PhilipWhiteley

Spare a thought for the reader

August 23, 2017March 19, 2021
by PhilipWhiteley

Often, when people approach a ghostwriter to help them finish their story, they confidently assert: ‘My book is going to be a best-seller!’ Or: ‘Everyone says I MUST write a book!’ Unless they are already famous and have some exclusive revelations about equally famous folk, the ghost knows that this is going to be a difficult conversation.

In a contrasting manner, many introverted writers who have worked for years on their first novel are shy about it; reluctant to seek feedback from potential readers prior to publishing, and nervous about promoting their work after it is finally published. Read more “Spare a thought for the reader” →

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Whose story are we qualified to tell?

July 14, 2017March 19, 2021
by PhilipWhiteley

Anthony Horowitz, creator of the Alex Rider series of books, reported recently that he had been ‘warned off’ creating a black character. The criticism stems from the concept of cultural appropriation, which challenges the legitimacy of penning characters from a very different perspective of the author. The concept is North American, and the context is typically protest at a white affluent author portraying black, Hispanic or native American characters in a way that is inauthentic or stereotypical.

Obviously, taken to extremes, avoiding all ‘cultural appropriation’ would be impractical, and would end all works of imagination. It would also present problems for ghostwriters, and would mean that every ghost would have to have identical skin colour, religion, upbringing, etc as their client; otherwise, how on earth can they represent their worldview and tell their story? Read more “Whose story are we qualified to tell?” →

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It’s not (necessarily) about the fame …

May 22, 2017March 19, 2021
by PhilipWhiteley

There’s a certain mystique about writing, especially when you’ve had a book or two published. Perhaps that mystique has faded in the past few years, when it has become easier and cheaper to have a professional-looking opus produced and for sale in online bookshops, but I still feel proud to be able to call myself ‘author’ on Linked-in.

I’ve found that it comes with certain assumptions, however, not all of which apply to all authors. Above all, people have warned me that it ‘won’t make me rich’. This was the case 15 years ago when I first had a non-fiction business book published; I heard it again two years ago when the first novel appeared. Read more “It’s not (necessarily) about the fame …” →

Author: PhilipWhiteley

Spare a thought for the reader

Whose story are we qualified to tell?

It’s not (necessarily) about the fame …