Dreams and Voices

I want to tell you what I remember of a dream I had a few nights ago. In it, Live-In Handyman and I were in Brussels, Belgium. An international trial was being held there with jurors chosen from around the world. I was one of them. Don't ask, I don't know. All I know is the trial involved an oversized clawfoot bathtub and shopping carts.

When I told Live-In Handyman about my dream, I got the look. He said, "I've heard enough."

Sometimes I remember a lot of strange details, but this time it was good Handyman had heard enough since I had nothing more to tell. I'll just say he knows that just because he's heard enough doesn't necessarily mean I've told him enough. Which is probably why he reinforced his words with the look. Doesn't matter. He'll wonder why the look doesn't work next time when I do have more to say :)

Anyway, dreams are like that - most of the time they don't make a lot of logical sense, especially in the cold light of day.

My ideas for stories are like dream fragments. The bits and pieces that start floating to the same corner don't seem to fit together in any discernible pattern. Rarely do I begin with something I can grab onto and say, "I'm going to write about THIS!"

Usually I have to wait for the whisperings to begin before I figure out what it's all about. Whisperings lead to voices. And voices lead me to the next part of this post. How's that for a segue?

I'm going to participate in the
February 6-10



The blogfest is hosted by Cassie Mae at Reading, Writing, and Lovin' it! and Angie at Live to Write...Edit when Necessary and it sounds like a ton of fun. Here's what it's all about, straight from Cassie Mae's blog:


February 6th - MondayCharacters on the couch: Have one of your characters answer the following questions (to make this work to your benefit, choose a character who is the hardest for you to write :) Max 250 words (Not including the questions—only the answers).
  1. What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know this or is it a secret
  2. What do people believe about you that is false
  3. What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?
  4. What would the same friend say is your one redeeming quality? Why?
  5. What do you want most? What will you do to get it?
February 8th - Wednesday - Dialogue Introduction: Have two characters introduce each other using only dialogue—no backstory, no internalization, just dialogue between the two. Max 250 words.

February 10th - Friday - Emotion Flash Fiction: Emotion is the engine of a story. Pick an emotion and in a flash fiction piece of 250 words MAKE us feel it! We want to connect with your character. This will be a challenge in 250 words.

I'm looking forward to participating. Maybe I'll see you there, too.

Comments

Tracy Jo said…
Awesome segue! Oh...and boy do I know that "look". :-) Sounds like a wonderful blogfest....enjoy!!
Talli Roland said…
Yikes! I think I'd be scared to ask some of my characters those questions. :) What a great idea for a blogfest.
Linda G. said…
Wow, your dreams are as odd as mine! *grin*

Not sure I'll be participating in the blogfest, but I look forward to reading your responses. :)
Anonymous said…
I'm also signed up for the I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest. I'll be doing my Blog Book Tour but will be able to participate. Sounds like a great way to introduce your characters to the world.
Joanne said…
I'm the same way, in that my story has to come together in those bits and pieces as I get to know my characters. But they eventually do fit together, and then the words just flow. Enjoy that blogfest, sounds like a great writing experience!
Unknown said…
I'm going to be participating in this one too. I'll see you there!
Jan Morrison said…
Yes, a dream fragment, a comment over-heard, a forgotten event that arises like the dew on the early-morning grass...or?
blogfest sounds awesome but unfortunately, not what I need to be doing! I'll watch...
Gail said…
And that is what makes it a gift.
Misha Gerrick said…
Hehehe I write like that too. I have individual scenes that I constantly see in my head and I follow them like breadcrumbs to get to the end I want.

And yes, your segue was pretty darn good. ;-)
Cassie Mae said…
Woot woot for blogfests! :) And I always go to write down what my dreams were about but when it starts to come out, it doesn't make sense at all, lol.
Anonymous said…
I'm up for the blogfest, though it did scare me at first. Great segue. Your intro had me hooked.
Elspeth Futcher said…
I hadn't heard about this blogfest - it sounds great! I know what you mean about strange dreams, I always find it odd that those things which make us think "...wait, seriously?" when we wake, we accept with no problem in our dreams.
Mason Canyon said…
Sounds like a fun blogfest with lots of good benefits. Now that dream you should explore more. :)

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
LR said…
I always tell my husband about my dreams and he gives me funny looks too.

But I won't stop either. It's too much fun.

Thanks for telling about the blogfest. I always hear about those things when it's too late.
My dreams rarely make sense. And I learned ages ago that the look doesn't work.
Emily R. King said…
I'm psyched for this blogfest!
I agree that stories start as fragments, much like we remember dreams. Oddly enough, some of my book ideas have come from dreams.
Liza said…
Sounds like a great way to get to know your characters!
Anonymous said…
I always tell the hubby my dreams but he has that glassy eyed look about him when I do..I know he's not really listening.
Carol Kilgore said…
Tracy Jo - I think it will be fun.

Talli - I would be afraid about some of mine, but one of them is the perfect subject :)

Linda G - Great minds and all that :)

Stephen - That's what I'm thinking.

Joanne - Our writing processes sound similar.
Luanne G. Smith said…
Hey, at least you were in Brussels. Could have been worse. :)

I had a really weird dream the other night that I'm still trying to figure out too. I don't always remember my dreams, but this one really stood out. It must mean something, right?

Look forward to hearing from your characters.
Carol Kilgore said…
Clarissa - Yea!

Jan - Watch away! It's the perfect blogfest for me at the perfect time. My posts will almost write themselves, so I couldn't ask for more.

Gail - Love gifts :)

Cassie Mae - Same here!

Madeleine - Thanks! Hope we'll all have fun.
Carol Kilgore said…
Elspeth - The mind is a wonderful place :)

LR - It is fun!

Alex - Ah, a quick learner :)

Emily - So am I! I've had some dreamy ideas, too.

Liza - Hope so.
Carol Kilgore said…
Delores - Total man thing :)

Luanne - Oh, yeah. I've been in way worse places in dreams and real life.
The blogfest sounds interesting. I'll pop in to see what you're doing.

I remember my dreams all the time. Very busy dreams.

Teresa
Carol Kilgore said…
Teresa - Cool. I'd like that. I remember a lot of dreams, but not all.
Carol Kilgore said…
Misha - Your comment got hung up in Blogger's spam filter. Scenes like that play in my head, too.

Mason - Your comment was in Blogger's spam filter this morning, too. Strangeness. Bathtubs and shopping carts does sound like something on the girly side of things :)
Southpaw said…
This line "because he's heard enough doesn't necessarily mean I've told him enough" had me busting out laughing! - Ain't it the truth!

The blogfest sounds kinda fun. I'll see if I can get my brain into gear and write something.
Carol Kilgore said…
Southpaw - Men are like that :) I think the blogfest will be fun.
Anonymous said…
Good luck with your Hearing Voices Character Blogfest. I had a dream one time that was really weird, when I got up I quickly started writing a short story about it. I never did revise it, though, maybe I will some day when I get a chance.
Carol Kilgore said…
Janet - You'll know when the time is right to work on your dream story again.
Lydia Kang said…
That looks like fun!

My dreams always make perfect sense when I'm asleep. After I wake up I realize how wacky there were!
Carol Kilgore said…
Lydia - Exactly so about dreams for me, too.
Linda Kage said…
Okay, that is the most unusal dream I've ever heard of. You most definitely should write about it!!
Carol Kilgore said…
Linda - Maybe one of my characters will have that dream :)
I can't wait to read what you write about in the blogfest! Live-in Handyman has other useful talents, so you should just write your dreams down and reference them later. My husband has a selective hearing problem and that's why we get along so well. Julie

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