Writing from bits of your brain

As I've been looking at right and left brain functions for writers, I dug up some information I'd found in an old post and wanted to share. Some writers claim to be creative and prefer to write without plots or plans, others like their lists and outlines, thinking themselves more analytical. Is it just in our heads that we are wired for either organisation or creativity? No (and yes).

Just as different parts of the brain are used for seeing as for hearing, we use different sections of our brain for fiction and non-fiction. We have to exercise both sides of the brain so one doesn’t get lazy. Would you like to know if you are more of a right brain thinker or a left brain thinker? Have a look at this website here and take the test. For me the dancer goes clockwise, my youngest daughter (Matilda) also sees it clockwise - we are righties. My husband and eldest daughter (Emily) see the figure go anti-clockwise - they are lefties. 

But you're not locked in. The trick is, if you stare at it long enough you can usually change the direction and therefore change the side of the brain you are using. If you wanted to harness the skills of both sides of your brain you can exercise the 'lazy' side.


How do you exercise the other half of your brain? Easy, try this:

Left side: Look at a picture of any animal. Then, quickly write as much as you know about that topic for 10 minutes straight. E.g: How much do you know about ducks? You may start off thinking you know very little, but as you write your mind will prompt memories of data. This is a good warm up to do before writing essays.

Right side: Look at a picture of a place or animal (not your own photos). Now write freely and imaginatively for 10 minutes about that picture, whatever it inspires.
E.G: If you have a picture of a cat, write what the cat is thinking and what it plans to get up to later.


None of us have a dormant side of the brain, but sometimes I think we rely heavily on the side we're already comfortable. It can be freeing for our writing to push ourselves outside of our usual box. What side of the brain do you lean towards? Or does yours switch back and forth constantly?

Want to find other ways to exercise your brain? Try this link:

Does Your Brain Need Exercise

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Right and Left Sides of the Writer's Brain

I've been continuing through The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards and I've found the information on right side of brain vs left intriguing. I studied psychology for a while at Uni and have always found the brain fascinating, especially the placement of different functions.

In this book, Edwards examples special cases where the right side of the brain has been severed from the left (an operation performed to assist severe epilepsy). In such instances, there are exercises the test subject undertakes (naming objects in drawings, solving spacial problems, etc) where the left and right hand will push each other out of the way, so that the side of the brain that is best at that task can take over.

The exercise was interesting too. Perhaps you've seen this optical illusion before - is it a vase or two faces?

Edwards uses this picture in her exercise. You trace the side that suites which hand you draw with (if you are right-handed, you start with the face on the left, and vice-versa).

Here is an image you could start with, I found these at a great art site called Raisin Toast:

Right-hand drawers

Left-hand drawers

The rest is simple. You trace over the existing drawing, naming out loud the parts as you go (forehead, eyes, nose, top lip, bottom lip, chin, neck). Then draw over the straight line at the top and try to go down redrawing the mirror image on the other side, also naming the parts. You may find your brain gets confused with the names - this is your right side and left side arguing!

This exercise also works if you draw your own vase-face. Fiction writers are often creative people who tend to favour the right side of their brain, but the logical and organised left side is also essential to crafting a good story - so we need to exercise both sides! 

I'm up on my drawing, reading and notebook goals, but down on my typing up my manuscript goal - how are yours going?

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Writers Drawing

Drawing was one thing I resolved to do more of in 2011 to help my writing (you can see my list of 7 Tips for a Writer's Year here). I'm a mediocre artist. I'm not being modest, I only push myself up to 'mediocre' because I've taken many sketching, watercolour, charcoal and other art classes (in 'life drawing' they sit you in a room with a naked stranger - did you know that, or was I the only one trying to pretend that I was totally comfortable and often hang out with naked people?).

I've finally begun the course book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. This book is aimed at beginner drawers, people who don't usually get artistic or writers trying to free up their imagination. 

So far, I've completed the first three pre-instruction drawing tasks, one of a self-potrait using a mirror, another of a person's face from memory and the last of my hand. All turned out a bit okay, but nothing to brag about or hang on the wall. There is a lot of information about how the brain works and how it relates to drawing, but if you'd prefer to just do the exercises, there is also the workbook:

I enjoyed the exercises and will continue some more drawing today. I may be able to use this in the classroom too (I'll be teaching Art and Spanish this year and have a LOT to learn). Of course, I had a little help with my sketching...

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Christie's Classroom for Murder

Most of my fiction contains a murder - murder most foul. As a teen I loved going to the cinema to see Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot solve Agatha Christie's murders. So, when I was recently looking for an audiobook to keep me company on a long drive, I decided to revisit Christie and downloaded And Then There Were None.

Not all Christie mysteries are created equal, this thrilling story was the best I've come across. It surprised me (and that's not easy - there's not many plots I haven't already come across before). Right to the end I kept guessing the culprit, and then re-evaluating my conclusion when that suspect would turn up dead. It was suspense at its best and brightest.

Agatha Christie was shunned by my Feminist Literature lecturer at Uni. Why? Just not literary enough - she was likened to the Mills and Boons of mystery. So what? Sometimes I want a plot. Agatha gave good plot. Her stories are told simply and her writing style does not get in the way of the story. I think this was a big lesson for me - stop trying to prove you can write well and just get on with the story. Her novels are also so well planned, they'd have to be to carry the complicated lines of suspects, victims and red herrings. 

The next audiobook I listened to was The Crooked House and Christie was also masterful in her story-weaving with this one. You follow the clues and just can not guess the murderer, and yet, at the end, the culprit is the only logical choice. This is the way murder mysteries should be told.

I'm excited about rediscovering Christie and I've just downloaded her book about her story-writing for my Kindle:

Now I'm off to read and research!

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7 Tips for a Writer's Year

We've entered a sparkly new year and with it we've come up with many resolutions, plans and ideas to become better writers, readers, marketers and people. Is it really all just hype? Once we first break our resolution, whether it be to write a daily word count, pursue new agents or eat more broccoli, are we doomed to lose interest and return to slackdom?

How do we keep momentum and become effective and productive writers? This is my list of ways to push myself with my goals for 2011:

1. Prioritise. I want to write more, but realistically that's the easy part because it's sexier and more fun than the writing tasks I need to do. I need to edit the many manuscripts I've written and start sending them out. I'll be spending the first half of this year sending out Dog Show Detective and editing The Costume Maker and Digging Up Death. Only then will I let myself continue writing The Warracknabeal Kids and new tales.
2. Write. I'll make daily notes into my ideas notebook. To keep sharpening my writing skills I will keep a notebook with ideas for plots, locations, scenes, dialogue and characters. I won't start any new stories yet, but I will fill this notebook with ideas for future stories.
3. Draw. When I was a kid I loved to draw, because I wasn't great at it, I gave up. I intend to draw and doodle more, for no greater goal than to enjoy it and free up my imagination. Drawing and free-writing are great ways to inspire creativity.
4. Learn. By taking my Kindle everywhere with me, there will be no excuse not to read more. I learn a lot from the fiction I read and I intend to read more non-fiction books on the art of writing as well. Of course I will share what I learn with my blog-readers :-)
5. Indulge. Last year I took on some writing/editing classes. This year time is tight as I need to learn Spanish and Art for the classes I'll be teaching at high-school. So, a little later in the year, I intend to take one writers' retreat and attend the Byron Bay Writer's Festival. 
6. Laugh. As always, I will continue to see the funny side of life - this always provides a good twisted way to approach scenes and characters.

Number 7? LOVE. That's pretty easy with this pretty little girl who has joined our home. Pinkachu has settled in well.

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Writing Goals - Shut Up or Share?

Howdy fellow writers! Thank you for all the lovely Christmas and New Year wishes on my last post - right back atcha'. I haven't blogged because I was up in Queensland for Christmas, staying with my dad (who has also been bitten by the writing-bug and is polishing his three manuscripts about a loveable rogue who drinks and plays too much but also happens to be a quick-witted soldier/spy/hero).

My New Year's resolution is to find more time to learn about the craft of writing/publishing and blog about it. Empty words? Resolutions can sometimes be, and Derek Sivers warns us if you have a goal you really want to achieve, keep it to yourself, because through the act of talking about it, your mind feels you've already achieved it. Then it slacks off.

I'm not so good at keeping things to myself and still remember his previous TED Talk telling us that whatever can be true means the opposite can also be true. So, making yourself accountable for your goals by broadcasting them can also help motivate (surely?).

Derek Sivers: Keep Your Goals to Yourself

But, the flip side:

For my next post (the first one for 2011!) I'll blog about my tactics to make sure I learn more about writing. But, I'll probably also blog about our new family member soon. Tim and Emily are on a road trip to Melbourne right now, and on the 2nd January they will pick up 'Pinkachu' our new Devon Rex kitten - I'm pretty darn excited!!!!! (usually I don't condone the overuse of '!' but this is a special occasion).

Pinkachu (yes, she is supposed to look like that)

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Merry Christmas

Our family is enjoying Christmas up in Brisbane at my Dad's house. All the pressies are under the tree and the old bank account balance is groaning - must be alsmost Christmas now.

When I think of the presents I pick for loved ones, I'm reminded just how individual they all are. Even with my two daughters, so similar in some ways, one always prefers electronic gadgets and the other likes fluffy creatures to love. It's a good reminder to make sure our characters each have their own individual traits and desires.

Hope you have a wonderful time with family and friends this holiday season - pudding for everyone!

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