It’s almost 2 o’clock in the morning and here I am at my desk… staring at a blank screen…wishing a few inspiring paragraphs would magically appear. I spent my evening doing a whole lot of this and that and in the end got very little accomplished, so I have no one to blame but myself, and I really want to be in bed right now!

A long time ago I was told that whatever is on your mind when your head hits the pillow will affect your dreams. If you go to bed thinking about the bills that need to be paid, the yard work that’s piling up or the 10 am dentist appointment that can’t be missed, you’re setting yourself up for a restless night, maybe even a nightmare or two.  With this in mind, I’ve adopted a little ritual that guarantees me a great night’s sleep.  Remember, I’m treating all of you who are reading as if you’re my closest confidantes. Perhaps we’re sitting on a front porch sofa (who really has one of those?) sipping lattes sharing intimate stories, so I’ll expect you to remain respectful. No jumping to wild conclusions allowed. My kids read this…sometimes…OK, not that often, but still…

My point? Right. What I do is I write romance screenplays in my head. I work on the dialogue, I figure out the settings and finally I cast the actors. Not all at once, of course. One scene at a time until I get the tone just right. Most nights I’m asleep before the first lines are completed, but that’s enough to put me in my happy place. I go on to dream wonderfully romantic, creative dreams. They’re very Jane Austen-like, just in case you’re wondering. I guess reading a good novel would have the same effect and I often have a one on the go, but I tend to read during breaks in the day and not so much at night.

Why, in heaven’s name, would I want to share this with my friends? Well, I just think you might want to give it a try. Or come up with a variation of your own.  Let’s say boating’s your thing. Next time you go to bed and you feel stressed about an upcoming project that’s due and you’re running the numbers in your head but it’s driving you crazy and you know you really should be getting some sleep in order to be at your best but panic is setting in…. just stop. Take a breather and imagine a character out on a boat, with someone interesting, and start working on some snappy lines these two would say to each other.  Create your own soap opera mini-series and keep adding to the story…  I’ll be blunt. This  is not about putting two people together and imagining them going at ‘er. To me that’s not imaginative. In my story lines sex never happens (sorry to disappoint!) It’s always about the back and forth, the dialogue, the emotion I can conjure up through words. Now, once I’m asleep I have no control over where the brain goes so anything can happen and that’s OK, for sure, too.

I’m a huge believer in using your imagination and never letting it get stale. As kids we get to do it all the time but when we get older we often don’t have time to play in quite the same way. Reading to your kids before bed is far more than just a way to spend time bonding; it’s a time when imagination and critical thinking are ignited. It also helps them transition from day to night in a gentle way. I’m just taking the basic concept a step further.

So folks, that’s just me. I’m sure you can think up many more ingenious ways to ensure pleasant dreams and a satisfying night’s sleep. For me it’s creative writing. Who knows, I could be a best selling author by now if any of these stories had actually been put on real paper but then I would have to go to bed and fight the urge not to think about editors and deadlines and book tours and wouldn’t that defeat the whole purpose?

Thanks for listening. You are very patient people.