In my newspaper journalism days, I learned that reporters must collaborate and cannot do their jobs in a vacuum. There was a great deal of collaboration throughout the process: I would talk to somebody who had a story idea, I would consult an editor to get permission to work on it (or the editor would…
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A memorable memoir goes beyond simply recounting events; it explores the emotional journey, universal themes, and the author’s unique voice and perspective. It resonates with readers by articulating something about being human and using personal experiences to demonstrate universal truths. Here’s a more detailed look at what makes a memoir memorable: Compelling Story. It all…
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Last week, I wrote about four questions every ghostwriter should ask a prospect. Read it here. One could argue that those are the four most important questions because they should be asked first, but that doesn’t mean the next seven aren’t important, too. What format should the book take? As I’ve written previously, there are…
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Anyone who ghostwrites memoirs understands how involved the process is and the need to ask questions. There has to be between six months and a year’s worth of communication between the ghostwriter and the client. The ghostwriter can’t write the story without the client’s input because the ghostwriter doesn’t know the story. The client, in…
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Time to focus, people! I recently spoke to someone seeking a ghostwriter for his memoir. He bent my ear for more than an hour, telling stories about his life. And he has had quite a life. From his time working at a top advertising company, to his time in the Nixon, Ford, and Reagan White…
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Last week, I started discussing how ghostwriting is expensive because it is so specialized. Read it here. I covered three skills: writing as someone else, organizing massive amounts of information, and understanding what is a compelling story. Now, I’ll tackle the abilities to interview, research, and budget time. Interview — A ghostwriter has to spend…
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About a year ago, I wrote about a reason ghostwriting can be expensive: Time is money. Read all about it here. There is another reason, however. Ghostwriting is definitely a specialized skill. Not everybody can do it, Just like critical thinking, public speaking, problem solving, leadership, driving, cooking with charcoal, predicting the weather, and taking…
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I had an idea for a post, inspired when I recently found this quote on Reddit: “Your first published story or novel will have to be better than the average published ones.” The unnamed writer explained: Writers at a workshop wanted to know why one student’s story didn’t sell and it was better than these…
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One reason stories are so effective is because, when presented with conviction, enthusiasm, and clarity, they are memorable—and you need a speech to be memorable because people have short attention spans. According to Gloria Mark, a psychologist and the chancellor’s professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, attention spans have been shrinking over…
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Here’s a story about stories. I recently gave a speech at a networking group of which I have been a member for eight years (and am quitting this month, but that’s not important right now). I had 10 minutes to talk about ghostwriting, since we were expected to talk about our business. I had previously…
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