Though the Writers’ Program is based in Los Angeles where seasonal changes are basically from hot and dry to fire to less hot and maybe a little wet, we do love the idea of seasonal shifts. In the past, for the period of fall dubbed Spooky Season, our staff has made picks of their favorite reads, sounds, and views to get in the mood for the macabre.
We’ve even highlighted horror films written by women, and offered ideas to inspire your spooky senses.
This year, we’re tackling the spooky side of something that can be inspiring in a number of ways and is still one of the great mysteries of the human experience: dreams.
There’s a ton of resources out there on dream interpretation, the purpose of why we dream, how to ‘control’ and affect dreams while we’re having them, etc. As we’re writing-focused around here, we thought we’d probe the depths of the dreaming for some writing prompts. They may get a bit spooky, so be warned.
‘Spoopy’ Dream Prompts (the not-so-scary ones)
What was the best dream you’ve ever had?
If your main character was to dream something that came true, what would that ideal dream be?
Do you remember your dreams? If so: do you write them down? If not: why do you think that is?
Do you draw inspiration from dreams?
Have you ever been able to alter a dream while you were having it? What might you alter if you could do that while awake?
Spooky Dream Prompts (these could be scary/triggering – proceed at your own risk)
What is the scariest dream you’ve ever had?
If your character’s worst nightmare came true, what would it be? And how would they cope with it?
Do you believe nightmares can be made real?
Do you draw inspiration from nightmares?
Have you ever experienced a convergent, or shared-dreaming, occurrence with someone else? If so, how did you compare the experience with the other person? If not, what do you imagine such a dream to be like?