Behind the Scenes: Creating the Dream Arena

One of the most surreal—and personal—elements of The Between is the Dream Arena. If you’ve ever wondered where the idea came from, the answer is simple: my own dreams.

Dreamscape

Long before I started writing this series, I was fascinated by lucid dreaming. I remember one dream in particular: I was trapped inside a car, contorting myself in impossible ways to squeeze out of a window. When I finally made it outside, I paused and thought, “There’s no way I could have done that. Am I dreaming?” Right then, a huge, fully grown tree sprouted up in the parking lot. I told myself, “If I’m dreaming, I can just fly to the top of that tree and go inside the opening.” And I did. That moment changed everything for me. From then on, whenever I realized I was dreaming, I started to change things—making people say what I wanted, go where I wanted, even waking myself up if things got too intense.

The reference to breathing underwater that Talia brings up in the book is straight from my own dream journal. I once dreamed I was swimming the length of a very long pool, running out of air and starting to panic. Then I thought, “What if I’m dreaming?” I took a deep breath—and spent the rest of the dream exploring underwater, enjoying my new-found "ability".

For The Between, I wanted to blend that sense of limitless possibility with technology. What if you could use outside cues—like the DERA and the Luminaria team—to help someone realize they were dreaming? What if you could train yourself to recognize the signs, and then take control? For me, that realization has always been the trigger: the moment you know you’re dreaming, you can shape the world around you.

The Dream Arena is more than just a battleground for Renee. It’s a place where the rules bend, where fear and hope collide, and where the power to change everything starts with a single question: Am I dreaming?

If you’ve ever had a lucid dream, or a moment where you realized you could change the dreamscape, I’d love to hear about it. Share your story in the comments—or, if you want a chance for your dream to appear in a future book, use the submission form on this site.

—Jeni