I had a dream

[SamScribble]

Had. The past tense of have.

For three nights in a row - count 'em: one, two, three - I have dreamed stories. I have woken up - sometimes several times - during the stories, but I have always returned (I think) to the same story. And then it has been morning. Time to get up. Have a pee. Make some coffee. Remember that I have dreamed a story. And a good story at that. A story worth writing down. But how did it start? And what happened next?

There was a restaurant. A cafe. Some kind of store perhaps. A book store? And on the right, at the intersection, there was a golf course. And horses. No, perhaps the horses were from a different dream.

As Dr Naoko Smith might say: Gah! Does the muse not realise that sleep is important at my age?

 

[ChasingAnna]

Could always start a sleep journal. Generally, what comes to us in sleep still needs some fleshing out, but it would be a great source of story ideas. I once dreamt of a puzzle, somewhat like ken-ken, but with words making the boxes and each row having non repeating letters. On waking, I was able to successfully create a single puzzle along those lines, but realized that the limitations on words made the puzzles quite difficult to construct.

It was a cool idea, even somewhat workable, but difficult to expand upon.

 

[yukonnights]

Oddly enough, I read an article long ago about an anthropologist living with aboriginal people in South America, as I recall...but it may have been with a remote Pacific island group. Anyway, they all slept in a basically communal dwelling. They rose early and went to bed early (there was no electricity - thus, no Literotica at night). The point is; Every night they would get up around midway through the night and have a snack and tell of the dreams they had had. They believed these were important messages, etc. (this part is true)

So; Sam, you have options. You could find that bunch and move in. If you can't find them, you could start a commune and invite like minded people to come have a group sleep over...and think of the intellectual discussions that one might enjoy in the wee hours of the morning. All in all this is probably a great bit of luck and something to take seriously and pursue. (this part I'm not so sure about )

 

[AfterDusk]

Oddly enough, I read an article long ago about an anthropologist living with aboriginal people in South America, as I recall...but it may have been with a remote Pacific island group. Anyway, they all slept in a basically communal dwelling. They rose early and went to bed early (there was no electricity - thus, no Literotica at night). The point is; Every night they would get up around midway through the night and have a snack and tell of the dreams they had had. They believed these were important messages, etc. (this part is true)

So; Sam, you have options. You could find that bunch and move in. If you can't find them, you could start a commune and invite like minded people to come have a group sleep over...and think of the intellectual discussions that one might enjoy in the wee hours of the morning. All in all this is probably a great bit of luck and something to take seriously and pursue. (this part I'm not so sure about )

Literotica sleepover? I’m game.

Also, I’m pretty sure this sleeping 8 hours thing is relatively new (past few hundred years or so). To my understanding folks used to sleep for a few hours, get up and read or fuck or what not, then go back to bed again.

 

[Kantarii]

Had. The past tense of have.

For three nights in a row - count 'em: one, two, three - I have dreamed stories. I have woken up - sometimes several times - during the stories, but I have always returned (I think) to the same story. And then it has been morning. Time to get up. Have a pee. Make some coffee. Remember that I have dreamed a story. And a good story at that. A story worth writing down. But how did it start? And what happened next?

There was a restaurant. A cafe. Some kind of store perhaps. A book store? And on the right, at the intersection, there was a golf course. And horses. No, perhaps the horses were from a different dream.

As Dr Naoko Smith might say: Gah! Does the muse not realise that sleep is important at my age?

I can totally relate to this. I got stumped on chapter 8 of “BFF last year and started having dreams of a lot of different scenes and chatacteters. I tried to focus on finishing chapter 8, but I couldn’t get past what was going on in my dreams. I ended up writing chapter 1 of “The Mantis” because of it. It was wrote, edited, and posted in about 5 days with enough notes left for future chapters which is helpful.

The point is, once I finished chapter 1 of “The Mantis”, I was able to complete chapter 8 of “BFF” and the dreams stopped.

Now, I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder, but 30 minutes to an hour after bedtime, the dialogue to “The Mantis” would play in my head like a movie reel until I fell asleep.
Kant

 

[Hypoxia]

...I’m pretty sure this sleeping 8 hours thing is relatively new (past few hundred years or so). To my understanding folks used to sleep for a few hours, get up and read or fuck or what not, then go back to bed again.

Quite so, before assembly lines and work shifts. Breaking a day into 8-hour segments for 1) sleep, 2) work, and 3) all else, is quite artificial and recent. Say hello to the Industrial Revolution. Farmers follow the schedules of their animals and crops, hunters sync with their prey, etc. Religious groups have their own hours. Even old urban life saw days broken by siestas and bouts of drinking and fucking.

I'll eat when I'm hungry;
I'll drink when I'm dry.
If a tree don't fall on me,
I'll live till I die.​

Dreams? I doubt I get enough REM time to dream. I sure don't remember any. Stories do come to me after the lights go out and I try to sleep. But then I am TRYING to sleep; taking notes would only keep me awake, and I've forgotten by morning. And if I do take notes, they're indecipherable. Yeah, sucks to be me.

 

[NotWise]

There was a restaurant. A cafe. Some kind of store perhaps. A book store? And on the right, at the intersection, there was a golf course. And horses. No, perhaps the horses were from a different dream.

I get those now and then, and often (like Kant) when I'm stuck on a story. I had one last night, but I'm not sure it would have made a story.

It related to the pictures of Louise Brooks I posted yesterday in the Coffee Shop. I was off on a trek to meet her (she passed away in 1985), and my father (who passed away in 2007) was driving. It was a back road -- a narrow strip of asphalt winding through a hilly, grassy terrain like the Sand Hills in central Nebraska -- and I watched the countryside as we talked. Then, for no evident reason, the country side started to disappear. There'd be nothing there but blue sky. Sometimes it was everything on one side of the road, sometimes it was the other side of the road, and sometimes the road was alone, winding through the sky.

 

[vanmyers86]

A few years ago, I started keeping a digital recorder on my nightstand so I could record whatever brilliant ideas woke me up and get right back to sleep without engaging with my phone and really waking up.

For the most part, those nighttime musings are HILARIOUS to listen to later! I couldn't use most, and I sure wouldn't want a mental health professional to get hold of them, but the occasional one is gold. One of my best songs grew out of a 1 a.m. get-up-and-run-downstairs (so as not to wake my then-spouse) inspiration flash.

 

[SamScribble]

So; Sam, ... you could start a commune and invite like minded people to come have a group sleep over...and think of the intellectual discussions that one might enjoy in the wee hours of the morning. All in all this is probably a great bit of luck and something to take seriously and pursue. (this part I'm not so sure about )

Funnily enough, we have at least two other writers in the neighbourhood.

One is a food writer. She writes mainly for women's magazines. I did ask her if she ever dreams about food. 'Often,' she said. 'And I wake up hungry.'

The other guy writes science stuff and children's books. He's a really interesting chap to talk with. But he tends to work odd hours (odd to me anyway). Typically, he starts writing at about 10 pm, goes to bed around 4 am, and then gets up again around midday. We might have trouble coordinating our schedules.

 

[yukonnights]

Funnily enough, we have at least two other writers in the neighbourhood.

One is a food writer. She writes mainly for women's magazines. I did ask her if she ever dreams about food. 'Often,' she said. 'And I wake up hungry.'

The other guy writes science stuff and children's books. He's a really interesting chap to talk with. But he tends to work odd hours (odd to me anyway). Typically, he starts writing at about 10 pm, goes to bed around 4 am, and then gets up again around midday. We might have trouble coordinating our schedules.

Sam, It's the corruption of civilization...it's incideous and pervasive. The ancient peoples had knowledge that has been stolen by forces of darkness. The 'science guy' could be a guru sent to save your neighborhood...hmmm, getting up at midday sounds pretty enlightened

Until the commune gets off the ground and you can get back to that ancient natural rhythm of life (and sleep)...perhaps a small voice recorder by the bedside might help? ETA: (Darn It! I didn't notice vanmyers86 stole my idea about the voice recorder )

 

[yukonnights]

Literotica sleepover? I’m game.

Also, I’m pretty sure this sleeping 8 hours thing is relatively new (past few hundred years or so). To my understanding folks used to sleep for a few hours, get up and read or fuck or what not, then go back to bed again.

I think we'd need a guru for it to work though...do you know anyone who could fit the bill? (some people might call 'em a witch-doctor...but that sounds too spooky for nighttime stuff. I'm still trying to get up the courage to read your contest entry...just the category title, 'Erotic Horror', scares me )

 

[AfterDusk]

I think we'd need a guru for it to work though...do you know anyone who could fit the bill? (some people might call 'em a witch-doctor...but that sounds too spooky for nighttime stuff. I'm still trying to get up the courage to read your contest entry...just the category title, 'Erotic Horror', scares me )

Alas, I do not know a witch doctor. I bet we could find one on Craigslist though. If not, we could always use some Googlefu.

And I wouldn’t say it is scary, but more of a mind fuck (at least it was for me to write, that’s for sure...a lot of research about Stockholm syndrome).

 

[yukonnights]

Alas, I do not know a witch doctor. I bet we could find one on Craigslist though. If not, we could always use some Googlefu.

And I wouldn’t say it is scary, but more of a mind fuck (at least it was for me to write, that’s for sure...a lot of research about Stockholm syndrome).

Okay, if you promise it's not scary, I'll go read it...if I can't sleep tonight

Wait, define "mind fuck", that sounds like it could be either really good or really bad. I mean, will I be the same wonderful intelligent, charming and beautiful person after I read it or just a shell of what I once was?

 

[AfterDusk]

Okay, if you promise it's not scary, I'll go read it...if I can't sleep tonight

Wait, define "mind fuck", that sounds like it could be either really good or really bad. I mean, will I be the same wonderful intelligent, charming and beautiful person after I read it or just a shell of what I once was?

I mean maybe you'll have a head full of dirty thoughts or cum? Or is that the definition of skull fucking?


No doubt you'll still be you by the end

 

[yukonnights]

I mean maybe you'll have a head full of dirty thoughts or cum? Or is that the definition of skull fucking?


No doubt you'll still be you by the end

I'm back, safe and sound...I'm not sure yet if it's the old me or not You're a clever one, aren't you...nice work

PS: I think the skull fucking and the dirty thoughts sort of melded together...would it be crazy to say I could empathize with poor number Nine toward the end...I mean, chained up and used isn't supposed to be normal is it

 

[AfterDusk]

I'm back, safe and sound...I'm not sure yet if it's the old me or not You're a clever one, aren't you...nice work

PS: I think the skull fucking and the dirty thoughts sort of melded together...would it be crazy to say I could empathize with poor number Nine toward the end...I mean, chained up and used isn't supposed to be normal is it

Why thank you. And I’m not sure any of us here conform to normal