Writing and Dreams: what's your craziest one?

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We've all heard the story from Stephanie Meyer: 'I had a dream about a girl in a field with a sparkly boy who loved her but also wanted to kill her so I wrote it down and the next thing I knew I was a famous millionaire best selling writer with a movie contract and a mob of thirteen year old girls at my feet.'

What are your thoughts on that? Ok, so I'm being a bit facetious, but I mean about the whole dream to novel thing? Has something like that ever happened for you, if on a smaller scale?

I can't say I've ever written a story based on a dream I've had. I wish I was better at remembering my dreams. I dream a lot, but remember it for only a few seconds in the morning unless I remember to write it down, which I'm usually too tired to do. Then every once in a while I'll have stunningly vivid dreams that I can't shake off for the whole next day. Sorry, rambling a bit, but I find dreams fascinating. What kind of dreamer are you?

Here's what I find writerly valuable about dreams--I've never actually been sliced in half in a school gym by a sword-fighting wolf; or driven through the Grand Canyon in a covered wagon being pulled by a pig; or been jumped in a dark alley by a group of scruffy, creepy men (yeah, that one was petrifying and horrifically real)--But, because of dreams, I have a better understanding of terror, the bizarre, and what it would be like to have my family turn into zombies. Dreams expand our emotional experience in a very real way, and that definitely translates into our writing.

What do you think about dreams and writing? And I'm very curious--what is the most bizarre, terrifying, or memorable dream you've ever had?

Sarah Allen

Mark Rylance, Louis Jenkins and the Tony Awards

Mark Rylance is a genius. He was artistic director at the Globe for 10 years, and last night won his second Tony award for his performance in Jerusalem. I think you only get to being as good as he is by being obsessive and a little bit crazy. He is one of the most widely read people I know about, and can talk very intelligently on almost any subject. This is what I'm gathering from the bios and interviews I've been reading through.

Because I think they're awesome, here is Mark's acceptance speech for Boeing-Boeing, back in 2008, and the poem he read in his acceptance speech last night. Both are by mid-western American poet Louis Jenkins. The poem he recites in the video is called "Back Country."



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WALKING THROUGH A WALL

Unlike flying or astral projection, walking through walls is a totally earth-related craft, but a lot more interesting than pot making or driftwood lamps. I got started at a picnic up in Bowstring in the northern part of the state. A fellow walked through a brick wall right there in the park. I said, "Say, I want to try that." Stone walls are best, then brick and wood. Wooden walls with fiberglass insulation and steel doors aren't so good. They won't hurt you. If your wall walking is done properly, both you and the wall are left intact. It is just that they aren't pleasant somehow. The worst things are wire fences, maybe it's the molecular structure of the alloy or just the amount of give in a fence, I don't know, but I've torn my jacket and lost my hat in a lot of fences. The best approach to a wall is, first, two hands placed flat against the surface; it's a matter of concentration and just the right pressure. You will feel the dry, cool inner wall with your fingers, then there is a moment of total darkness before you step through on the other side.
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Awesome, right? Have any of you ever tried prose poetry like this? I took a class my last semester that involved a lot of mix genre stuff, such as prose poetry, and other stuff like flash-non-fiction and other crazy stuff. I appreciate Mark Rylance for introducing me to Louis Jenkins, and providing such a good example of literary crazy awesome. Read and study a TON TON TON and a TON more, and its ok to be crazy. When you read that much and are that dedicated to your craft, I don't know if its possible to NOT be crazy in some way. Maybe eccentric is a better word. And look what the possible results are: a nice shiny trophy and people thinking you're awesome.

I love the excitement and motivation I get from introductions to awesome people like my new buddies Mark and Louis. I want to learn more about writing plays. Now...what poem would I recite in my acceptance speech...?

Sarah Allen

Sunday Song: Betelehemu

Just thought I'd share something enjoyable for your Sunday. Betelehemu is a Nigerian carol and this is a version done by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I guess it's technically a Christmas song, but its only 6 months...well, Christmas in July...wait, um...ok, so I like Christmas music, and its in Nigerian anyway. But its awesome, and definitely worth listening too. Just letting you know, the song starts off slow but then gets progessively awesomer. Also the soloist at about 3:58 is one of my old choir directors, Shane Warby, who is kind of an incredibly fantabulous singer. If nothing else, you get to watch a bunch of old white guys trying to be African. We try, ok? ;)



So your next character is going to be a professor studying Nigerian folk music, right? Ok, maybe not, but hope you enjoyed!

Sarah Allen

Top Ten Songs for Writers

Ok, so these songs aren't only for writers, I mostly just think they're awesome. However, I do think music can be one of the greatest sources of inspiration, and these ones in particular have incredible lyrics, or emotional honesty, or tell a great story, something I think writers can learn from.

So in no particular order:
1-No Children, The Mountain Goats
2-I Think It's Going to Rain Today/God Give Me Strength, Audra McDonald (One video for 2 songs. Cool, eh?)
3-The I Love You Song, from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
4-Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)/And So It Goes/Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Billy Joel
5-The Lonely, Christina Perri
6-I And Love And You, The Avett brothers
7-Space Oddity, David Bowie
8-Pretty Women, Brian Stokes Mitchell
9-Lonely Anywhere, The Everybodyfields
10-This Night, Black Lab
11-Wheels of a Dream, Ragtime the Musical (ignore the video, its the only one good audio I could find of the song)

Ok, ok, so that's more then ten, but it was hard enough narrowing it down this far. I linked to videos of each song (I really tried for number 8 but couldn't find anything--its still worth looking up) in case you're interested. I tried to list songs you might be unfamiliar with (ok, so Billy Joel and Christina Perri aren't exactly unknowns) and I hope you aren't too against a little Broadway. Here is the video for number 10, a particularly good video and a recent find I'm kind of obsessed with right now.



Now its your turn. What are the songs you think everyone should know about but don't? You don't have to give a list of ten if you don't want to, but I really want some good recommendations here.

Left a nice long list of songs in the comments? Good, now stop procrastinating and get back to work. Your novel isn't going to write itself, you know.

Sarah Allen