Right or Left Brained

You Are 20% Left Brained, 80% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

More on this later. Just easing back into blogging.

Summer Reading

Now that B is old enough to really listen and pay attention without pictures, I’ve been reading a chapter book to him. We’re going through OF MICE AND MAGIC by David Farland. I first read the sample chapter online to see if it would be something he’d like. We’re half way through the book now and really enjoying the story. We’ll definitely be checking out the other books in the Ravenspell series when we’re done.

I have good memories of me and my siblings sprawled on the couches and floor, listening to my mom read WATERSHIP DOWN. I wanted to create that same experience for my son.

In addition to our family reading time, we have plenty of incentives to read this summer.

• Our library is having  a Summer Reading program where we can record reading sessions for B and books read for me to earn a book at the end of Summer.
• Barnes and Noble has a challenge for kids to read eight books for a free book
• Borders has their Double-Dog Dare Challenge again to read ten books and earn a free book.
• Scholastic online has a minutes tracker with weekly challenges to spin for prizes and an overall sweepstakes.
• Our state governor is doing Read with a Child. Read 20 hours together over the summer and get a Certificate of Achievement.
• I even have a challenge just for me. The library is also doing an event through Goodreads. Read five books, each set on a different continent, before the end of August. Any suggestions for those?

That’s a guaranteed three free books for B if he completes the challenges, and one for me, with chances to win more prizes.

What are your reading plans this summer?

Writing Battle Plan

This is one of the posts that I started a while back, and forgot about. Still relevant though.

I finished reading CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT by Orson Scott Card. Awesome! Needed it at this point in my career. I had lots of aha! moments of how to fix my first novel. I had a moment where I wondered “Why didn’t I read this years ago??” Then I realized I’m probably only now at a point as a writer where I’m actually “getting” the info on the right level.

My battle plan:

• Write at least 1000 words per day, across any of my three stories. With a minimum of 250 words (one page) in each for any given week.
• Finish books (goal: this year!) then give FM some undivided attention for a final serious revision.

I even made myself an awesome Excel worksheet. I put in the project I work on each day, and how many words. It calculates my weekly word count, yearly total, and what total and percentage is for each project. Pretty cool if I do say so myself.

Muse Theory

While my sick brain has a hard time forming sentences, my Muse doesn’t rest. Apparently she decided a week off was plenty. Yesterday I got some dialogue and character notes for one of my stories (better yet, one of the three I’m not focusing on…). And last night, or this morning, whatever you want to call 2 AM, I woke up from a dream and had to write down some of the images.

In my dream, the world was ending and yet the sight of a couple mermaid children playing in the water still brought joy. I couldn’t let that image go to waste.

Some say the Muse isn’t real. That it’s merely hard work and a good imagination. But moments like these make me wonder. When ideas seem to come from nowhere, or at least no where inside myself. Especially when I’m not feeling an iota of creativity in my sick slump. And somehow the Muse gets through.

I may not have the energy or brainpower to put these ideas to much use right now, but I have certainly been taking notes. Do you ever get inspired at the least likely of times?

Sick Days

After my kid was sick all weekend, and stayed home Monday, I wasn’t surprised when Tuesday I was the one sick. I actually got it worse than he did. Feeling a bit better today, so hopefully I’ll be good by weekend. And ready to write again next week.

I’ve heard of people who use sick days to do writing, and are quite productive. I am not one of them. The creative side of my brain does not work when I’m sick. Not for writing, or even for the interior decorating I’m doing in my Sims dream home. I envy those that can write poetically even when totally out of his mind.

I’m all fuzzed when sick. How about you?

I Write Like…

a multitude of authors. Which is to say that I write like none. After seeing Liana’s post, I plugged each of my novels into this analyzer. The results varied. I suppose that means that no two of my books are alike.

For TRINITY COVEN, my paranormal romance:

I write like
James Joyce

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

 

For FEY MOON, my traditional fantasy:

I write like
William Shakespeare

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

 

For FLY WITH ME, my contemporary fantasy:

I write like
Stephenie Meyer

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

 

For RACE TO 100 DEATHS, my dark fantasy:

I write like
Anne Rice

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

 

For THE MINOTAUR STAFF, my urban fantasy:

I write like
H. P. Lovecraft

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

 

And my smallest writing sample, TWILIGHT RAIN, a portal fantasy:

I write like
William Gibson

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Though, interesting enough, the writers do seem to correlate to the genres of my books. So maybe the analyzer isn’t completely bunk after all. I’m not familiar with James Joyce or William Gibson, but I can see the connections for the rest.

And, I’m sure the algorithm hates me, but I ended with throwing them all in at once. So overall I write like… Anne Rice.

An Empty Box

Yesterday, B and I went on a walking field trip down to Family Dollar. He bought a new monster truck and a pen and pads of paper. I bought some goodies, of course. The best ever shortbread cookies (especially for the $1 price) and a pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Or, at least goodies was all I planned to get. While looking through the store, I saw this box. Beautiful, with butterflies and music notes and flowers, and that vintage looking background. I held it, caressed it, oohed and ahhed. Set it back on the shelf and moved on.

I changed my mind a few times as we wandered the aisles. My practical side argued that I had no use for it. Didn’t know what to put in it, or where to display it. Just pretty clutter.

My pink side said: buy it for yourself! Like when you bought that gorgeous notebook last year. You deserve it. Why do you need a reason for everything? It’s only five dollars. Looking at it will make you happy, even if you never fill it. It’s like a 3-D bliss book. So many things that just make you happy. Any buyer’s guilt would vanish as you gaze at it. This box is simply YOU.

So I bought the box.

It’s 9.5” x 11.5”, and 5.5” deep. Any suggestions on what I could put in it?