"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter for the way was barred to me."
Writing about your dreams may be of interest to a writer but most readers may well find them boring and utterly pretentious. Yes, write about dream sequences if you must but if you must, then do it well or leave it out.
In the real world, our dreams rarely make sense. They’re rambling, incoherent, and pointless; you definitely wouldn’t want prose in your novel that reads like a real dream.
If you dare write about dreams do make sure that your dream sequence has a clear purpose. For example, if the writer wishes to introduce something significant about the character or the story, then the opening lines of "Rebecca" above work perfectly. Furthermore, your sequence should not be lengthy because real-life sleeping dreams are usually short.
Reaction to a dream is, perhaps, the important aspect of dreams in novels, closely followed by what the dream reveals about the dreamer. Is he or she haunted by some past event?
For example, dreaming about an ex is a common dream. Why does your character do this? Does s/he have unresolved feelings towards this dream lover? Do those lingering feelings concern love or hate? What other feelings might be hanging on in there - jealousy, guilt or remorse? And what does it tell the reader about the character involved and the decisions he or she takes?
About 3 months ago, while dozing on a lounger after a sauna, I found inspiration in a dream and that inspiration is now a half-finished novella entitled, "...because it was you...because it was me..." For me, the message is clear. Don't use dreams in novels but use dreams to inspire your writing.
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