An old adage says to edit when you are sober but write when you’re drunk. The point is that intoxication opens the mind to possibilities that the sober mind would never consider. The same can be said for dreaming. During dreams, strange and creative ideas float up from the subconscious, ideas that are normally suppressed behind day-to-day mundanity.
I’ve written several stories based on dreams I’ve had, but I can’t really remember which ones. That’s the thing about dreams, their imagery is intense, sometimes startling, but only for a moment. Then the mind buries them again upon waking. At least that’s how it works for me.
A few weeks ago, I had a very powerful dream that I thought would make an excellent idea for a short story. I woke long enough to use the bathroom and considered writing the idea down. But it was so strongly in my mind at that moment, that I figured I would have no trouble remembering it come daybreak. But when I woke, I was left only with the memory of having had a great idea, not with any memory of the idea itself.
So, my advice to all my writer friends is, when those great ideas flick into your head, write them down. It may save you some sleepless nights kicking yourself.