Steven Tyler, Noodling, and Pirate Dreams

Song of the Day: Dream On by Aerosmith

The other night I had one of those dreams that make you go huh? My best pal was Steven Tyler of  the awesome rock band Aerosmith. For you whippersnappers who don’t know who Steven Tyler is, I roll my eyes and blow out a frustrated sigh. Steven Tyler is that long-haired, hippy-looking judge on American Idol. But I digress and return to my dream. Steven Tyler and I were noodling for river monsters. That in itself offers all sorts of comedic innuendos. Go ahead and crawl that dirty mind of yours from the gutter.

You may be asking what in the world is noodling. Noodling is fishing for catfish using only your bare hands. Yeah, I know. A little unsettling. You may also be wondering why I was noodling catfish with Steven Tyler. Got me. I’ve no idea why. But wow – what an imagination.

Dreams can offer a great springboard for inspiration. Much like a photo (insert shameless plug for MuseTracks’ popular Hump Day Kick Start), a movie scene, a quote, a song, or even a passing stranger, a vivid dream can uncover a fount of creativity.

My debut novel (insert another shameless plug) BLOOD AND TREASURE is an example. Long before I became a writer and before Pirates of the Caribbean hit the silver screen, I dreamed nearly the entire first chapter of BLOOD AND TREASURE. It was such an adventure that it defied what dreams do when we wake. It didn’t fade away like fog in the morning sun. Instead it clung on until I finally wrote it down on paper months later.

In the same vein, I once had a dream starring Johnny Depp. I bet I’m not unique, right ladies? (And I suppose if I was being honest, I’ve had more than one dream of the sexy actor.) That dream spawned a romantic comedy short story. This was also the story that had my creative writing college professor challenging me to become a novelist. Silly professor. I never back down from a challenge. Since, I’ve penned several more short stories based on the antics I live through in the realm of Slumberland.

Now, you may be curious to know if Steven Tyler and I were successful in noodling for catfish. I’m happy to say we were. We also caught several electric eels.  And we celebrated with a cold beer. Ah…good times, good times.

Have you ever had a wild, crazy dream you’d like to share? For authors, have you written a story based on a dream? I’d love to hear from you.