Seducing my left brain

whenever i start a new piece of fiction that involves something i haven't done before like writing in a different tense or a different genre i have to seduce my left brain into relaxing so that my creatively oriented right brain (i really am a believer in that business of brain division) can get to work creating.  i let my left brain back in when we've got something down on paper–then her skills are appreciated at least by me.  my right brain gets a testy occasionally when left brain becomes overly bossy.

so the seduction begins with music and candlelight.  i think the candlelight, (i still have another light source–i'm not  medieval enough to actually write by candlelight) sets the mood.  yes, i know this is sounding like sex (or as my girlfriend tells me–romance) but there are times when things other than one's nether regions need to be seduced.  the candle lighting ceremony indicates the beginning of writing time.  my right brain perks up and my left brain starts to relax.

then i choose some music–it has to be slower stuff like leonard cohen or nora jones.  my left brain is very music oriented.  all her neurotic tendencies, bouts of nerves and on some occasions panic attacks can be staved off by simply turning on the tunes.  music is mathmatical and i think that's why she is so attracted to it.  music has order and method and that, to use an old cliche, soothes her soul.

this done, we begin to create while lefty eases back in her chair–i imagine with a good glass of cabernet sauvignon (i don't drink wine, but i allow for brain side preferences) and finds peace.  she shuts down her doubting thomas self and lets me get to it or rather righty get to it. 

now those of you who have read my novels are probably thinking where are these different kinds of books i'm speaking of, well, all i can say is they're coming and i hope you'll be delighted and surprised.  writing is about stretching and striving and that's what keeps me going.