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Inside the Cover Book Review Review by Noelle Sterne
Writer's Mind (CD Review) $19.95
I'd listened to self-help audios before-- to lose weight, get more assertive, corral my clutter-- but soon I was back to my indulgent, retiring, slovenly ways. But now I was desperate to get my writing fired up again. So, even with some skepticism, I sought out the Writer's Mind, a two-track CD.
The first 30-minute track, "Inspiration," is designed, as the jacket describes, to help you boost creativity, stimulate new ideas, brainstorm, plot stories, develop characters, and even vanquish the dread block. The second 40-minute track, "The Writing Zone," is intended to heighten motivation, enhance concentration, increase productivity, and keep you focused.
Big promises that sounded great. So, eager for a jolt of inspiration, I started the first track. But I was disappointed-- no explanations, anecdotes of other struggling writers, lectures, panel discussions, or even affirmations. Instead, the only sounds were of rain falling gently. These were admittedly comforting but hardly rousing. Nowhere on the CD jacket does the word "subliminal" appear, and I felt naïve and foolish in my expectation of strong words to help me write by.
However, when I studied the descriptions further and looked at the website (http://www.writersmind.com), I found much information and not a little inspiration, with motivating quotes from writers and additional writing aids. Like the jacket, the website explains that the CD utilizes the latest brainwave audio technology, with binaural frequencies. Developed by a team at the Immrama Institute (http://www.immrama.org), the techniques trigger whole brain synchronization, prompting us to simultaneously tap into our right-bring creativity and left-brain productivity. We're assured that we can listen as often as we like, with the only slightly scary disclaimer that, before listening, those with a history of seizures or epilepsy consult their physician.
How does it work? The subliminal frequencies guide the brain into combinations of the major (normal) brainwave states, alpha, beta, and theta. Alpha, for example, promotes relaxed awareness, visualization, and creativity; and theta encourages stress relief and deep relaxation. The first track utilizes these two states, certainly to be wished when we're evolving our current story's dramatic ending.
Heartened by these explanations, I kept listening, even though I didn't use the recommended headphones for maximum binaural effect. A chronic multitasker, I worked on a client manuscript as the rain fell in my ears. But halfway through the track, I felt strangely energized. Was I editing faster and sharper? Was it the caffeine at my elbow? The recent shot of sugared soy milk? Or was it the "Inspiration" track? The first two have been habitual for many years, and I'd never felt like this . . . .
A half hour later, I powered down and went out for my nightly exercise. Ab-deep in crunches, during which all I was visualizing was TV and a gargantuan bowl of popcorn, suddenly the first lines of this review popped into my mind. Coincidence?
Later, after TV and a tummy full of fiber, as I started falling asleep, a paragraph materialized. It was the continuation of a half-formed idea I'd had five days ago. Another coincidence? With uncharacteristic energy, I groped for the little notebook and pen on the nightstand and started scribbling.
The next day I listened to the rest of the CD, this time following instructions-- away from the computer, eyes closed, headphones in place. Two-thirds of the way through the second track, "The Writing Zone" (which uses alpha and beta, fostering heightened alertness and focused concentration), I felt a distinct sensation in my stomach. Not hunger, for me this feeling always signals creative excitement. I tore off the headphones and leapt to the computer. Four-five-six new ideas tumbled out, and I couldn't type fast enough.
I'm no longer skeptical or disappointed but hooked. It's hard to relinquish the conviction that our conscious thought produces our ideas. The Writer's Mind, however it works, helps us do just this-- relax completely, forget the pressure to produce, and release our control. As I discovered, creativity surges and the work blossoms.
So, even for an initial skeptic, the $19.95 is a fine investment. At best, you're energized, inspired, mentally sharpened, and bolstered in your writing. At worst, you're lulled to peacefulness by calming sounds of rain. Just keep a pen and notebook handy.
Writer, editor, writing coach, and academic consultant, Noelle Sterne holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature. She has published fiction, essays, poems, and writer’s craft articles in many magazines and online resources, including Absolute Write, ByLine, Children’s Book Insider, Writer’s Digest special issues, Writers’ Journal, The Writer, and, most recently, the 2008 Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market. Her children's book, Tyrannosaurus Wrecks: A Book of Dinosaur Riddles (HarperCollins) was in print for 18 years and featured in the first dinosaur show of the PBS television children's series "Reading Rainbow." In 2006, a short story won an award and was published in the CrossTIME Anthology, Vol. V. She continues to write and publish motivational and how-to articles for writers, with additional pieces scheduled in national magazines for 2007 and beyond. Current nonfiction projects include a book based on her academic consulting practice, Grad U: How to Survive and Succeed in Graduate School, Get Your Degree, and Ease the Trip for Yourself and Everyone Who Has to Live with You; a book specifically for children’s writers, Give Great Children’s Presentations; and a collection of essays for all writers, First You Find Your Desk: Start Writing and Keep Writing with Less Agony and More Joy.
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