Bonus – What Dreams May Come

This post on where Frosted originated first appeared on Everything It n Tales Blog in 2014:

What Dreams May Come

Most authors get asked the source of their inspiration. While some authors get tired of the question, I’m curious about that, myself, when I read interviews from other authors. Some of what I’ve written has a murky provenance, and I couldn’t tell you how it formed and grew. It often builds from various sources and when it won’t get out of my head, I write it.

Frosted had a clear start. I had a dream one night that a woman was walking along avoiding the snow and then she stopped and peered down into a frozen puddle…and there was Jack Frost, looking frustrated and arrogant because he wanted her back as his queen but he couldn’t reach her. Voilà! Frosted was born. The first sentence in Frosted is: Kate skirted the snow as if it were boiling, bubbling lava.

This isn’t uncommon. I’ve spoken with other authors who’ve said their seed idea came from a dream. Usually, it’s just a plot point, a character, or a scene.  Two of my other manuscripts were inspired by dreams. You’ve probably read books that were inspired by dreams. The one that comes to mind first is Twilight. Stephanie Meyers dreamed about the scene in the meadow from the first book in that series. Other well-known dream inspired books: Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Stuart Little, and Misery were all supposedly inspired by dreams.

Robert Louis Stevenson said in Chapter on Dreams: When he lay down to prepare himself for sleep, he no longer sought amusement, but printable and profitable tales. (Actually, I’d rather not have the dream that inspired Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be honest. And I’m not sure I’d have tried to recall it long enough to write it down…though I’m glad he did.)

Most of my dreams aren’t inspiring. I still have those dreams where all my teeth fall out or I’m at high school and I’ve forgotten to attend classes…all semester. Then, there are the dreams that leave me staring at the ceiling long after I’ve woken up thinking, “What if?”

I’ve currently got an idea keeping me awake that, ironically, came to me while I was asleep. It involves giant bugs. I’m still not sure if I’ll write it.

Copyright © 2014 by Wendy Sparrow