Ghost Writing

I can't give a step by step guide to ghostwriting, no matter how many times I'm asked, but I'll go over some of the points here that I get asked a lot. However, if you want excellent information check out 'Ghostwriting' by Andrew Crofts as it's where I started.

For me, ghost writing seemed like a natural progression from journalism.  I often found when writing features that stories were simply ‘too big’ for them to be done justice within newspaper coverage.  Condensing someone’s story to 1,200 words could be done - but was usually as frustrating for me as it was for the person interviewed.  When I first met Donna Ford, she had just been through a horrific criminal trial in which she was a witness against her step mother who had abused her as a child.

Donna had never sought to prosecute this woman, but when she decided to help the police in their case, she had to face the demons she herself unleashed.  Donna was considering giving her story to a newspaper I worked for, but she had concerns.  Like many others in a similar position, she wondered how she could retain some control over what was said and how it was presented.  With the best will in the world, a journalist can only promise so much.  Editorial decisions, time pressures, space constraints can all affect a story so much that the person whose life story is being told barely recognises it.

There was so much of Donna’s story that hadn’t been told, and couldn’t be covered in any detail in a one-off feature.  Two things made Donna’s story stand out as ideal for a book – firstly, she herself was keen to see it told in that format (but was unsure how it could be brought about), and secondly, we got on.  From my first meeting with Donna it was obvious that, although she would be revisiting Hell as she told of her childhood years, we would make a good team.  

Now, lots of very professional, very experienced ghost writers will probably say that is a huge mistake.  They’ll say that you shouldn’t get too attached, you shouldn’t get too friendly, with your ‘subject.’  That might work for them, but I, personally, couldn’t see how you could ask someone to tell you the details of their life without making some attempt at batting for the same side.  So, Donna talked, I listened.  Donna opened her heart, and I wrote it all down.   And it worked.

Now, if you've read the above, it will hopefully answer a few of your questions.  Sometimes people wonder if the story will still be 'theirs' if a ghost is involved.  Yes, it will - it's your life, your tale.  However, you are probably looking into the possibility of using a ghost for a specific reason; usually that means that you've tried to write your story and and frustrated, or it isn't something you want to do, but you do want to get it all out.  A ghost will help, but you are also engaging someone who has experience and skill.  If you dream of getting a major publishing house to publish your 200,000 word vision and you are completely unwilling to take advice, it will all end in tears.  I write 80,000 word books.  My proposals are what publishers expect.  My agent knows the market inside out.  My books are bestsellers and you can pick them up in Tesco and Asda.  Within all of that, I will be supportive and do my absolute best for you if we do work together, but we both have to understand that publishers want certain things - now, if I haven't scared you off, please do get in touch!  I'm much nicer in real life . . . .