my usual notes. In fact, I sketched some of the items in the dream, as they surely are pieces that I don't want to forget, as each item was a symbol to the story. 

Over the years I have dreamed many stories, and have the basis for future books with three of them!  When we dream, often the characters are so genuine...so alive...that I learn many things about them.  Usually I see the people in color, listen to their voices, and have often heard dialects and accents.  Their manner of dress, their emotions remain in my mind, and it's important that I document every tiny piece of information that I can recall as quickly as possible....before it fades from my memory.

We become busy, life goes on, and the notes are filed away...often forgotten.  Writers block will set in at different times, and that is when I dig into my treasure box of past dreams and notes from over the years.  At times when I review the jottings I've made, I will not recall writing the notes, and often it takes me awhile to bring the dream alive in my mind once again.  Naturally, there are some notes that are silly and unusable...however...one can never know whether these nuggets are fools gold...or solid gold!

Currently, I am writing two mysteries, and both were born from dreams.  Hopefully....by the time these stories are complete, they will each be beautiful novels...and not nightmares!

Linda Law