I’m sure there are many lessons that people learn when ghostwriting a book. These are a few of the things that I’ve learned in my own experiences.
Active listening during an entire interview or conversation. You can take notes while you talk or record the conversation if the client knows you’re using a recorder, but if you don’t have a recorder or don’t use it for phone calls you could miss some important details.
Most people love to talk about themselves and what they are interested in. A few questions may be all they need to give you the information you need.
If you are not clear on something, then repeat what you think they said and ask if that is right. You can also ask them to clear up some confusion over a topic or fact.
Ghostwriting can help you find your own voice by learning to write with someone else’s voice.
These are just a few. If you do some ghostwriting and have other things you’ve learned from the experience I’d love for you to leave a comment. Have a great day!
October 19, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Hi Dianne – nice to find another ghostwriter treading the virtual boards! I’ve mainly ghosted fiction, which people find surprising as they think of ghostwriters as tackling biographies. I totally agree that writing in another person’s voice helps you find your own – and to find a versatility in your own writing you may not have known you had. Also, having to ‘be’ another person while writing opens the doors to characters you may not have thought of trying out. Ghosting definitely broadens the mind!
October 20, 2009 at 5:32 am
Thanks for stopping by, Roz. Always good to hear from other writers and those who are ghostwriters.
November 1, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Thanks for the tips, Dianne. I’m trying to break into this field – it’s easier said than done though!
Karen Cioffi