Ah, day four. Day four is always an interesting day in the
NaNoWriMo timeline. We are getting further away from day one, which means that
if we start over now, the odds of finishing on time are not so good. But
meanwhile, our stories just don't seem very interesting any more.
Consequently, I give you a sentence that will make your
writing journey easier: "<INSERT PROTAGONIST'S NAME> thought they
were dreaming."
Ah, the dream sequence. I find the dream sequence to be one
of the most useful techniques in storytelling. We can see what our character
wants or is afraid of, but also how they
would act if that situation presented itself. That always makes for an
interesting scene; how would your protagonist ask if their enemy came and
kissed them? If they had to walk the tightrope at the circus? It can be lots of
fun to write these scenes, particularly since they can be ridiculous; but since
it is a dream, anything is fair game.
The added bonus with a dream sequence, though, is that it
actually means nothing. The character can remember the dream or they can forget
it, but it doesn’t actually change the plot. You don’t have to worry about the
long term ramifications of two characters kissing or breaking up, but you can
have all the fun and the words that come along from those scenes. So throw a
dream sequence into your novel today!
TODAY’S PLOT DEVICE: A dream sequence that involves your
main character being stabbed. Who stabbed them? Why? So much to dig into there!
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