It was all a dream

We're warned never to end a story with "it was all a dream", but what about using your dreams as the basis of your stories?

I seem to have a lot of dreams where I'm being chased by somebody.  I never know who or why I'm being chased, but some of my dreams would make good thriller material.  I once had a dream where I was chased right to the top of a windmill and stepped out into the air to fly off into safety. The dream was so vivid and so brightly-coloured that I can still remember it over ten years later.

And what about using our daydreams for story ideas?  Creativity comes from the right side of the brain, which makes unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated things.  This is often what we need as fiction writers, so it pays to give our subconscious the chance to speak its wisdom to us.

The best way to do this is to do something rhythmic and let your mind float.  Walking, especially by running water, is a good trigger, and you can turn the boring washing-up or ironing into creative sessions. Many's the time I've had a story idea while ironing something fiddly and had to rush off to grab a pen and notebook to write it down.  Stephen Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving along the freeway.

But in order to make the most of your right-brain creative sessions you have to listen out for the insights your subconscious is offering. That's where the walking comes in, helping to quieten the chatter of your conscious 'monkey mind'.  The messages your subconscious sends are often quiet and subtle, taking the form of a fleeting thought or idea.  Paying attention to 'I could do that' thoughts often pays dividends for our writing.