The Challenge

The gap between the idea. the story, or the events of a life, and the screen or written page is huge. Ask any writer about the daily challenge of getting the words out of their head and into a space that can be read by others, and they’ll talk  about the pressure, frustration and misfiring attempts all day long (if you’ll let them!)

That’s where ghostwriters come in: we bridge the gap as effortlessly as possible. Our skill is to help the writer – of whatever genre – get what’s in their head in front of their readers. How do we do that?

The most obvious answer is through a series of interviews. But there are also stages leading up to that which help make the process efficient. I’ll talk about those initial stages before exploring how the interview process works.

Before the interviews start

When an author and I agree to collaborate, the first thing I do is to arrange a single session. The author’s preparation for that session is to think about a single question: what is the book about? The question is deliberately all-encompassing. I can help them start to refine their answers during the session but I want the author to examine the underlying messages, themes, ideas and stories in the broadest possible way before we embark on the process of writing the book. The reason for this first step is to challenge gently all the notions they have established in their own minds about the book: a process which has in all probability become distorted and weighed down with over-thinking.

This question prompts a reassessment of the fundamentals and allows us to shape the book together. A lot of the author’s thinking could be retained but the exercise itself is useful as a basis to clarify and explain the essential elements of the book. They also provide a good basis for identifying the areas I will need to research to improve my understanding (and therefore the appropriateness of my questions) in the next sessions.

The interviews

Once that first session is concluded, I write an outline of the book identifying the key thoughts, themes and ideas as well as the structure and chapter breakdown. This is our working blueprint. From that blueprint I suggest a schedule of interviews labelling each interview with usually a chapter to discuss. In advance of each meeting, I send the author questions so that they have time to consider what we’re talking about and dig out anything (either from their mind or from their own archive) that has a bearing on that chapter.

The questions themselves are designed to help the author explore and examine the topic and to delve as deep as they wish into it. I may also push a bit harder in areas where I understand that readers will want more, even if the author is reluctant to go deeper. Of course, in the end, it is the author’s book and without question their decision about what goes in to it, but I would not be doing my job if I neglected stories or themes which would improve the potential success of the book.

Recording and records

I record each session so that we both have a precise record of what we said and what was discussed. The recordings are always available to the author if they would like to have them. After the book is complete, I archive the recordings but only ever access them if there is a dispute or problem. So far, the archive remains totally untouched!

Fiction process

For fiction, the process is different and depends on how much involvement in the book the author wants to have. If it is minimal, our initial discussion will focus on the main idea, setup, characters and themes and, with some backwards and forwards as I progress through the book. In other cases, it could be a more intense collaboration that sees the author and I working through chapters together, discussing plot points, ideas, characterisation and pacing as we move ahead.

Writing stages

The first milepost after the outline is sending a draft chapter to the author to make sure that what I’m writing and what he expects to be reading are in alignment. There is nothing worse – for all parties – than delivering a manuscript that the author doesn’t feel represents them or the book they have long dreamed of, faithfully. An early sight of the writing provides hugely useful feedback for me and provides the author with the reassurance that the process is going to work.

Working to a schedule

Thereafter, we work through the outline to an agreed schedule. As the book starts to build and our discussions develop, inevitably there will be greater or lesser reassessments of the book outline – the interview process always throws up new insights and thoughts which change the nature of the book’s message. It’s inevitable and, in my view, to be welcomed: it shows that the author is understanding their subject – including themselves – better as a result of the  interviews. That tells me I’m doing my job. So, inevitably some sections will have to be re-worked, cut or developed. That is very much part of the process.

The first draft

A first draft emerges from all of this. I often say to authors that a lot of the first draft is about making sure the content is correct and the voice works. If that’s the case – and it should be barring minor tweaks – then a full review of the manuscript, conducted either together or separately, will result in a list of revisions and some re-writes. This can be a bit like a snag list on a building project. I’ll take the list away, work on it and quickly produce a second and, hopefully, final draft for you.

And that is how it works… (mostly!)