Jeff Vandermeer Dream Quotations

Even a dream as inspiration doesn't mean anything unless you then find that it's sparked an actual story with a plot.

A dream inspiring a story is different than placing a description of a dream in a story. When you describe a character's dream, it has to be sharper than reality in some way, and more meaningful. It has to somehow speak to plot, character, and all the rest. If you're writing something fantastical, it can be a really deadly choice because your story already has elements that can seem dreamlike.

History has shown us all too often the consequences of dreaming poorly or not at all.

Dreams, though, are just one kind of inspiration - no more or less special than something in a newspaper article or from the world around you sparking inspiration.