Left brain vs. right brain for writers

Research has identified two types of people, those whose left-brain is dominant and those were the right-brain dominates. The dominant left-brain is 'content' oriented, while someone with right-brain dominance will be 'process' oriented.

Left brain dominance:

• Logical
• Sequential
• Rational
• Analytical
• Objective
• Looks at parts

Right brain dominance:

• Random
• Intuitive
• Holistic
• Synthesising
• Subjective
• Looks at wholes

Muse on the right, the critic on the left

The right side of your brain is responsible for intuition and creative thinking and the left is responsible for that annoying inner critic. Shutting off your left-brain entirely would leave you unable to write —the left-brain produces language – but quieting your internal editor is the only way to get into the zone.

Writing flow

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi coined the term "flow" as another way of referring to “creative dissociation”. Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as that perfect balance between challenge and ability.

According to Csikszentmihalyi, "You can't make flow happen. All you can do is learn to remove obstacles in its way."

Alice Flaherty argues that creativity is due to a balance of your left and right brain. To make “flow” happen and learn how to edit and write effectively, you don’t need to get out of your left-brain and into your right. Instead, boost your creativity, concentrate on writing and shush your inner critic.