Write Right!

First of all I want to say a huge THANKS to all Minx followers for taking Blaze to Amazon.com Top 100 Free Best Sellers Rank: #37 this weekend as well as to #1 in Anthologies & #1 in Romance Short Stories :-)

I've blogged about the disadvantages of writing with a brain injury (see 'When words become enemies') but hadn't thought about the advantages before I attended a WordNerd workshop and met Rebecca Woodhead, who also has damage to the left side of her brain and hasn't let it hold her back. She noticed I spoke much more quickly and fluently when describing images (using the right, undamaged side of my brain) than when using the logical thinking left brain.
While some of what's written about right and left brain activity is over simplistic, some of it is most definitely true. I was reminded of what I'd been taught to do during rehab  - use images more to make up the shortfall (as my visual memory is unimpaired but my auditory memory shot to pieces).
But it never occurred to me that tapping into this more intuitive, image based way of writing could be an actual advantage. 

For instance I've just started using Pinterest to build storyboards and am loving it! And yes, I can use it when too ill to use 'words'. So if you see lots of Pinterest pinning on my Facebook timeline you can guess I'm having a bad health day!
Using voice to text software also leads to a different way of working, describing the story as I see it playing out in my mind without the tiring process of sending the language through my
fingertips.
So, I have a head start favouring this intuitive creativity but if, unlike me, you're hampered by a fully functioning left brain ;-) here are some exercises to help you deliberately use the right side of your brain more:

Writing prompts for the right brain
Exercise your right brain
For the arty among you there is a really interesting book called 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain' explaining how to deliberately use the right side of the brain for increased creativity.

For me, I'm determined to learn more how I can use this to my advantage. Huge thanks to Rebecca for helping me see how an 'impairment' doesn't have to be a disability but could actually enhance my creativity.
I have to say it does explain the huge boost to my creativity the brain injury has given me. I've never painted, drawn, sewn more prolifically in my life than in the past four years. At the moment I'm working on a lamp shade, PJ bottoms, a felt patchwork quilt (I worked out how to make the felt myself), a cross stitch landscape and an appliqué picture and this is actually a quiet phase for me craft-wise as I'm focusing on writing at the moment!

I didn't stumble back into the writing 'flow' until I wrote my story for Blaze (described in the blog post mentioned above) But now I'm determined to use that 'flow' whenever I feel stuck,  rather than trying to overthink my stories. 
Thinking visually will be less tiring for me and who knows, it may even result in better stories. 

Watch this space...

Blaze Anthology Teasers and a Gift for the Holidays

The Minxes have a special gift to readers everywhere for Christmas!! Our Blaze Anthology is going to be free over the weekend and in case, you're still thinking about downloading it, we have teasers from all eight stories here....

Romy Sommer, The Fire Inside

Ryan paid for the drinks and raised his glass. “And I’m guessing you’re a careful woman.”
She matched his toast. “I take care I don’t get burned.”

Maya Blake, Memory’s Flame

"We were friends long before we became lovers, Ellie," Jake rasped.
"I could seduce you into spending the next five days in my bed so we can relive the lovers' part of our history. But I don't think I can survive you walking away again if I let that happen."

Sally Clements, Lighting Love’s Spark

Daniel lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
The breath left Annabel’s lungs, and instantly all she could think of was his mouth trailing slowly down her neck. Heat pooled in her stomach.

Lorraine Wilson, A Kindling Romance

“Promise me something Drew.”
“What?”
“Promise you're not filming me on your mobile and this is going to be all over YouTube in the morning?” Polly was dimly aware her question was insulting. This guy was a professional and rules were rules, even out here in the sticks.
“Trust me,” the calm, deep voice replied.
Something in the warm tone and the firm grip on her legs made her want to do exactly that. She felt she might do anything he asked.
Anything at all.

Tara Pammi, Worth the Risk

The strength of how much he wanted to be here with Annie, how much he wanted to continue, didn’t bother Marcus at all.
“If you touch me, I can’t stop, Annie. It’s been six months and you taste like heaven and if you touch me…I swear Annie, I won’t be able to stop until I’m inside you.”
He pressed a fierce kiss again before she could even reply. Just in case she said no, in case this never happened again, and he needed to remember how erotic she tasted.

Jodie James, Hot, Bothered and Bewitched

Isaac toyed idly with the end of Seraphine’s belt as she curled her legs up beneath her. She watched his fingers for a second. He had the sort of hands you’d expect of a farrier. Strong, capable, a little bashed.
“Or we could just stay here by the fire and drink champagne,” she said.
“I like your plan better.”
She couldn’t be certain, but he seemed a smidge closer than he’d been a second or two ago.
“I could wash the blood out of your T-shirt for you, if you like.”
He looked at her for a few silent, assessing seconds, then handed her his glass to hold. “I’d like that very much.”
Seraphine’s breath caught in her throat as he reached for the hem of his faded T-shirt and peeled it unhurriedly over his head.
Christ. The way his clothes clung to his body had hinted he was in good condition, but bare-chested in the firelight, he was beyond that. He was beautiful.

Suzanna Ross, A Smouldering Attraction

Relocating to this gorgeous village had been the first move in her recovery. Having fund with this man might be the next one…
He reached out and lifted her chin so she looked into darkened gray eyes.
Her heart nearly stopped beating.
“Who was he? Is he worth denying yourself the chance of future happiness?”
When Harrison’s lips met hers in the briefest of butterfly kisses, she was quite sure it wasn’t.

Catherine Coles, Locked Into Love

Cassie swayed her hips in time to the music, watching the tell-tale muscle in his jaw jump as he tried to keep himself under control.
“Something wrong?” she asked, blinking innocently.
“What the hell are you doing?” he responded through gritted teeth.
“Dancing.”
“You’re gyrating.”
“Am not,” Cassie grinned up at him, moving her hips in a circle against his erection. “That’s gyrating.”


Blaze is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.