All jobs have their ups and downs, but being a ghostwriter is a unique and privileged role to have. Here’s why it brings me joy.
1) No two jobs are the same. I am in the fortunate position of working closely with people from all walks of life. From businesspeople to billionaires, from pensioners to twenty-somethings, from celebrities to lionesses, from whistleblowers to reality TV stars. I have written for both men and women from all over the world.
For every book I must gain a deep insight into what makes that person tick. I get to ask questions that perhaps nobody, not even family or friends have asked before. I must understand how my author’s journey began, what their motivations are, how they made big life decisions. This makes my job fascinating, compelling and at times even life changing. Many authors have told me stories I shall never forget. Other authors have even inspired me to make positive changes in my own life!
2) I get to write all day. If I don’t write for a few days, I feel slightly twitchy and unsettled. The process of putting thoughts down, even thoughts of other people, is absorbing, calming, and enlightening all at the same time. Once in the writing flow, I lose hours on my keyboard. I can begin at 9.30am, look up at the clock is 1pm. Where did that time go? After a decent stint of writing, I feel calmer, clearer, and filled with a sense of accomplishment. Filling a blank screen with words that will end up in a published book is a feeling like no other.
3) I also love the interview process. Before I get to the writing stage, I need to interview clients closely. This isn’t a part of ghostwriting which is mentioned as much but is just as important. Interviews must happen at the beginning of any project. I like to think of them as conversations rather than formal sit-down interviews. The most important thing is that a client feels relaxed and comfortable with their ghostwriter. They need to enjoy the chat in order to access their memories or creative ideas easily.
4) I am helping people achieve a dream. There are many art forms where people dream of success but never quite make it. Actors, poets, artists, comedians, are all highly competitive professions with many failures along the way. Writing a book is a dream for many and countless wannabe authors give up along the way.
My job as a ghostwriter is to write a book to a deadline. My job is to make the book happen. During this process there are always challenges, obstacles and frustrations, but I will see it through to the end. Once the final draft is in and the author is happy, the satisfaction is immense on both sides!
5) I get to see the best of humanity. I have written books on serious subjects such as childhood abuse and the sex slave industry, as well as business books about over coming failure. Some of these books deal with the darker side of humanity. But despite writing upsetting scenes or speaking to people who have faced financial ruin, one thing always shines though: the author’s sense of strength and humanity. Whatever human beings face they always find a way to cope and make life better. A ghostwriter gets a ring side seat at the best of human endeavour.
6) My writing skills are always challenged. Before I begin writing a book for someone I am faced with a completely blank screen and for a moment this can feel overwhelming. It doesn’t matter if I have written dozens of books and millions of words in my working life. A small voice will wonder: Can you do this again?!
Momentarily I may believe I cannot write at all.
But then this moment passes, and I begin, slowly to feel my way into the prose. Before I know it, four hours have passed and indeed the opening chapter is written, and ideas are flowing. This initial fear keeps me engaged, excited and means I never ever get complacent about writing someone’s book.
Ghostwriting is not for the faint hearted nor for a writer who wants to coast along in life. But that suits me just fine. Every single book requires a different set of skills, because every author has their own unique take on the world. They have their own vision for their book and a different voice to capture.
Writing a book involves complete commitment and a laser-like focus. I rise to this challenge each time. This job tests my skills as a writer but being out of the comfort zone is where the richest rewards lie.
