‘Good writers have one thing in common,’ said my English teacher at school. ‘They’re all big readers.’
That gem of advice make an impact on me then and has followed me ever since. Not that I needed much encouragement to read – I’ve always been a bookworm – but it was inspiring to know that my hobby wasn’t only enjoyable in its own right, but also helping me to express myself in writing.
If I asked you about the most important skill for ghostwriters, chances are you’d respond; ‘writing’. The clue is in the title, right? But there is another, equally strong requirement. (And no, it is not being a ‘ghost’). Ghostwriters need to be expert interviewers too. People like me can be the best writers ever, but if we can’t get the story out of the author’s head and onto the page, the collaboration will not be successful. Read more “Ghostwriting – What to expect in an interview”
That’s a big question. And the answer is, no, it could not.
However, ghostwriters remain the most secretive and arguably most disregarded group of professionals in the industry.
Did you know that almost ALL non-fiction books are written by ghosts, and if not from scratch, then heavily edited?
Many big fiction authors, like James Patterson, also use ghostwriters to churn out their latest bestsellers too. This is because they cannot keep pace with the insatiable demand for new titles. Read more “Could the publishing industry survive without ghostwriters?”
Looking through the papers last weekend, my eye was caught by the heading of an article in The Sunday Times’ Culture magazine: ‘TV presenter Jay Blades says: “I’ve written my memoir; now I’m going to read it.”’ Read more “The most interesting stories of all . .”
It’s what we all think, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter whether you’re reading a book or writing one, the end of the next chapter is where you know you can safely put the story aside and take a break.
If you’re reading then it might be when you turn out the light/get off the train/finish your meal.
If you’re writing then it’s probably when you breathe a sigh of relief, get up from your desk and head for a cup of tea while thinking, ‘that went OK’. Or maybe, ‘that might need revisiting tomorrow, but at least I can take a break now’.