Review of 'Reading A Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction – First Thought to Finished Story' by Linda Acaster.

Writing manuals come in many guises. Linda Acaster's 'ReadingA Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction – First Thought to Finished Story', ifyou'll forgive the reference, does what it says on the tin. If you're a reader, you'll find this book worthwhile andentertaining simply for the stories it presents for examination by writers. Thefiction is varied in genre and style but consistent in its good quality. Eventhe stories specifically written for the 'women's fiction market' are wellstructured and populated by rounded characters who will be familiar to mostreaders.If you're a writer, this is a book that will help developyour short fiction. The sample stories illustrate the author's points perfectlyas she explains her reasons for the various selections a writer must make as apiece of short fiction is constructed. Here you'll find advice on character formingand building, plot structure, language choice, viewpoint selection and muchmore. Linda introduces each story, and then presents it for reading in full.She follows this with an explanation of the processes she used in theconstruction.  Finally, she sets thereader an exercise in order to consolidate and fully bed in the lesson of thesection. Most writers are resistant to exercises: I certainly am.However, as with the excellent suggestions made by Dorothea Brande in her'Becoming a Writer', Linda's practice pieces are designed to make the reader abetter writer and will pay dividends to those who attempt them.I'm not a lover of writing manuals, but I place this onealongside the excellent Dorothea Brande's book, already mentioned, and StephenKing's 'On Writing', both of which have been formative in my writing. Linda Acaster's concise but comprehensive work onapproaching short fiction now has a permanent place in my library and I shallreturn to it each time I begin a new short story, in the hope that I canimprove on my skills and reach the market I am aiming at.