Is it ever OK to use dream sequences in your
writing? Well, I think so but only in
certain instances.
1. Your character is psychic and gets visions in dreams.
2. Flashbacks of
trauma.
3. The world of
dreams is, somehow, where most of this takes place.
4. You are penning
a cartoon.
5. It echoes
something out of the subconscious where your character remembers some vital
clue because of it.
6. Your character
has a hard time differentiating between dreams and waking.
Almost always let your readers know that what you are
showing them is a dream sequence. And,
unless the project you’re working on revolves around them, use sparingly if you
must use them at all. PLEASE don’t make
the whole adventure your character went through a dream, to find that out at
the end is more than a bit frustrating.
What do you guys think about dreams in writing? Have you ever felt cheated by one?
I agree with you. Dreams sequences are overused, but sometimes you need them. However, I hate to see them used as the introduction to the beginning of a novel! That is frustrating! I am using a dream sequence (a short one) in my WIP, but it is in the end of the first chapter (no I believe it is at the middle of the 2nd chapter), and what she dreams is not really a vision, but it does come true later on though a bit differently. I wanted to kind of reflect that like more her intuition or a dream that is a warning. Thanks for an interesting post!
ReplyDeleteIntuition dreams can be used to a very nice effect if done well! I hope it works out for you.
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