How does that work?

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I’ve read that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the novella “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde” after having a nightmare. I’m really wondering how that works. I can remember only a handful of nightmares that I have had and not one would have made a good story.

Most of the nightmares that I remember are random things. Very short, with whatever it is that makes it a nightmare happening quickly and then waking me up. Never anything that I thought could be expanded into a story. Integrated into a story sure, but not as the basis of a story.

I guess I just have the wrong type of nightmare. They just wake me up and now give me the desire to write something in a blog to calm down.

I was thinking about writing about the nightmare itself, but I now have no desire to re-visit this dream. I hope it becomes a faded memory by the time I awake for the second time this morning.

3 thoughts on “How does that work?”

  1. As you said, his nightmares probably served as the basis of the story, not as the story itself. And what works for some doesn’t work for others; we know that. Like you, I wouldn’t want to or probably couldn’t revisit my nightmares in order to write something about them. Probably what makes that aspect of Jekyll and Hyde unique. I agree with Angel – hope your dreams get better.

  2. A local theatre group is putting on Jekyll & Hyde next season- I wonder if I should try out? They are also doing Aida, so perhaps as a strong singer I should try out for that as well.

    Dreams can make for interesting stories. I tend to have a lot of adventurous dreams. I wouldn’t want to write about a nightmare though either.

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