Butterfly
Auror
So it seems I need to a dream sequence about 2/3 of the way through my WIP. What I'm a little concerned about is the fact that it's a nightmare, but is more than simply a dream and there are a lot of negative opinions out there on the use of dreams within a novel. Basically... it's because it's a dream that isn't real, and the knowledge that what is happening in it isn't really happening on a physical level... meaning there is no real danger of any harm being done.
Now my issue...
I have one character, who is wounded and currently in a fevering coma. It’s been previously mentioned that he has suffered some amount of nightmares throughout his life, and sleeps with light, such as a candle burning above his bed which works to keep them away. The light beats them back and controls them, so to speak. At the basic level, they are an affliction of his... curse.
Up until now they have only been mentioned, but now with the fever he has no control over them, and they come through vividly. But, they are more than simply nightmares. They’re a glimpse of hell (not in the real world sense) and a glimpse of his fate should he fail and fall to the enemy. It is, in many ways, a promise of the darkness to come... so I think it's a pretty solid reason to use it. But...
It's an entire chapter, around 2,300 words set inside the nightmare. It is the only one in the entire book... (I think)
So, I am having a few reservations over using a dreamscape scenario... so from what I’ve said, should I use it or not? (I'm looking to be convinced of the pros and cons of it in one direction or another).
And, what are your opinions on reading / writing a character's dreams in general?
(Something extra How to Write a Realistic Dream Sequence in Fiction an article that I thought was pretty good for anyone who's looking for info on writing dreams).
Now my issue...
I have one character, who is wounded and currently in a fevering coma. It’s been previously mentioned that he has suffered some amount of nightmares throughout his life, and sleeps with light, such as a candle burning above his bed which works to keep them away. The light beats them back and controls them, so to speak. At the basic level, they are an affliction of his... curse.
Up until now they have only been mentioned, but now with the fever he has no control over them, and they come through vividly. But, they are more than simply nightmares. They’re a glimpse of hell (not in the real world sense) and a glimpse of his fate should he fail and fall to the enemy. It is, in many ways, a promise of the darkness to come... so I think it's a pretty solid reason to use it. But...
It's an entire chapter, around 2,300 words set inside the nightmare. It is the only one in the entire book... (I think)
So, I am having a few reservations over using a dreamscape scenario... so from what I’ve said, should I use it or not? (I'm looking to be convinced of the pros and cons of it in one direction or another).
And, what are your opinions on reading / writing a character's dreams in general?
(Something extra How to Write a Realistic Dream Sequence in Fiction an article that I thought was pretty good for anyone who's looking for info on writing dreams).