Even at my age, I have dreams about missing school deadlines. I’m sure a psychiatrist would say I’m feeling that things are out of control, or there are other deadlines I’m stressing about. She’d probably be right.

However, sometimes they are a godsend.

The other night, I had a dream about an unfinished school project. First, dream-me couldn’t think of what to do. When I get an idea, I work on it and then get distracted with life. And suddenly the deadline is looming- a common issue.

So then I’m rushing around like the proverbial chicken, and can’t seem to get all my ducks in a row to actually finish the project (and that’s just fowl!).

One minute, I can’t find a pen; then I can’t find paper; and finally, I can’t find the previous pages I’d already done. The deadline is so close, I can’t rewrite it, of course.

When I do find the previous work, it was in my desk! I’d been looking everywhere, even places I didn’t think it would be, and I’d overlooked it in an obvious place!

Yeah, it’s a stress dream.

Then I began working on the project itself… and suddenly, a story within a story comes out! And it sounds promising.

Now, I just have to decide whether to include the lead-up in the finished product, since the story begins in the middle. I’m likely to start with the middle and work both ways. It’s a common tendency of mine.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!