《How to Write Stories People Will Love》Question 55: Vivid visions
Advertisement
asks: Maybe you could write about how a character experiences vivid visions, like a Force vision?
Visions can be treated a lot like a dream sequence (See Question 45: Dream sequences.) But since we are making a distinction here, I'm going to assume it's not the kind of vision that appears in a dream, when one is sleeping. We're talking about a scene, possibly a prediction, that the character sees while still awake.
Because the character is conscious, they are able to tune into how they feel during this vision. Like watching a movie. It could look something like this:
---
I blinked, but my dead father was still there--not dead--outside our old house. He was as I remembered him from when I was little. Broad shoulders, quick movements. My heart ached to hug him one more time, and I reached out to him.
He didn't see me. He kept looking over his shoulder like he expected someone to come after him. He clutched a metal box in his hands.
"Daddy, what is that?" I whispered. I didn't recall ever seeing him like this, or that box either. This wasn't a memory. What was I seeing?
He didn't answer, and instead mumbled to himself, "Those bastards are not going to get their grimy hands on this." After prying off a loose board from the side of the front steps, he slipped the box into the hole, replaced the board, and pulled a hammer from his back pocket.
I watched as he secured the board into place with fresh nails. Did Mom know about this? We'd sold the house ages ago. Was that box still in there?
As the vision faded and I was once again in my living room, I sat back and realized one thing: I had to go retrieve that box.
Advertisement
---
I think the difference between visions and dreams can be seen like this: With a dream, the reader watches the same "movie" as the character does. Maybe the character interacts with the dream since they are in it. But with a vision, the reader watches the character watching the "movie". The character is aware they are not asleep, and might be confused by it. I would imagine that, if the character was in the vision, they would be watching themselves like it was a home movie, and not actually feel like they were part of the vision.
Hopefully I didn't confuse you. :)
Advertisement
- In Serial161 Chapters
Before They Came (Magical Apocalypse)
Our way of life it ended faster than we ever thought possible. It didn't happen with a nuclear war, an asteroid, or a damn ice age. It ended because of another war, far away from us. The Ripples from that war changed the fabric of everything. If only we had known that it was just the beginning. Btw, the beginning chapters are short, but get longer as the story goes on. Thank you for your time and your patience. CLARIFIER: The MC struggles with himself. He has human flaws including IGNORANCE. The MC starts the story out drunk, which has a major impact on the story in the beginning and way beyond. The story takes time to unfold, please be patient. This story does not shy away from the darker elements of life.
8 217 - In Serial15 Chapters
A Meta-Human In Another World
Lilly Meadow, a genetically engineered Meta-Human from a dystopian future version of Earth along with two others and their android caretakers are transported to another world during a failed test in wormhole experiment. Lilly now has to adapt to a strange new world that is nothing like her own. Coming from a society where the concept of family and crimes among many other common concepts don't exist and all are conditioned and brainwashed to follow the commands from the government how will Lilly cope with the culture shock? Will Lilly be able to fight the brainwashing and conditioning? And how will the super genius change the world? I also update this on Scribble Hub. This is a rough draft, I will eventually rewrite this story once this is finished and am a better writer.
8 74 - In Serial6 Chapters
The Cosmic Series: Inheritor of Rage.
Ginormities. Cosmic deities. Emperetors of all are absolutely nothing in the path of The Conqueror of exintence itself. CHAOS. He has taken interest in a bonded one. It is time for the true universe to know the inheritor of anger. /o(-)o Astrus has achieved to become one of the all hailed moon gods. He is at his peak. He is ready to go beyond and find our mysteries, but he is dealt with...or so the tyrant tought. Chaos has taken interest in this man and will gift him his help. True freedom. True dominion. Do you know everything there is to know of the universe? Be my gest.
8 149 - In Serial7 Chapters
Proditum - The betrayed ones
A world where the democracy show their true identity as a tyranical government, and the world seeks males as evil and opressors. The cosmos wants the destruction of the male and due to that they had been gifted by an entity to fight the cosmos, a world with difficult higher than dark souls
8 202 - In Serial9 Chapters
The Wind’s Bestowed
A butcher, a village beauty, a coroner, and a wanderer walk into a tavern… In the world there are six elements. Five are seen and shattered. One is hidden and whole. It is said that the Kingdom of Ashmore holds that hidden element in its vast lands. In order to obtain it, a man plunged the Kingdom into chaos, starting many quests to end his reign. From a quiet village, four individuals took on the call to fill a quota. [Updates weekly. Every Friday.]
8 175 - In Serial14 Chapters
The 3 Ninjas and a... girl?
I love the 3 ninja movies so I thought it would be fun to write one I only own my oc's.This is the story of Samuel, Jeffrey, Michael and Hayley better known as Rocky, Colt, Tum Tum and Ember
8 104

