# Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to...



## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Edit for new cover:



"Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story" is a culmination of my other life as a tutor of fiction, first for an UK Adult Education establishment, then a distance learning college, and currently as a reader for a London literary consultancy - with a liberal sprinkling of series and single print articles on the techniques of writing fiction.

This 53,000 word book is aimed at those wanting to improve their writing techniques. Ten stories are taken from initial idea, through the story itself, to a commentary explaining the decisions made and techniques used during the writing, thereby setting a path to follow and showing the tools to use. Each commentary concludes with suggestions for using the discussed techniques in the reader's own fiction.

Sections include:
* Lyrical narrative v terse dialogue; using tone as a descriptive tool (Mainstream)
* Characterisation through deed and thought (Horror)
* A calendar structure using the Tell technique (Women's Fiction)
* The importance of pacing, and of duping the reader (Twist in the Tail)
* The use of alliteration, rhythm and subliminal detailing (Romance)
* Using the Show technique to elicit an emotional response (Cross-generational)
* Building fiction from a given line using an unsympathetic narrator (Crime)
* Working with a parallel storyline via past and present tense (SF)
* Making the everyday fantastical by preying on insecurities (Fantasy)
* Writing for performance and sound effects (Historical)
* Editing: ten common problems explored

From October the ebook will retail at $2.99 / £2.10 / Euro 3.05

Regards!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Hello again, Linda, and congratulations on your book! 

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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Thanks, Ann!

_Reading A Writer's Mind..._ Why did I write the book?

When I was moving my writing from hobby to career, the advice most often received was "study the stories of the greats". This advice I found worse than useless. How could I understand how these writers produced their fiction if all I could see was the finished whole? Writers' manuals highlighted elements needed to produce good fiction, but not how to implement these elements on the page to get the desired result.

This lack of basic resource for beginners haunted me through my career. I always felt that if only I'd been able to access a detailed explanation, years of trial and error would have been erased from my learning curve.

When I became a tutor in face-to-face creative writing classes and then for a distance learning college, I realised that beginners were still floundering the way I had. By that point I had over seventy published short stories to my credit, and I knew how they'd come into being. It is this knowledge that has been distilled into _Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story_.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

First interview & 5* review from Stuart Aken's blog http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-of-reading-writers-mind.html

"...Here'll you'' find advice on character forming and building, plot structure, language coice, viewpoint selection and much more. ... Linda Acaster's concise but comprehensive work on approaching short fiction now has a permanent place in my library..."

From a comment on Stuart Aken's blog spotlighting the book...
"This is not a "how-to" at all, but a "this is what I thought about, what I wanted to convey and why". ... I've learned so much about characterisation from this book that it has already coloured the way I craft my stories. ..."

99cents / 86p until 30th September.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Reminder: this is the last weekend at the discount of 99c / 86p - so get it, or gift it, while it's cheap.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Thanks to those buyers who took up the launch offer. The current price is $2.99 / £2.10.

Amazon UK review snippet: "...Linda's book has made me see the vital importance of characterisation. I now understand why some of mine seem to have a life of their own and others are not as satisfactory as they might be..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Gear up for NanoWriMo by gaining a thorough understanding of the importance of characterisation and viewpoint... and much more.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Explanation by example is always the best way. _Show_ don't _tell_ - sorry, couldn't resist that. But if you want a deeper understanding of the two techniques, and how to mix them, this is the ebook for you.

As well as everything else a fiction writer needs.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

If you have friends who are always muttering they want to write fiction, here's the perfect holiday gift.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4KY4W
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L4KY4W


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

I'm choosing _Reading A Writer's Mind..._ for SampleSunday this week, so drop by my blog to read part of the commentary on the opening short story, _Shared With The Light_.

http://lindaacaster.blogspot.com/p/reading-writers-mind.html


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Recouped your energy after NaNoWriMo? Fingers itching to tweak your script? Don't!

Do yourself a favour. First absorb "_Reading A Writer's Mind..."_ so you know what to look for.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

A reader's quote:

"I liked your tips on specific genre.  I’m working on a romance now and will remember your advice." - LN


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## R J Askew (Dec 4, 2011)

I wish you wld read my mind. I don't think it wld take you 53,000 words to nail it though. Think of all the syllables and adjectives in 53,000 words! Now if you cld reduce your guidance to say 14 lines and about a hundred syllables, that might be a one writing course worth paying heed to...provided it didn't take itself too seriously, and stressed that it did not really understand the blessed magic of creation.


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## R J Askew (Dec 4, 2011)

Hmmm, what is this warning all about ... you may with to review  your post? I am bewildered, not for the first time.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

14 lines and a 100 syllables? Might that turn out to be poetry, RJ? Not quite what I am hawking.

But thanks for taking an interest and dropping by. Have a good Christmas.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Just letting everyone know that I've been selected as the Christmas Special Author Interview across at The Review Girl blog http://komzreviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-special-author-interview.html

As well as talking about why I write multi-genre, up until 1st January there's a 5 ebook giveaway of _Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story"_. Hey, it does what it says on the tin.

Enjoy your Festivities!


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Last chance to win a copy of _Reading A Writer's Mind..._ at 
http://komzreviews.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-special-author-interview.html
It ends tomorrow!

Happy New Year everyone!


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

New Year, new resolution... so ensure you have the tools to carry out the job. You do want to improve your fiction, right?

"_Reading A Writer's Mind.._." will give you plenty to think about.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4KY4W
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L4KY4W


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Don't just create via gut feeling; it can lead you astray.

Know what you're doing so as to be able to circumvent mediocrity.


Edit: Just realised that 'Reading A Writer's Mind:...' has jumped into the charts at #39 in Kindle>>Writing Skills - Woo-hoo!! Thanks to my purchasers.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

From a review:

"...The difference is that she explains her own thinking, motivation, what, why etc of short fiction. The bonus is that each section is accompanied by one of her short stories to illustrate exactly how she came to write it, why she made the character who he/she is and what drives the story...."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

One of the questions that comes up regarding this book is _how much detail do you go into?_ The answer is, quite a bit. This is an excerpt from the beginning of a commentary on a short story using a calendar structure. I won't bore you rigid; it's short so as to give a flavour.

"...This is a Told story, to the extent that there pervades the impression that an invisible narrator is filtering, and condensing, events. It also plays into the hands of readers who jump to conclusions on the flimsiest of evidence.
I, as the writer, never lie in conveying the tale. Miriam, as the main character, never lies in either her recorded dialogue or her summarized discussions, or in the description of what she actually does. I, and therefore she, simply do not give the whole picture, and we can do this because of the distance readers are kept from the action via the use of selected omniscient viewpoint.
I position the boundaries early, as a writer always should, so that readers automatically acclimatise to the restrictions of the world view being offered. The choice of _They_ to open the first line is a deliberate attempt to set the distance that readers stand from the action. Consider how much chummier, and therefore closer, the story would have read if it had begun _Miriam and Michael landed in Portugal on Wednesday_ rather than the bald _They landed in Portugal on the Wednesday_. Note, too, _the Wednesday_. By the judicious use of adding a definite article, I move the emphasis from the abstract _They_ to the named day, and so start the calendar sequence..."

Thanks for reading.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Got a short story that's not working? Give it a test run.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

One of the anxieties of writers at the start of their careers is about their voice. Is it different enough? Is it memorable?

I have a voice - it's female, it's northern English, it's blunt Yorkshire through and through.

Is it different enough? Is it memorable? You shouldn't care. And you shouldn't care because you shouldn't hear it, except on this forum or my blogs. I don't star in my own fiction and neither does a faintly veiled clone. 

Character narrators set the voice of a story - or they should do.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

From an Amazon review:

"...If you're a reader, you'll find this book worthwhile and entertaining simply for the stories it presents for examination by writers. The fiction is varied in genre and style but consistent in its good quality..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

_Reading A Writer's Mind_... for that writer in you fighting to get out.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Last few hours of Read An Ebook Week, where _Reading A Writer's Mind.._. is 50% off.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/85788


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

10 short stories in 10 genres examining (over) 10 methods of conveying fiction.

Anything else? Oh yes...

How the 10 ideas came into being.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

From a UK review:

"...I write mainly plot-driven stories. Linda's book has made me see the vital importance of characterisation. I now understand why some of mine seem to have a life of their own and others are not as satisfactory as they might be..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Reding A Writer's Mind.... treat it as 11 extended blogposts on bringing short fiction to prize-winning fruition.

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4KY4W
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L4KY4W


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

I've been interviewed on the Why Did You Write That? blogspot, talking about my reasons for writing the book. Catch it at http://whydidyouwritethat.blogspot.com/2012/04/linda-acaster-reading-writers-mind.html?spref=tw

And yes, I know I'm technically challenged. There must be an easy way to create a hyperlink behind a phrase - I just haven't discovered it yet. Bear with me.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Why write in one genre when you can write in many. Let me show you how to push back your comfort zone!

From a review: "...given the advice, coaching, as well as the quality of the complete short stories within, I rate this a well deserved 4 star..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

"Show don't Tell" tends to be the repeated mantra, but it rather depends on what the author intends and the structure used. Explore a calendar structure and the Tell technique to convey the truth, but not the entire truth: _Permanently Portugal_.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Had a great workshop with Brid Library Writers yesterday using this ebook. Had their hair standing on end at one point. A neat trick, I'm sure you'll agree


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

_"...Linda Acaster's concise but comprehensive work on approaching short fiction now has a permanent place in my library and I shall return to it each time I begin a new short story, in the hope that I can improve on my skills and reach the market I am aiming at..." _

Great to hear this!


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Writing fiction isn't just a case of pouring your imagination on to a laptop. Thoughts need careful handling to be experienced by the reader. How do you handle yours?


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Here's an extract from the commentary accompanying the story _Permanently Portugal_. I'm explaining the decisions made on the structure, a calendar sequence supported by selected omniscient viewpoint. It'll give an idea of the depth of the discussions:

This is a Told story, to the extent that there pervades the impression that an invisible narrator is filtering, and condensing, events. It also plays into the hands of readers who jump to conclusions on the flimsiest of evidence.
I, as the writer, never lie in conveying the tale. Miriam, as the main character, never lies in either her recorded dialogue or her summarized discussions, or in the description of what she actually does. I, and therefore she, simply do not give the whole picture, and we can do this because of the distance readers are kept from the action via the use of selected omniscient viewpoint.
I position the boundaries early, as a writer always should, so that readers automatically acclimatise to the restrictions of the world view being offered. The choice of _They_ to open the first line is a deliberate attempt to set the distance that readers stand from the action. Consider how much chummier, and therefore closer, the story would have read if it had begun _Miriam and Michael landed in Portugal on Wednesday_ rather than the bald _They landed in Portugal on the Wednesday_. Note, too, _the_ Wednesday. By the judicious use of adding a definite article, I move the emphasis from the abstract _They_ to the named day, and so start the calendar sequence.

Thanks for reading.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Some fiction shouldn't just be read, but read aloud and savoured for its aural intensity. How would you go about writing something like that?

Check out _Reading A Writer's Mind..._


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

An ideal gift for a writer just starting out, pen in hand, looking for the signposts.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

From a 5* review:

"...The bonus is that each section is accompanied by one of her short stories to illustrate exactly how she came to write it, why she made the character who he/she is and what drives the story..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

A 5* review on Amazon.UK:

"This is one of the best books I have read on writing. The author gives examples of short stories and then expalins how the story was put together. A great help. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to write." - Pat Hemstock.

Short, but sweet.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

_Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story_ does what it says, er... on the Kindle. Ten stories from different genres and sub-genres are dissected and the decisions made in their writing laid bare enabling a writer new to the craft to understand what "writing from the gut" actually entails. And can use it as a blueprint for their own fiction.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

How do you get readers to empathise with a character?
What is deep third-person viewpoint?
Should I tell or should I show?

And lots more questions not just answered, but explained on the page.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Yes, it shows how short fiction is put together, but it also shows how a writer can produce so many different types of story and story structure.

New writers: you don't just have to keep repeating yourself.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

An ideal how-to for gifting this Christmas: "...I rate this a well deserved 4 star..."


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Know new writers eager to support their NYResolutions? Click on the cover and forward the link.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

Giving this non-fiction crossover a boost. It contains some great info for those in the market.


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## Linda Acaster (May 31, 2010)

"Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story" is now out as a paperback to complement the ebook.



10 genre short stories dissected as to the who, the what, the when, the how... of the creative process when aiming for a market.

ebk/pbk USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4KY4W
ebk/pbk UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L4KY4W


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