Customer Reviews

Writers Dreaming: 26 Writers Talk About Their Dreams and the Creative Process

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Although this book is centered on the subject of how writers use dreams in their work, it contains a great deal of fascinating anecdotal information about the process of writing in general. As a professional writer and a former writing teacher, I'm constantly amazed at the misconceptions people have about the writing process -- e.g., "good writers get it right the first time and never have to revise," or "there's one RIGHT way to write" -- and this book does a lot to dispel those misconceptions. It also implicitly points out that writing is a continual dialogue between the irrational, creative, dream-logic part of the mind and the rational, critical, linear part, and that the most successful writers are those who can balance the two. Epel has done a great job of shaping the authors' comments into easy-to-read essays, and I was impressed that she avoided the temptation of showcasing herself as the all-knowing interviewer. This is not only a fun book to read, but very informative too.

Do you remember your dreams? Do you sometimes confuse them with waking reality? Do you incorporate images from your dreams into your writing? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might find Naomi Epel's interviews with twenty-six writers both entertaining and insightful. Epel, who studied under dream interpreter Jeremy Taylor (Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill), had the great good fortune to interview many of today's most popular writers while she worked at a public radio station. Since she was interested in dreams herself, she chose to interview them specifically about their dreams. The results are as varied and creative as the writers themselves. While some writers claim they use much material from their dreamwork, others swear they never dream at all. But the most interesting part of the book is that discussing dreams leads most of the writers to discuss their own creative process. The result is that we learn, for example, William Styron received the vision for Sophie's Choice in a sort of waking dream, and mystery writer Sue Grafton devised her first murder plot by fantasizing about revenge on her ex husband. Any writer will find comfort in the familiar ups and downs of the creative process described by these writers, and many will find inspiration as well. A fascinating look into the minds of twenty-six writers.

This book is awesome. It is one of the most interesting books I have read on both writing and the creative process. Perhaps because it provides some true insight into the way writers actually work. This is not your typical "Interview with the Author." Naomi Epel's interviewees reveal themselves to be human, and not "just" literary luminaries. They talk candidly about how they find inspiration; how they find solutions to obstacles in their writing; and how so many of these solutions or answers lie deep within themselves, often to be revealed through their dreams. The key is to be open enough to hear to what your subconscious is telling you.

I'm going to take this one at a time:
ISASBELL ALLENDE: Talks too much about her husband. The kind of glitzy woman who seems to be trying to bore you with her personal life. Also doesn't believe in truth, because she considers herself to have a loose grip on reallity and considers it a virtue. Makes no sense, but since there's no truth it doesn't have to.
MAYA ANGELOU: Seemed very nice; good section.
CLYVE BARKER: Kind of weird. Kind of a smart Geek.
JOHN BARTH: Uses a Macintosh and makes it a point to tell you. Seems to be amazed that words scroll across his field of vision in his dreams after he's been writing all day. Dimwitted and pretentious; wears a beret.
RICHARD FORD: What a jerk. Has this inane idea that he only wants to hear things he can "use" and doesn't want to bore other people by saying things they can't use. Doesn't find discussing dreams or personal matters useful. Keeps making this point over and over; a dumb pet theory. Obviously not a big believer in group therapy.
SUE GRAFTON: Too cutesy. Reoccurring-character-with-dumb-name syndrome.
SPALDING GREY: All the disjointed rambling and free association you expect from Grey; this time loosely connected to the topic of dreams. Would make a perfect closet homosexual if he didn't already make a perfect English teacher.
ALLAN GURGANUS: Nutty guy. Keeps mentioning that he lives ALONE. Probably puts bow ties on his cat.
JAMES W. HALL: He was alright. I'd like to get that book he was talking about.
CHARLES JOHNSON: Reminds me of that jerky captain from Zion in the last two Matrix movies that was always arguing with Morpheous. Seems to secretly think he's The One.
STEPHEN KING: Seems like a good kid. I see a lot of potential there.
ELMORE LEONORD: Kind of dry and down to Earth; very business like. Nothing profound but pleasant to listen to. Just what you'd expect.
LEONARD MICHEALS: Looks like he sleeps in his clothes. But he had some very interesting things to say.
BHARATI MUKERJEE: One of these "I make the story up as I go along" types. Thinks she's the first writer to have ever said this.
GLORIA NAYLOR: Rare brain condition that makes her say the name "Mama Day" over and over.
JOHN NICHOLS: Thinks Viet Nam is really cool.
JACK PRELUTSKY: Very Smiley. Writes children's poems. Dreams about witches and ghosts and thinks they're really spoooooky.
REYNOLDS PRICE: Hides crucified people in his closet.
ANNE RICE: Informs us that the vampires are now flying in her newer books. Yipeee.
JOHN SAYLES: There's a wild dream at the end of his section.
MAURICE SENDAK: Tells writers not to be afraid of therapy.
ANNE RIVER SIDDONS: Ummm....
ART SPIEGELMAN: Does Cartoons about the Holocaust. Perfect first name for someone who draws.
ROBERT STONE: Worried about getting caught with weed.
WILLIAM STYRON: Very interesting. I will probably read Sophie's Choice on what I've read here. The only book mentioned here that I can say this about.
AMY TAN: Seems to have some talents for lucid dreeaming.

So there you go.