I'm ghostwriting full-time now, and you're right; there's so much that goes into capturing the subject's voice. I record every word and I work almost exclusively from the transcripts so they sound like themselves. I'll say this about Britney's ghost--he wasn't paid enough, no matter how much he received. I'll always choose a CEO's book over celebrity because every ghost knows the "cool" factor of being with celebs wears off quickly. And I'm learning that all of us have to deal with the "I never said that" argument, despite the subject being on audio AND video.
I know how hard it is writing my own books. I truly cannot imagine what it must take to write someone else's....AND to have them fighting with you over what they said! Oof. I'm sure that Britney was a challenge. ..and I can absolutely see where a CEO would be easier than a pop star. CEOs know how to delegate, and that seems like it's essential for a subject/ghostwriter relationship. PS: A FULL-TIME GHOST or CONFESSIONS OF A FULL-TIME GHOST a fabulous title. Just saying.
Jen, ghostwriting full-time must be quite the journey, especially capturing each subject's unique voice. I find that it's impressive how you rely on transcripts to ensure authenticity.
I can also see why you'd prefer working with CEOs over celebrities. The allure might fade, but the satisfaction of getting the story right never does.
Just curious, what's the most rewarding part of ghostwriting for you, Jen?
not every memoir admits to be ghost written - till something hits the fan (hello kristi noem). there are times that i feel the book has been ghost written, but it's hard to know.
Voice has always been confusing for me. My recent book died on submission and every single publisher that gave feedback said, "Loved the premise, loved the writing, didn't connect with the voice." I labored over rewrites to fix that but it still confuses me TBH. Thank for writing this, it gives me some more to think about in my own work and I'll keep trying!
I immediately thought "speck" when you pointed out that passage. Americans do have a tendency to go with their imagery of British people (flouncy with cool slang) than what they may actually be like. I know that tendency, ironically, stems from media, especially TV and movies (which, for a long time, were written, directed, and produced by Americans - also ironically). I listened to Harry's audiobook, however, so all the little American slips were much less obvious. Great post!
agree, i listened to it, and with his narration americanisms were less obvious. especially with his wife and living in california, it seemed more possible. written it would probably be more obvious.
As a book nerd, I've come across quite a few. It's always intriguing to see how a ghostwriter can capture the voice and essence of the person they're writing for.
One of the best examples that come to mind is Andrew Neiderman, who has continued V.C. Andrews' work seamlessly after her passing. His ability to maintain the gothic and melodramatic style that Andrews was known for is truly impressive. Another one mention is James Patterson's various collaborations. His co-authors, like Maxine Paetro and Michael Ledwidge, do a fantastic job of keeping the pace and tone that Patterson's readers expect, making it almost indistinguishable from his solo work.
Informative, detailed, and very timely article! I'm WIPing at the moment, trying to make sure my characters don't all just sound like me. Thanks for sharing your expertise, Jennifer.
What a magnificent and necessary piece on voice, even minus the parts about ghostwriting! Thank you for this...A new idea for a post has arrived thanks to the words "voice" and "fingerprint."
finding your unique voice is an art itself - I never thought about ghostwriting and basically diving into someones else's voice - very interesting perspective :)
Same! I read lots of memoirs, and specifically from many athletes, and this was still my favorite. Was excited to read Spare when I saw that Moehringer did that one too.
I'm ghostwriting full-time now, and you're right; there's so much that goes into capturing the subject's voice. I record every word and I work almost exclusively from the transcripts so they sound like themselves. I'll say this about Britney's ghost--he wasn't paid enough, no matter how much he received. I'll always choose a CEO's book over celebrity because every ghost knows the "cool" factor of being with celebs wears off quickly. And I'm learning that all of us have to deal with the "I never said that" argument, despite the subject being on audio AND video.
I know how hard it is writing my own books. I truly cannot imagine what it must take to write someone else's....AND to have them fighting with you over what they said! Oof. I'm sure that Britney was a challenge. ..and I can absolutely see where a CEO would be easier than a pop star. CEOs know how to delegate, and that seems like it's essential for a subject/ghostwriter relationship. PS: A FULL-TIME GHOST or CONFESSIONS OF A FULL-TIME GHOST a fabulous title. Just saying.
Jen, ghostwriting full-time must be quite the journey, especially capturing each subject's unique voice. I find that it's impressive how you rely on transcripts to ensure authenticity.
I can also see why you'd prefer working with CEOs over celebrities. The allure might fade, but the satisfaction of getting the story right never does.
Just curious, what's the most rewarding part of ghostwriting for you, Jen?
not every memoir admits to be ghost written - till something hits the fan (hello kristi noem). there are times that i feel the book has been ghost written, but it's hard to know.
Voice has always been confusing for me. My recent book died on submission and every single publisher that gave feedback said, "Loved the premise, loved the writing, didn't connect with the voice." I labored over rewrites to fix that but it still confuses me TBH. Thank for writing this, it gives me some more to think about in my own work and I'll keep trying!
Loved Andre Agassi’s Open. Went in looking for a little Brooke info but that book was so much more. Open is when I fell in love with memoir.
Thank you for giving us an inside look at how complicated it is to be a ghostwriter. Oof! And beautiful musings on voice!
You're providing excellent writing tips. Thank you!
I immediately thought "speck" when you pointed out that passage. Americans do have a tendency to go with their imagery of British people (flouncy with cool slang) than what they may actually be like. I know that tendency, ironically, stems from media, especially TV and movies (which, for a long time, were written, directed, and produced by Americans - also ironically). I listened to Harry's audiobook, however, so all the little American slips were much less obvious. Great post!
agree, i listened to it, and with his narration americanisms were less obvious. especially with his wife and living in california, it seemed more possible. written it would probably be more obvious.
I couldn’t even get past the first couple of chapters.
Same!
As a book nerd, I've come across quite a few. It's always intriguing to see how a ghostwriter can capture the voice and essence of the person they're writing for.
One of the best examples that come to mind is Andrew Neiderman, who has continued V.C. Andrews' work seamlessly after her passing. His ability to maintain the gothic and melodramatic style that Andrews was known for is truly impressive. Another one mention is James Patterson's various collaborations. His co-authors, like Maxine Paetro and Michael Ledwidge, do a fantastic job of keeping the pace and tone that Patterson's readers expect, making it almost indistinguishable from his solo work.
Informative, detailed, and very timely article! I'm WIPing at the moment, trying to make sure my characters don't all just sound like me. Thanks for sharing your expertise, Jennifer.
What a magnificent and necessary piece on voice, even minus the parts about ghostwriting! Thank you for this...A new idea for a post has arrived thanks to the words "voice" and "fingerprint."
finding your unique voice is an art itself - I never thought about ghostwriting and basically diving into someones else's voice - very interesting perspective :)
Same! I read lots of memoirs, and specifically from many athletes, and this was still my favorite. Was excited to read Spare when I saw that Moehringer did that one too.