I'm a Mind Reader...That Means I Know What You're Thinking...Right...NOW
That was a rather creepy title, aye? I've never been a fan of mind-readers. Some of them just fake that they can read your mind, by picking a "volunteer" that had been debriefed earlier of what they were supposed to do to make the said mind-reader look good. If the mind-reader (hereafter MR) had picked a normal citizen and actually known what they were thinking, that would be cool. But it is always hard to know whether or not their volunteer actually knew what to do, or whether the MR had actually read the mind.
What brought me on the subject of mind-reading? Simple, really. When you're a writer, you can read your characters minds. If you did not know this, now you do. As the writer, you not only have access to your MC's thoughts, you also can influence them into making decisions. It's really a small feeling of world domination, is it not? As a writer, if you don't make the MC do something, they won't. Clear and simple. Want them to go hitch a ride on a giraffe? Sure! Just pick up your pencil and have at it. Need that old lady to be wearing a beret? Pencil it in and voila!
But even though this power can be slightly addictive, if you want there to be any suspense at all you've got to keep the readers from reading the MC's mind too much. If you want the deep dark secret to stay just that, then you can't have them running around thinking, "Ooh, remember when I wore my underpants on my head and yelled, 'I'm a deep sea diverrrrr!' and raided the cookie jar?", because that would ruin it if you planned on using this in a later chapter.
Take the Ranger's Apprentice books for example. I remember here was one chapter where Will was going to discard a bottle of something-or-another, but decided to keep it for what he had in mind. Now, the author could've told me right here and then that Will would use it to infiltrate a bandit's camp, but he didn't. He gave subtle hinting that the MC would need the bottle later, but he didn't give to many details. It was a good example of how the author could read Will's mind, but kept that ability from the readers.
So remember. You can read their minds, but don't let your readers be able to delve into the depths of your MC's brain too quickly if you want to keep them on the edge of their seats like they're going to pass gas any second now.
That is a--
HA! FOOLED YOU! That is NOT all. See, I was just checking if you could read my mind. But, honestly, I still had one more thing to say. Or rather, show. Here it is.
What brought me on the subject of mind-reading? Simple, really. When you're a writer, you can read your characters minds. If you did not know this, now you do. As the writer, you not only have access to your MC's thoughts, you also can influence them into making decisions. It's really a small feeling of world domination, is it not? As a writer, if you don't make the MC do something, they won't. Clear and simple. Want them to go hitch a ride on a giraffe? Sure! Just pick up your pencil and have at it. Need that old lady to be wearing a beret? Pencil it in and voila!
But even though this power can be slightly addictive, if you want there to be any suspense at all you've got to keep the readers from reading the MC's mind too much. If you want the deep dark secret to stay just that, then you can't have them running around thinking, "Ooh, remember when I wore my underpants on my head and yelled, 'I'm a deep sea diverrrrr!' and raided the cookie jar?", because that would ruin it if you planned on using this in a later chapter.
Take the Ranger's Apprentice books for example. I remember here was one chapter where Will was going to discard a bottle of something-or-another, but decided to keep it for what he had in mind. Now, the author could've told me right here and then that Will would use it to infiltrate a bandit's camp, but he didn't. He gave subtle hinting that the MC would need the bottle later, but he didn't give to many details. It was a good example of how the author could read Will's mind, but kept that ability from the readers.
So remember. You can read their minds, but don't let your readers be able to delve into the depths of your MC's brain too quickly if you want to keep them on the edge of their seats like they're going to pass gas any second now.
That is a--
HA! FOOLED YOU! That is NOT all. See, I was just checking if you could read my mind. But, honestly, I still had one more thing to say. Or rather, show. Here it is.
Who doesn't love looking at hilarious pictures of cats doing stupid things? 
Now. That is all. Enjoy your nyan cat.
<3 Seana
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