I dreamt that I was at a convention with a workshop on writing, similar to Norwescon or Worldcon. The woman leading the workshop emphasized everything that needs to go into a novel. I had with me a manuscript for a long novel (for a beginner). It was written in four parts. As the woman continued to speak, I realized that what I had was actually four short stories, not a novel.
I had a meeting set for Wednesday, when a number of us could
present our manuscripts for a professional to look at it. This would be a prime
opportunity. But since what I had was not really a novel, I knew it would not
work out. I cancelled my part in the meeting.
When I woke up, I knew the manuscript I had with me in the
dream was for a science fiction novel I had written, with main character Ensign
Tica Manus. What I had dreamt was true: This was not a novel, but four short
stories. (They are actually more like novellas or novelettes.) I will polish
them up and submit them to magazines.
In the nineteenth century, the German organic chemist
Friedrich August Kekule tried to puzzle out the structure of the benzene molecule.
He came up with a circular model of self-linking carbon atoms. His work revolutionized
organic chemistry. In a famous speech, Kekule said he came up with the idea after
having a daydream of a snake seizing its tale.
Paul McCartney composed the song “Yesterday” in a dream. I have
heard more than one version of this story. In one version, he rushed to write
it down. In the other, he had the song going through his head for much of the
day, not recognizing it. He finally realized he had composed it in a dream,
then wrote it down.
It’s a pity such dreams cannot happen on demand. Have you had
any such dreams, whether on solving a problem or creating new art?
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