This Week:
Daydreaming: Any specifics you have put into a story?
My first inclination was to think, they MUST, because I do daydream.
I am very good at multitasking and daydreaming is easy to do while I am doing other things.
So, I figured, “Sure, I write in my head all the time, so my ‘dreams’ must get into my writings.”
Then I went looking into my head for specifics.
Do you know what I found?
NOTHING.
With all the stories started, with all of the poetry, stiories, even a play finished, I can’t think of any PERSONAL daydream or pieces of them that have made their way into a written work or WIP.
Not one.
I am shocked.
Now, does ‘writing-in-my-head’ count? Because I do that quite a bit. I have done my best editing in the shower. I rehash scenes while I am cooking, cleaning, whatever, and it helps. I add to the situations, or realize that perhaps my treatment of the material need rethinking. I go over true events on which I wish to base some stories, but unless they are made up for a story, the personal daydreams stay at home in my mind.
The actual personal: “Gee, if I won the lottery big-time we could”-type daydream, the “I should have said…” daydream, the “If that happens again…”daydream, should probably be considered as ‘thoughts’?
What is the difference between “daydreams” and “thoughts”?
The actual daydreams from my younger days : “If I were married to… “(singers/actors, who may or may not have been a performer in my daydreams), have not even made it to my writings and trust me, they had been complex!
Nope. The situation and those guys are nowhere to be found in my writings.
I guess that I really DON’T “daydream” as much as I write in my head.
I think the difference between them is that daydreams are escapisms that are personal and writing-in-your-head are those that are purposeful.
Angela Schroeder
Patricia Kiyono
Elaine Cantrell
Jeff Salter
Joselyn
Tonette Joyce
Four Foxes, One Hound 
I agree with your last sentence. When my mind wanders, my thoughts are personal, and don’t apply to my stories. And other than the emotions ignited by those thoughts (like the feeling of being embarrassed, or discomfort in a certain situation) they don’t make their way into my books.
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Yes, I keep them separate. Is it too personal? Is it because my characters have their own lives? Whatever the reasons for each of us, there is a difference.
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I think you’re write, Tonette, it’s more writing in your head than daydreaming. I like that.
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My daydreams have been complicated, I doubt that any are worthy of a storyline. It has never occurred to me to try to even tell my disjointed thoughts.
I do my writing mainly at the keyboard, but revisions and additions come while I am doing other things.
Thanks again for coming in, Sharon!
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I do a lot of creative “writing” while I’m in the shower also. and when I was still shaving every morning — prior to my July 2006 retirement — I’d often have great ideas for poems or other writing.
Totally agree with your conclusion — “…daydreams are escapisms that are personal and writing-in-your-head are those that are purposeful.”
That said, I suspect it’s a bit more complicated — it would be fun to bring a psychologist (who understands creative writing) on-board to discuss this with us.
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Please, Jeff. psychiatrists and psychologist don’t even understand their own dreams. No thank you. LOL
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Oh, Sharon! Dennis Palumbo is a psychologist to Hollywood writers and a writer himself. He was a recent guest. Look up his page and interviews.I think you will like what you hear.He has been very encouraging to me.
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Too bad we didn’t have this last month, Jeff. We could have asked Dennis Palumbo…maybe I will.
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great idea
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I also write in my head, especially in the shower, painting nails, doing my hair, cooking, or sewing.
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Right. I can’t imagine NOT. I do also daydream, but that is not the same thing at all to me.
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i definitely write in my head.
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Well, that’s imagination! That’s where it all comes from. Whether we use purposeful personal thoughts or mind-wanderings in our writings I believe was the question and I found that I don’t, which surprised even me.
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