24 Writing Prompts About Dreams

Let’s talk dreams!

Those crazy stories our minds cook up while we’re snoozing. They can be awesome, weird, or even downright scary, but they’re always interesting.

This post is all about writing prompts focusing on our dreams – the little ideas that spark a story within our minds.

So, if you’re a writer who needs a fresh idea or you’re just curious about dreams, buckle up!

We are about to dive into the wild world of your subconscious and see what weird and wonderful stories we can find.

24 Writing Prompts About Dreams

1. A Dream That Comes True: Imagine a world where your dreams accurately predict the future. Your protagonist begins having a series of extraordinarily vivid dreams, each one becoming reality in a couple of days. However, one night, they dream of a catastrophic event. How will they handle the knowledge of this impending disaster, and how will they use their unique ability to alter the course of events?
   
   
2. The Interpreter of Dreams: Your main character is a therapist with an uncanny ability to interpret dreams with stunning accuracy. They’re well-known in their community, and people often seek them out for advice. One day, a client recounts a disturbing dream that seems to predict a major tragedy. How does your character deal with the ethical implications of this discovery, and what actions do they take?
   
   
3. A Lost Dream: In this story, the protagonist can no longer dream. They used to have the most vibrant and inspiring dreams which they turned into successful book plots. But one day, they just stopped. Explore how they cope with this loss and what lengths they are willing to go to retrieve their dreams.
   
   
4. A Shared Dream: Consider a world where two people can share the same dream. Your main characters have been best friends since childhood, experiencing shared dreams every night. One night, one of them dreams alone, discovering a secret the other had been keeping. How does this revelation affect their relationship in their waking lives, and what happens to their shared dream space?
   
   
5. The Forgotten Dream: Your character wakes up from a dream that gave them an incredible idea or solution to a problem they’ve been struggling with. But they can’t remember it. They’re desperate to recall the dream because they know it holds the key to their troubles. Dive into the lengths they will go to uncover their forgotten dream and the effect this obsession has on their life.
   
   
6. Dreams as Escape: In this world, dreaming is a form of escapism, a vacation from reality. Your protagonist, a tired office worker, dreams of a magical world each night, full of adventures and exciting stories. One day, they find a hint in the real world pointing towards their dream world. How does this discovery blur the lines between their dreams and reality, and how do they reconcile their daily life with their dream escapades?
   
   
7. A Dream within a Dream: Your protagonist has a recurring dream where they meet a stranger who offers them life-altering advice. Each time they follow the advice, their life improves significantly. However, the stranger warns that the last advice they give will be the most critical but also the most dangerous. Explore the dilemma your character faces when they receive this final piece of advice, and whether they choose to implement it.
   
   
8. The Dream Healer: Imagine a world where healing and therapy take place in dreams. Your main character is a renowned ‘Dream Healer’ who enters patients’ dreams to help them overcome trauma. However, they must face their most challenging case yet, a patient whose dreamworld is so nightmarish, it threatens the healer’s sanity. Explore how the healer navigates this perilous dreamscape and the impact it has on them personally and professionally.
   
   
9. Dreams of the Past: Your protagonist has a peculiar ability to see their ancestors’ lives in their dreams. They’ve been using this as a means to understand their family history and roots better. However, one night, they witness a dark secret from the past that could disrupt their family’s harmony. How do they grapple with this newfound knowledge, and what decisions do they make moving forward?
   
   
10. The Dream Shop: In this world, dreams can be bought and sold. Your protagonist is an owner of a shop that sells these dreams. But when a dangerous criminal buys a dream that could potentially cause harm, the protagonist is faced with a moral dilemma. How does your character handle this situation, and what are the ramifications of selling dreams?
    
    
11. Dream Weaver: Your main character is a ‘Dream Weaver’, an individual who can manipulate dreams to change a person’s perspective or thinking. However, they become conflicted when asked to change someone’s dream for reasons that conflict with their ethical beliefs. What is the internal struggle they face, and what decision do they make?
    
    
12. A Dreamer’s Gift: In your story, people have lost the ability to dream except for your protagonist. Their dreams are vivid and meaningful, inspiring them to create beautiful works of art. Explore the protagonist’s journey of sharing their dreams through their art and how the world reacts to these ‘forgotten visions.’
    
    
13. In the Dream Realm: Consider a world where a parallel universe exists within dreams, an exact replica of our world but with different rules. Your character accidentally discovers a way to bring objects from the dream realm into reality. What consequences does this discovery bring, and how does this ability change their life?
    
    
14. The Dreamless Child: In a world where every child is born with a unique dream symbolizing their destiny, your protagonist is the only child born without a dream. Explore the challenges they face being ‘dreamless’, and how they strive to create their own destiny despite the societal norms.
    
    
15. The Night Terror: Your main character starts experiencing a night terror that seems too real to be just a dream. As the line between their dreams and reality begins to blur, they are forced to question their sanity. How does the character deal with this psychological horror, and what is the real truth behind these night terrors?
    
    
16. Dream Time Capsule: Your protagonist has a unique ability – whatever they dream of, they can send it back in time to their younger self. But when they dream of an upcoming disaster, they have to deal with the complexities of time manipulation and the potential paradoxes. How does your character navigate through these complexities, and what impact does this have on their timeline?
    
    
17. The Dream Portal: Your protagonist has a unique gift: every dream they have serves as a portal to a different time or place. However, they find themselves trapped in a dangerous era in history after a particularly vivid dream. What measures do they take to navigate this time and find their way back to their own reality?
    
    
18. Dream Detective: In this narrative, dreams can serve as crucial evidence in criminal investigations. Your protagonist is a detective who specializes in interpreting these dreams to solve otherwise baffling cases. How does your protagonist navigate through the complexities of such dream evidence to uncover the truth behind a high-profile crime?
    
    
19. The Recurring Nightmare: Your main character is haunted by a recurring nightmare involving the loss of a loved one. This dream is causing significant distress and begins affecting their personal and professional life. How does your character attempt to understand and overcome this nightmare and its emotional consequences?
    
    
20. Dystopian Dreamers: In a dystopian society where dreams are controlled by the state, your protagonist has an illegal dream, a vision of a free world. How do they react to this forbidden dream, and how do they use this vision to spark a rebellion against the controlling regime?
    
    
21. The Dream Architect: In this world, there are professionals known as Dream Architects who can design and implant dreams in people’s minds. Your main character is one such architect. When they’re commissioned to create a harmful dream, they’re faced with an ethical dilemma. What decision do they make, and what are the consequences of their actions?
    
    
22. Dreams and Reality Swap: In a strange twist of events, your protagonist wakes up to find that their dreams and reality have swapped places. Their dream world, full of magical creatures and extraordinary adventures, has become their new reality, while their mundane life is now only experienced in dreams. How does your character adapt to this new reality, and what challenges do they face?
    
    
23. The Last Dream: Your character lives in a world where everyone knows the dream they have on their 18th birthday will be their last dream ever. These dreams often carry significant meaning. On the eve of their 18th birthday, your protagonist is nervous and excited. Describe their last dream and how it influences their life choices and direction.
    
    
24. The Infectious Dream: A dream virus is spreading across the world, causing everyone to have the same disturbing dream. Your protagonist, a renowned dream scientist, is tasked with finding the cause and the cure. How do they approach this unprecedented situation, and how does this shared dream experience change society?