How to bake a book, The Big Bang Theory, and apple pie.
Before we begin, I want to know if you’re a left or right brained person and does that influence what you read?
This is the question we will explore. You are invited to comment on this post. One person who comments will be selected to receive an autographed paperback of one of my books—your choice—and some SWAG.
In my growing up years, I am convinced I was right brained dominate. I avoided science the way a vampire runs from daylight. I took biology in high school and college—because I was forced to—yet managed to avoid chemistry, physics, or anything else the brainy nerds on The Big Bang Theory find fascinating. And yet, at the core of this TV program reflecting our modern culture, each character is searching for a heart connection—yes, even Sheldon Cooper wants love.
While in school, I was attracted to words, books captivated me. They became my best friend since I changed addresses frequently due to the Air Force posting my dad around the country and overseas. In the 6th grade, while living in Japan and attending a military school, I penned a romance. Ohhhh, the pain that produced!
My teacher, Mrs. Cohen from Boston with her too-tight panties (and if you’re out there reading this, yes, I really did think that about you) pulled my parents in for a conference. This was a baaadd thing. My Air Force father had to take off from work and was confronted with something he considered childish. “All of this over scribbles about two kids holding hands!” Needless to say, Mrs. Cohen kept a close eye on me after that, but also gave me a wide berth.
While my parents never encouraged my writing, it was my secret world. I had poetry published in a literary magazine during high school, and then while in college, I became a reporter for the newspaper. Words, I learned were powerful. And I wanted to be blanketed in them.
By now, you’re wondering how I’m connecting books, apple pie, and the science between left brain and right brain dominance. Stick with me and you’ll see.
I contend baking an apple pie successfully can reveal whether or not you are left-brain or right-brain dominate. I’ll lay out my premise for you to decide; however, you’ll actually have to work to prove me wrong. It’ll be fun, I promise.
All of us have two sides to our brain. The difference in the power of the left and right has to do with how we process information. The left side takes in information in a logical and sequential order. For intuitive and random information processing, the right side steps up. If we process with only one side of our brain, we can get lost in the world. Literally—like not being able to follow a map.
So, battle lines are drawn between the left and the right…I’m still talking about the brain here. The dominate side of our brain is often the side we rely on when learning new things. However, to get the most out of life, having a balance between the sides of our brains allows us to broaden our learning, thus our life experience.
This is where apple pie enters to take a bow. Baking is an art (just like writing a book.) The visual of the pie with a scalloped edge enhances the appeal of the dessert. We eat first with our eyes. Our taste buds tango when we see the golden brown steaming pie pulled from the oven. Yum! However, to get to that final mouth-watering experience, we start with the left brain—logical and sequential ordering. Baking, more so than other cooking, requires precision measuring of ingredients. Too much flour or too much fat and the crust isn’t flakey. Too much brown sugar or cinnamon masks the flavor of the apples. Accurate handling of the ingredients is needed to ensure a tummy-satisfying experience once our eyes signal for us to take a bite of pie.
Writing a book is very similar to making a pie. The cover might look great, but when you take a bite—the story—is it satisfying? Is there a balance between characters, tension, emotion, and the progression of the story?
As an author, I need both sides of my brain to bake a book. I need the right to sweep me away to the world of storytelling, but then, I need my left brain to handle all the details of getting the book to readers—the business side of books: galleys, cover art, formatting, and promoting, etc.
To bring my best work, I need to strengthen both sides of my brain. But does that influence what I read? Does your left-right brain percentage influence what you read?
It is my hypothesis that romance readers—like me—want books with a deep heart connection and a happy ending. It doesn’t really matter if we’re left or right brain dominate—it’s love that connects us. The cast of the brainy characters on The Big Bang Theory proves that.
If you want to determine if you’re left brain or right brain dominate, bake an apple pie. For those who avoid baking (like me), I’m including some websites with quizzes about brain-side dominance. I hope you’ll take one…or more and get your score, and then please comment about whether or not you believe your brain dominance influences what you enjoy reading.
Here are links to some short and entertaining quizzes:
Please be sure to leave a comment with this post and I also hope you’ll connect with me! I’m seeking a heart connection with other romance readers.
Website: http://www.linda-joyce.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaJoyceAuthor
Twitter: @LJWriter https://twitter.com/LJWriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6950241.Linda_Joyce
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Joyce/e/B00BODDROS/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/LindaJoyceWorld/boards/
Happy Reading,
Linda Joyce
Thank you for inviting me to be a guest here. And for the record, I am still slightly more right brained than left.
Smiles,
Linda Joyce
Thank you for being here. I always enjoy meeting new authors and I think readers of Romance on Wheels do as well.
Is that right folks?
Thanks for being here, this is all very interesting.
Left Brained. Enjoyed the test.
Do you think that is why when I dance it is said
That I have two left feet?
Ha, Carol. Never thought of it like that.
Ha, never thought of that.
Carol,
LOL. I can’t be sure. But I can’t dance… and my right brain score is slightly higher than my left. So what does that say about me? hehe
I’m right brained and love to read almost more than anything else in the world. ?
Thanks for responding Connie. Hope you enjoyed the activity.
That’s awesome Connie.
Connie,
(That’s my sister’s name, too.) Do you have a favorite genre? Do you recall your favorite book as a child?
I like many genres, but I guess mystery/suspense with romance mixed in is my very favorite. Right now I’m reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara so that’s really different, and long, and good. When I was a little girl, The Little Train that Could was my favorite book. What about you, Linda.
I took the a Left Brain/Right Brain test and scored 50%-50%.
It’s fun learning about this, isn’t it?
It’s interesting, isn’t it?
Eileen,
Oh my! Just goes to show you that you can’t really trust the internet. LOL.
63% left brained 37% right brained
Analytical. Do you work in an analytical field?
I have my teaching degree – secondary education for Social Studies and did teach for awhile. For the last 7 years I have been an admin assistant at a dental office. I give myself the official job title of “Other Duties as Assigned”
Byanne,
I’ll bet you’re organized to a T. Love the “Other Duties…” title. 🙂
47-53, but it said I use it equally.
That’s interesting.
aylssa,
That is a curious thing about the test…it said I was equal, too, but the left side of my brain screams, “No! 47 doesn’t equal 53.”
65%right brain 35%left brain
So you’re very creative!!!!
lili4rich,
lol, when was the last time you made a pie? What are your hobbies? Creative things, I’ll betting.
Not sure, Left brain I guess because I’m right handed,
Kate, click on the links above and take the tests. You don’t have to share if you aren’t comfortable, but it’s kind of fun knowing.
I’m 34% left – 66% right in the Sommer-Sommer test.
I am 63% right brained as the pt psychtests indicates and
right brain inclined 54% in the personality quiz.
I’d say that’s about right. But, also, any given day, depending what else is going on, can be different.
PJ, lol, clearly you lean to the right–of the brain. I can’t speak for politics. 🙂 Thank you so much for having me as a guest. It was a lot of fun.
All my best,
Linda
Every test of I took said I was almost even. Which I figured would be the result. I’m unsure it influences my reading, I just enjoy reading. I read everything from science journals to erotic romance. So maybe that’s why I like such a variety.
That’s excellent! I have to read every night or I can’t sleep. Hope you’ll give my books a try.
I’ll bet you’re right Corissa, but variety is the spice of life!
34% Left, 66% Right!
What’s your favorite hobby? Something with ribbon and colors? Not baking, I’m guessing. 🙂
Jewelry making! 🙂
Very creative.
I am strange i actually am 50% both i can back an apple pie and do the matmatical stuff to took test as a lark and it showed 50/50
That’s wonderful. I’ll take a pie, please. 🙂
There will be many of us and we’ll have a big pie party.
I’ll take a piece of apple pie too. I like mine with cheese!
I’m right brained, although some of the questions may have been skewed because I’m blind in one eye. 😉
I also think any given day the questions can be skewed.
Aleveria,
I think my hormonal days skew the testing, too. LOL
I am mostly left brain , BUT I also have my right brain side. Have I confused you enough 🙂 ?!?!
Absolutely. 😉
I’m 72% left brained, which is no surprise to me! This was fun! Thanks for sharing it!
You’re welcome Linda. Do you work in an analytical field?
I am a recently retired special education teacher with absolutely no artistic ability!
Congratulations on your retirement.
Linda,
From one Linda to another, if you taught special Ed, then you are creative–in my humble opinion. It just looks different on you. To handle children, you must be able to be flexible, go with the flow, and maintain order and safety, all the while Teaching. That’s pretty creative to me.
I took the test. I use both sides fairly equally!
That’s kind of neat. Even Steven.
88% left brain.
So mostly analytical. Do you agree with the tests?
I knew I would be left brained but it is funny because I got different scores on all 3 tests I did. The thirds one put me closer to the middle too. I do prefer order and details and if there is a project I am great at working it out and solving it. I love language and math has always been a strong subject for me. Maybe it just depends on the day since I am a Gemini:)
I think it always depends on the day! Some days I’m sharper than others.
Lori,
Ahhhh! A Gemini woman! Smart! and complex. You’re a two-for one.
Smiles,
Linda
While not a math oriented person, I do follow baking instructions to the T. I get lots of compliments on my apple pie. I even make the crust from scratch too. But don’t you know that left handed people are right minded.
Pat
Yep, I do know that and I’d love a piece of apple pie.
Pat,
Do you have a secret for making crust?
I am 54% – Just a little toward right brained. Basically stable. My daughter, that I raised on my own, would be totally right brained. I keep telling her to start writing! Her crafts and art show an imagination off the scale.
That’s wonderful for her. What are her favorite crafts?
She makes everything. For birthday parties my four year old grand-daughter goes to, she makes the birthday girls princess dresses. Full blown with huge skirts! She also always brings gift baskets, makes her own candy and baked goods, which are included in gift packets for all the children attending a party her daughter is invited to. In HS she won awards for her artwork. If her daughters school needs to raise funds, she is always there and her concoctions always bring the most money in. So, a middle brained single mom raised a child, that when she was days away from having her own daughter, decided she was hot and stripped naked and took a dip in her child’s play pool on their back porch! Thankfully, they lived in the middle of nowhere Arizona desert….
Wow she sounds amazing. I wish I lived closer to her. And, pregnancy hormones are excused.
BJ,
What an amazing mom you are to her! Does she give recipes out? lol
I use my brain equally according to the test 41%left and 59% right
That’s great Terri. Do you agree with it?
I do agree with it, and I just figure double.up lol
I found I was 70% left brain and 30% right brain.I like to cook,read,walk on beach.I have been married 32 years and have 2 grown children.I have had jobs in the food industry and worked as an analyst for The Nuclear Regulatory Commision.The food jobs were more creative.Thr NRC required doing things according to rules.I worked with states and Indian tribes detrrmining where to put a final disposal.No one wanted it ,but NRC and Department of Energy put in the desert of Nevada.Nothing there because it id still in litigation.I love a completed project like an apple pie,finishing a booketc.NRC was frustrating.
Wow Catherine, it seems you’ve found the positions for you.
I always test as 50% right brain & 50% left brain. I am not the greatest and math and science (just decent), but my left brain has given me great facility with languages and also grammar, while the right brain gives me a great imagination. Good balance for someone who wants to be a writer.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Good balance indeed Kimberly.
Kimberly,
We really do need both side of the brain. I think we need both sides of many things, but lol that’s a different topic.
Wow. So 3 out of 3 tests said left dominant. I guess I’m not too surprised. Lol
Interesting though, isn’t it?
I am definitely left brain, but on the average about 70%. I think that with some genres, it might affect it more than others, but I don’t think it does with romance.
A mixture of both
A mixture is good.
took all 3 tests. first two was pretty much 50/50. last one was left brain dominant.
Are you surprised at that Debs?
interesting. Which do you think is correct?
Love to cook; math, not so much…. LOL!
I know what you mean. Math, while I can do it, is not something I enjoy.
Yah…. I can make many, many delicious dishes without breaking a sweat, but sometimes it’s almost more than I can do to add 2 + 2 + 2!
Well, we each have our strengths. Stick with the cooking!!!!
Yes….. well that and reading as many books as I can…. LOL!
Mary,
Your last name, Brannian, is interesting. Mine is Brannan.
As it turns out, I use both sides of my brain equally.
I’d say that makes you pretty lucky – both analytical and creative!
It’s been many years, but I can bake an apple pie. I always did well in math and science. I took all three tests, and 2 said I use both sides equally and the third said I was left dominant. I love romance, but I will read non-fiction on occasion. I suspect if I were all left brain, I’d like more non-fiction and less romance. Good thing I’m not more left brained. 😉
Agreed!!!!
I am balanced between both sides neither has dominance
Balanced is good!!!
PJ,
Thank you again for inviting me to be a guest here. I think everyone enjoyed the mind teasers.
I’ll be sending the book out ASAP to the winner.
Happy Reading to all!
Linda Joyce