My birthday was earlier this month. My wife gave me a card that read in part, “You are doing what you love, you are really in a good place, so celebrate! Enjoy and be thankful for everything you worked so hard for!” She was right. I have much to celebrate. For the first time in…
I was all set to write this post about a lesson I relearned—one a ghostwriter always needs to remember—It’s not my story, it’s theirs. Instead, I was reminded of the importance of avoiding ChatGPT and working with a human and not artificial intelligence when writing a book. I had a recent conversation with a client…
From the Compelling Story and Pat Myself on the Back Departments: A prospect (who still might become a client) paid me a great compliment. He told me that he really appreciated that I was as excited about his project as he was. He said he had spoken to other ghostwriters and got the sense they…
I didn’t realize one ghostwriting lead I had was a DIYer. He had confessed he couldn’t proceed because he didn’t have his family’s full support to tell his story. I understood and occasionally followed up to see if he had made any headway with his family. I usually heard nothing back. After about a year…
As a writer, it’s easy for me to see that more people need a writer’s help than they want to admit. I remember how at networking meetings people would come up with a rhyming tagline and thought they could write. They didn’t realize that it takes so much more to really write. You need passion,…
The following illustrates the ghostwriter’s process and expertise as a storyteller. A client recently sent to his younger brothers the most recent draft of what he wanted to be the first chapter of his memoir I’m ghostwriting. It would start at the end of the story. Both of them praised the opening story, then the…
When I started my freelance writing career in 2005, I knew nothing of niching down. Instead, I tried to write all things for all people. My rationale was that I needed work and I had transferable skills that could be applied to a large variety of writings: websites, personal introductions/elevator pitches/30-second commercials, crisis communications, speeches,…
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…
I have yet to meet the person who says, “My lifelong dream is to be a ghostwriter.” That wasn’t me, either. But like an early love lesson I learned as a child: You don’t look for it, it finds you. I can be your ghostwriter in Los Angeles and many other areas. My new career…
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…
