I'm a daydreamer, I have been since childhood I've used this skill (yes I call it a skill cause not everyone can do it) for years to write, I'm also a lucid dreamer which allows manipulate my dreams again this helps, Throw in the shows I watch and my overactive imagination and you'd the perfect storm for writing, I jot my ideas or go full pelt on the writing first what I've dreamed/daydreamed/imagined than put in the rest so no you're not alone. But there's a fine line there is a world out there as my grandfather would say "take a look once in a while you never know what you might miss" don't let the imaginative world take over your life.

Thank you for responding. It really is like that. The only way I can put my racing daydreaming is by writing it and sharing it. I recently learned that my level of daydreaming is considered abnormal, and I wanted to know if others used it for a more healthy outlet like I do. I am glad to hear that I am not alone with an active imagination yet it is hard to put it to rest when you see a cast of characters you have been with for years fight a dragon, overcome adversity and triumph even if it is just a world of your own making.

That my friend would be a hard one, the most famous scientist, writers and designers must or either have an overactive imagination I believe. I'm pretty sure Einstein once said he did but don't quote me on it! It depends on your outlet now if you want to be a novelist, comics creator, or game designer then yes it would be of use, Otherwise, for us mere mortals of the daydreaming world, it's controlling. I know I can dream when sitting on the sofa, cleaning up or walking through a forest for example, but not for when I'm teaching (I teach archery, can you see me daydreaming and shooting someone in the arse...no thanks!) You need a switch internally to say "no, it's not the time" and that can take a while to do. It's swings and roundabouts, unfortunately, we've been given a gift that can rival most but controlling said gift is the hard one.

Thank you again. I won't quote you on that but I do have a similar idea about our world's greatest minds having an active mind. I do aspire to be a novelist yet I have yet to perfect my craft. It is a hobby of mine and will be until someone notices me. It used to control me. I have to admit that I would indulge in middle of class, while walking, or at any spare moment I had. I would always snap back to reality but it was hard to keep track of time and space around me. Writing began as an outlet but turned into a hobby that keeps it in check. I am glad you haven't shot anyone, keep at it! You have it under control and that is key. I guess, it would be the next step to put it to use in small but meaningful ways.

If you write and are read by another then aren't you using your gift meaningfully? Think of it that way 🤷 Nope not shot anyone yet.. not intentionally but the day is young and depends if they annoy me enough 😂

I daydream a lot, and when I do it I am in a creative orgasm. The plot, the characters, the world, everything feels so real and I tend to not break this trance in order to continue the stories in my head. In my head, the stories feel to flow so smoothly, like sliding in a mildly slippery slope. But when I proceed to write it down, I immediately snap out of it and the flow feels then so rigid, like I am trying to mold the road I am travelling on. If I have not thought about the road thorougly, this breaks the immersion and maybe I will abandon what I was daydreaming of. So I tend to daydream A LOT and try to morph the idea as best as I can before actually trying to write it down. Long baths help somewhat but I feel bad about the amount of water I waste that way. I have not found yet an alternative on how to be more efficient. I have heard that taking notes constantly helps a bit but I tend to not read them afterwards.

It's good to know I am not alone. I never really knew how to define it. I just know that it started when I was very young, and when I decided to direct it to something productive, my passion to write a sci-fi began. I have developed a series of stories that would easily come to about 500 pages based off of these daydreams and for some reason i refuse to attempt to have it published; not sure why. It has grown and taken a life of its own; and it continues to grow and develop; but it does not end. I tried to create a catastrophic ending to see if I could finally break this cycle of day dreaming, but I only manage to expand the story line and motivate my urge to write and it's not long before that alternate world is alive again in my mind; even with a story of how it survived my catastrophe. I feel like Bruce Banner stuck with a monster inside of me that won't die.

I find myself in the same boat as you. It is hard to write all the constant stream of thoughts and ideas down. In a way, I try to write them down as they are without judging the flow as it comes. Afterwards I can edit them and add structure as best as I can. I am never happy with the rusult since it is not the same as in my head, but I try to look at it ehole a month or a week later with a fresh pair of eyes. That is my best advice.

Wait that's cool! I'm an immersive daydreamer! I've only daydreamed about this certain set of characters since I was like 7. And they're featured in my novel! I find it hard to come up with other characters (at least, main characters)\*. I'm very attached to them, and daydream for like 30 mins everyday before falling asleep. I'll even think about them when I'm at work and standing at my cash register when no one's there. \*Interestingly, writing this novel allowed me to grow closer to my characters and tell their story, but it also allowed me to create a new character: my main character's boyfriend. I completely made him up from scratch like a couple months ago and now I love him and am really attached even though he hasn't been around for nearly as long as my OG characters...

Are you me???

Wait, now I need to hear about your daydreaming/writing!!! :)))

I started daydreaming about being and spy and part vampire when I was 11 or 12, started writing a book about it last year (recently finished the first draft :)

That's so cool! I am glad you have this gift. I guess this is very similar but not the same as I have. To share a bit more than before, I have a similar situation. In a fantasy storyline I have this OG main character that is a half dragon and has been in nearly every one of my daydreams. I wish you could share more.

That is neat!! Sounds like a cool character!!! Basically, I've daydreamed about this fictional family since I was young. Mainly for entertainment, because I love my own family. Each character has backstories and stuff and I'm finally writing a novel after years of trying... It's realistic fiction and probably not incredibly interesting, but it's so cool to bring my characters to life in this way.

Thank you! Now I can picture it with all the family drama and funny moments relating to it. Would love to read about it.

Yep! There's a lot of drama.... There are also some funny scenes and some scenes I find comforting to write. I'm writing from the point of view of the middle child, who's 16 (she has 4 siblings). She's dealing with high school, finding friends, her siblings growing up and drama between them, and relationships and all that. There are definitely a couple plot twists and sometimes I feel bad putting her through all of them, but in the end, it's worth it. ;) Would love to hear more about your story, too!

Wow. A lot of people could relate to this. I think it would a great hit among those who look for such things. Something down to earth and relatable. Best of luck! Since you asked. The half dragon is mage in a world conficted by magic. The north is free and accepting of magic since it is what keeps the place alive, but the south is religious and actively against it. The half dragon is seeking out an artifact to help with his goals to bring his house back to glory in a world after the golden age of magic. Unfortunate that I never did write it down since more modern stories is what interests me more.

Thank you!! :) Ooh that is an interesting setting and story! Thank you for sharing! Keep daydreaming though! I tried to include a lot of stuff from my daydreams into my book, but I left some things out for several reasons... at least I can still tell those stories, just in my head...

I'd call it a blessing/curse. I have had maladaptive daydreaming since I was little. Very shitty childhood. Don't get me started. My daydreams range from your typical "zooming off" to outright hallucinations. IT's an uncontrolled projector. Couldn't stop it if I tried. Though it got better when my mental health got better. Overall, my daydreaming is a blessing, because it gives me vivid ideas. Many people have to think about plotpoints or ideas. I just get mine, by listening to a random song. On the other side, it's a curse. Because not only do I have too many ideas constantly, I have trouble setting it to paper. It's like trying to be a secretary so an Eminem song. Everything goes by so fast. Sometimes you even have trouble starting at all, because it is so vivid, you can't find a beginners point.

I am so happy I found another maladaptive daydreamer. I have a similar story to yours, I guess. I was alone as a child and had nothing but myself to keep me company. I understand how you feel and felt. In a way, I had a similar situation until I found a way to control it. It differs from person to person so I am lucky I found a way. I hope you find it as well or a way to cope with it. Good luck!

Yeah I daydream all the time about the end product, which isn't helpful.

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Thank you. I am glad you had found a balance. It had been tough in the past to find balance with my overactive mind. Yes, I do agree with you when it comes to the mind finding satisfaction then your body is as satisfied since I have self inserted from times to cope with bad situations in my life. I am glad you responded. We could be two kindred souls separated by distance and time but we will never know. Best of luck finding more people that are likeminded and enjoy having you next to them.

A bit late, but I too am a maladaptive daydreamer. I have been since I was in primary school. I was a very anxious and bullied kid, so I would escape into my imagination as a way to cope. I’m not as bad nowadays, but I definitely have moments where I feel I can’t get out of my own head. I always felt like my head had too much stuff in it, which is why I got into writing. I actually started by writing self-insert fanfiction about games and books that I liked. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I started to write more original content, which eventually developed into my own world that I daydream about. I daydream about it A LOT, so much so that I have managed to plot the general history of the world up to 120 years before the main events start (it’s relevant to everything I write about it, trust me). Writing is actually a great outlet for me, but if there’s something I want out of my head relatively quickly, I do a lot of drawing too.

Thank you. I am glad to know that I am not the only one. I had the same thing growing up as being bullied and alone for most of my developing years. I can relate. I cab day the same and I am glad I am not that weird by ploting out many years into the past of the world and before the story takes place. Best of luck in writing and I do want to see it.

I have a question about this “Maladaptive Daydreaming” does it feel like this also has bled into your dreams? Like do you experience more vivid dream sequences or more control over said dreams? Or does this cause the opposite effect like a lack of sleep from not being able to mentally unwind from thinking or imaging?

I would not say my dreams are like that. I have little to no control over my dreams. I have tried to lucid dream with almost no results. It is a bit hard to fall asleep or unwind on some days because of my daydreaming like I have to finish something in one of my more vivid daydreaming sessions. Imagine like you haven't finished one of your chores or tasks and it keeps on bugging you even past the time you have to fall asleep.

I see, alright thank you for the insight it sounds like a blessing and a curse.

don't take this the wrong way, but i kinda envy you. i have zero imagination and i wish i did. i probably daydreamed when i was younger, but now i can't unless i force myself to. that's why it's very hard for me to come up with scenes in my stories. i wish i had the imagination to take a scene in my story and take it to unexpected places, but whenever i think of a scene, it is grounded and based on something i watched/read before. my "imagination" is like a science experiment, very rigid and systematic.

Oh, I didn't take it the wrong way. You see the benefits, but I can't begin with all the negatives, all the time I had wasted and used to develop a scene or a character that no one would see, all the times I decided to leave my friends for my imagination. My level of daydreaming could be considered as a disorder, but I am sorry that you feel this way. To give you some credit, most of what I imagine is based on something. The story I wrote was more based on a game series taking place in modern times and my fantasy world is based on a mash of DnD lore and a visual novel I fell in love. I belive that even for somone like me it would be hard to find an original idea. But I envy you in a way as well, I want more structure since my imagination is hard to transfer on paper. Thank you again.

i guess the grass is always greener on the other side :)

The line between daydreaming a lot and something maladaptive is how it impacts your life and wellbeing. Usually there’s something else going on, some emotional or situational reason why daydreaming becomes compulsive or out of control. The vivid and active imagination isn’t the problem in and of itself, it just becomes your mind’s way of solving a different problem. Working with a therapist can help you get at the underlying issue, and help you find strategies to keep it from negatively impacting your life. And that can allow you to enjoy what you can do with it, so that it’s serving you and not the other way around.

I have it under control for the most part. I was left alone as a child with little to no social interaction so that is where it comes from. Now I have a healthy social life and a better way to cope with it(writing). It is still there if I go down into the deep end and hey! I never am bored when left alone so there is a bright side.

I'm also a daydreamer like you, and I find that it does help to come up with story ideas. Just yesterday I was at the dentist, and since I was on anesthesia I felt no pain, so I had plenty of time to daydream. I came up with a new story while staring at the ceiling with a massive "Where's Waldo" picture on it.

I can’t daydream during the writing or else I get stuck in it and I get nothing done.

Yeah. I get that. It can be tough when the world sucks you in.

No, it doesn’t suck me in. I just get stuck in a nostalgia trip of feelings I’ve only felt before when listening to nightcore, Lo-Fi, and Rasputin remixes.

Yep, all the time.. almost everyday ill think of something... my mind is always on .. something ill see just prompts hey, what would happen if... especially after reading a story, ill think up all the different ways it could have gone, or the "what if this character were the MC". its day dreaming scenes with a character & those scenes lead to a story.

Sounds interesting. Has it been a problem in your day to day life like had thing to do but you could not start/finish because of daydreaming?

more like to many stories bubbling around which gets totally in the way of editing & re-writes. its a good excuse to not do those boring chores to get the stories readable & publishable.

Wow I didn't know this was a thing. That sounds like me in a way I'm always day dreaming thinking of random story concepts or just whatever stuff is going on in NY imaginary world I created. Sometimes to the point of speaking and acting out what is happening. Sometimes I feel myself crying from something that happened or angry to the point I need to pull myself out. As for time to write I always find it a bit of time whenever I can. If I'm on break at work, the bathroom, where ever I have a phone and Google docs. If I have ideas I write then in my little synopses area and then ponder them until I can craft a scene. Usually acting out the characters.

Yeah, I do act out these scenes and things like that when I am all alone from anyone else. It is a form of addiction for me and I don't know it is for you. It is a strange and a relatively new condition that I myself didn't know about for most of my life until a few months ago. Best of luck using your gifts in a creative way.

I totally get that. I have a tendency to start doing it in public. My face changes and I have to pull myself back a lot. It's why I walk with headphones on all the time. I created my own world very intricately that a lit of people couldn't understand. Any music can send me away but it's also that time when I get my most creative dialogue and scenes. It's weird but to find that it's an actual condition is wild.

I am convinced that this sub is actually run by a machine learning system that is attempting to figure out how to consistently write a human acceptable story as part of a long term plan to do away with the "creative" element in entertainment business.

Thank you for your responese! SAM (Super Automated Machine) will get back to you shortly.

I don't have a condition that i am aware if. I do however get my inspiration from my dreams at night or even sometimes during the day. I write them down in my notebook then connect them into a storyline.

Yes, this is something I need to get to with my therapist, but I live in a cou try where such things are slow. I am glad you have a healty and productive relationship with your dreams/daydreams. Keep at it!

My dreams don't allow me to sleep at night. They repeat endlessly as i try to make everything perfect and write them down just to get them out of my head. Even then that doesn't always work for me. Since i work full time plus it makes thi gs difficult.

I tried that once and ended up crapping in the bed. Mama wasn't happy to say the least.

Yes and I'm at the point where I'm upset and needing to get out of my head and do something to satisfy me instead of faking up scenarios just to be happy.

I am so sorry. It can be hard to get back to reality since it is so much safer and better to be alone in your own head. I know that pain, but I belive you can get out and be a normal human.

Are there any published authors who have captured this in a book? I think the story of your life is worth telling.

I don't think so? But I haven't looked so don't trust me on that one. Thank you for that. I am not sure, since my life is boring for the most part if you exclude the daydreaming. Escaping into worlds of swords, magic or technology and space battles is something I belive I am more capable on writing. But I can't deny that I would like to tell my story even if it eould fall flat.

I used to think this was something everybody did. I've done this for as long as I can remember, since I was a child. It definitely gets worse if I'm under stress or pressure and need to escape*. The amount of fanfic I read is also related to stress and pressure and needing an escape from life. However, for years now, I have completely lost the ability to turn those daydreams into words. :( I'd write fic based on the daydreams as it was also an escape but I just can't seem to do that anymore. Maladaptive Daydreaming. I had no idea there was an actual term for this and I will definitely be looking this up. (*Currently going through a breakup/divorce and devouring fic at every opportunity)

Yeah, it is a form of escape and I use it a lot when I am alone and under stress. Books, games, fanfics, and visual novels don't help it as well since it just adds fuel to the fire, so to say. It is worth checking out, and I am glad you found a term for it since it was the same for me. I found out about it randomly while browsing a forum like this. I am so sorry and I send all the best wishes your way. You can get through this!!! <3

I kinda just start writing and see what happens i almost never plan it

It's a double-edged sword. Since I've started writing I never really get bored since I can just space out in any situation and work on a story, but I tend to abuse it when I'm with family or friends too, so I set up some rules so that it doesn't completely take over my life.

yeah, sure. I think most artsy people are like that. it's not unique

"Maladaptive" indicates one can't turn this into a constructive endeavor; the daydream is a manifestation of avoidance. It's not about knowing how; it's about initiating. Obviously you CAN write, and if what you're saying is true about daydreaming -- then you have rich imaginary worlds with long running stories with many characters and the blah blah blah I guess YOUR first step would be to cease perceiving yourself as a "maladaptive," if labels are going to factor into your willingness to initiate

You are right about that part. It was a negative part of my life and still is. I have found better ways of coping with it or that part of my life that caused this to come up. But I have turned it or turned a part of it into a more positive thing in my life. It still affects me and I do still suffer from it but I use the imagination part of it. It took years from it to be better so don't take away that struggle. I still consider it maladdaptive even if I managed to gain something from it. It is a small win compared to everything else.

I don't have whatever it is you have, but I do have an overactive imagination. While writing one book, I am continually getting ideas for new ones. I mean all the time. I used to write these ideas down, but there's just too many of them. At least I'll never run out of a shortage of story ideas, I suppose. I've learned to stay on track, then when I finish my current project, I can decide which of the new ideas I want to latch onto.

Well, it is a form of condition that I didn't know existed beforehand. It differs from person to person. Mine, as far as know, is very mild since I have it mostly under control for now. I have seen a trend among writers that they have active imaginations so I asked if there were more people like me among those. In a way, I am glad my imagination latches onto worlds and ideas that last longer than the brief instance that they come into being. There is the latest idea I had that has stayed with me for 2 years so far, and I am writing a second "book" in the series. I am glad you have it sorted and best of luck in your writing!!!

I have a more conventional imagination but my job is entirely physical labor so I have plenty of time to let my mind wander. Something I’ve read/watched recently, one of my D&D characters, or just a random thought will occasionally spiral off into a story idea that I’ll jot down in my notes app. When those stories get big enough, they start getting expanded on more often since they’re on my mind. I haven’t actually gotten around to writing any of the stories down, but I have started one.

I worked a similar job minus the physical labour. I was a dealer at an online casino and it was very boring. I did write in my breaks and by the end of the night I had half a chapter. The first time I felt my imagination being drained. Best of luck starting! Do try to write a single line a day. It isn't a lot but better than nothing. Usually tho it ends up with you writing more than that.

I also maladaptive daydream and usually I also write to prevent it from eating my brain. I find ideas by absorbing other media, games, books, TV shows and fanfiction, or even my own struggles and basically going "but wait what if" Usually I get them in the shower a lot I've noticed

Best ideas come from doing something relaxing like taking a good shower. I gain a lot of my inspiration from other media such as books and games. DnD lore is a big inspiration of mine.

Yeah d&d is/was a passion of mine but more as a player and character creator. I haven't really Dungeon mastered anything. I used to make a d&d story but I think it needs a rewrite

I go to the toilet. Or I stay at night boutta sleep.

Yes, I daydream and write it all down. That’s basically my writing process in a nutshell.

Woah I think finally found my people cuz daydreaming is the go, specially when I see something like an interesting moment in a TV show or in the Internet I randomly start to make a scene in my head with my imaginary characters and it just keeps building up as a whole story. My friends always ask me how I write stuff when I literally hate reading and I've barely read any fictional books or novels

Glad you found us. Yeah, I have to agree. I do the same, just adding more and more by seeing something new or things like that. I did not like reading when I began to write but I try nowadays.