Playing Ghost: My Erratic Experience as a Ghostwriter

    

     A friend of mine came to me with an idea. He wanted me to write a book with him, or more so for him. His idea was enthusiastic, brilliant, and emotionally explicit. He had an attachment to it for personal reasons. I won’t go into detail out of respect for his privacy. I agreed, sharing his excitement for the story. The task came with an array of experiences: some were great, some were good, and some were absolutely terrible. Before I go into my experience playing ghost, let me explain what ghostwriting is.

     When you ghostwrite for someone you are hired to write for them, but you are not the author. The person who has hired you is the author while you remain invisible (for the most part). There are some ghostwriters who take some writing credit, such as a story told by so and so, written by you. Ghostwriting can be any kind of writing. Some writers are hired to write blogs for others, letters, emails, memoirs, non-fiction, speeches, and fiction. They write, but take none of the credit for the words written. It may seem strange, but writers do it all the time.

    Ghost writing can be a good thing, a decent way to make extra income. There's several people out there who want to write a book or a blog, but may not have the time or talent so they hire a writer. Celebrities, doctors, politicians, and even other writers often do this.
    
      My ghostwriting experience could have been good, but it ended in disarray, and the loss of a friendship. I wanted to share my experience because it has been so significant to me both personally and professionally. I may come off sounding a bit biased. Sorry about that (kind of).

     I pretty much took a year off my own writing. When he came to me with his idea I was deep into the sequel of Beyond Gavia. I thought, I can write both. It was unrealistic, so I shelved my book to focus on his. Even though I was the ghostwriter I often felt the lines were blurred on this project. A ghostwriter is supposed to take someone else's ideas and words and put them on paper. I assume most ghostwriters get a synopsis or an outline. I never got any of these. We did juggle ideas, sent several emails, but there was nothing concrete to walk on, just a wobbly bridge where I had to lay the ideas down to step upon. The premise was his. The antagonist was his (whom even though was the villain, he wanted to be the star of the book). The rest was pretty much mine. Some of the setting came from him. But I took the bare bones he gave me and covered them with muscle, blood and flesh. In definition I wasn't a ghostwriter, I was a co writer yet I had to maintain a shadow of him.
    
     He didn't want me to tell anyone I was writing his book. I was supposed to sign a confidentiality agreement, but I never did. Several aspects of the project we agreed upon never came to light. During the project we'd talked about me taking a bigger role since I'd been not just the writer but part creator. I was supposed to sign a contract, but I never did. The reasons for this is because I didn't agree with some of the elements within the contract. He was supposed to make changes, but never did. I did tell people I was ghostwriting. They saw me doing it. My family knew, as well as a few co workers. Some people couldn't understand the concept of ghostwriting. They thought it was silly when I could be writing for myself, but I believed in the project.

     The great of the project came with collaborating with a friend who possessed great creative talent. We were amazing together in that aspect. We played off each other and created amazing content and characters. I loved that part. It was a high. But the high didn't last long and often came crashing to the ground.

     The good was the writing. I love to write. I loved the story and characters we'd created. I'd said previously I was never given an outline to write from. I was told to let the ideas flow and that my creative output was trusted. This sometimes worked, but there was several instances I had to make rewrites because he was 'feeling' what I wrote. This became extremely frustrating because if I'd had an outline the need for such rewrites may have never existed. It was time wasted on my part and unfair to me as his writer.

     The terrible often overshadowed the good and great. I was hired to write a book, but while doing so my friend often disappeared for days and weeks. I'd be writing and suddenly I wouldn't hear from him or couldn't reach him. He worked in the entertainment industry and lived a hectic and busy lifestyle, yet instead of communicating with me he'd jump ship, only to climb back on weeks later begging for me to finish the project.  The book meant a great deal to him and he'd made connections in the literary world. The book had publishing potential. I wanted to be a part of that. He was a bridge I didn't want to burn. But his in and out behavior occurred all the time. It was unprofessional, unfair, and overly frustrating. I kept allowing him to treat me and the project in such a way, so the negative impact the project had on me became just as much my fault as his.

     I finished the first draft. It was an amazing accomplishment. I learned mountains about myself while writing the book. I learned I can write and finish a book without shelving it. I have written three books, but I have several half written, stored in computer files, begging for my attention. I think as writers we often begin our stories and abandon them, succumbing to writer's block or other life stressors. Later we come back to them when inspiration strikes. This can become a vicious cycle where plots and characters are left hanging by us. I couldn't do that ghostwriting. I had to plow through. I had to keep writing. Ghostwriting taught me discipline. It was a great lesson.

     The terrible extended at the loss of a friendship. We'd been friends on and off for over ten years, randomly dropping in and out of each other's lives. We always connected on a creative level, and that was where our friendship thrived. But we clashed when it came to business. After I finished the first draft I was suppose to run the first full edit, but I didn't. I pulled out of the project and handed over the first draft in a complete document. I couldn't work with him anymore. It was heartbreaking. I'd spent a year of my life creating something I had to let go of. I mourned it. I'll never do it again.

     I wanted to share my experience. It's personal and I will admit not the most conventional ghostwriting story. I felt the definite need to share it with other writers who may benefit from it. I'd also like to share a list of things to consider before taking on a ghostwriting position.

          1. Make sure you have a clear cut agreement with whomever is hired you. There should be a sound contract that includes confidentiality, what is expected of you as a writer, what is expected of the author, and any financial agreements made.

          2. Make sure you know exactly what the person are writing for wants before you go wasting your time, such as obtaining a complete outline and synopsis.

          3. Make sure you are comfortable with writing and letting someone else take the credit for it.

         4. If you are writing for a friend, tread carefully. Business and friendship may not mix as well as you hope.

         5. Don't be taken advantage of.

         6. Make sure you and who hires you are clear on a deadline.

         7. If you are serious about writing for yourself, be careful about abandoning your own projects for someone else's.

     I'd love to hear stories from other writer's who have ghostwritten before, as well as others who are considering it.