Diplodoco –
were I starting out now I would join one of the Facebook groups on ghostwriting as they seem to be very generous in offering tips and leads. I would also set my sights on an agent as fast as possible. I only got one out of luck – being introduced. I had some work behind me but had I just applied on my own I might well have been ignored – I was introduced by a friend.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest issues with writing is that readers and the celeb who is hiring you just sees the end result and can often presume that it’s ‘easy’. It’s ok when you’re getting a decent wedge but there are so many people out there who say, ‘ooh can you write me a novel as I’m the IDEAS PERSON ie they have one crappy idea’ and then look aghast when you point out that a novel goes through several drafts or a non-fiction book needs RESEARCH and hard work and rewrites.
JFK denied to his dying day that all his speeches were written by Ted Sorensen. They were written by Ted Sorensen.
How to go about being a ghostwriter? There are loads of good informative articles out there. Anything by Andrew Croft is worth a read. I do think you need to do some writing of your own first – to mimic someone else’s voice you need to find your own first.
thewritelife.com/how-to-become-a-ghostwriter/
Is my second job writing based? Yes it is.
Rage Against the Vending Machine – ha ha – great name
How long does an assignment last?
Depends – you knew I was going to say that! I’ve just seen a book come out that took me six months to write and I squeezed it in between my day job. When people say, ‘I wish I could write if I had the time’ I snigger as though writers have more hours in the day than anyone else.
How many words do you write a day?
I wish I was more disciplined frankly. I aim for 1000. The word being ‘aim’.
What would your advice be to a novice writer?
Discover your own voice first. Write a blog, or a journal but write. And read – read voraciously. That’s not me, it’s Stephen King.
What is your favourite book fiction/non fiction/favourite play and favourite short story?
Favorite book is Alias Grace by Margaret Attwood. I also love Marian Keyes and loathe how women writers are sneered at for writing ‘chick lit’. Men who write about relationships are not scoffed at. Play – Posh by Laura Wade about the Bullingdon Club.
Do ghost writers have their own award ceremonies?
Can you imagine? I wouldn’t want to be invited to a book launch – I’d be like the mad drunk aunty who everyone is worried might LEAK THE SECRET.
What would be your ideal assignment/who would be your ideal client?
One who trusts me to get on with it and shuts up. I don’t want your ‘thoughts’ at 2am thank you very much.
Why is Humour such a difficult category (they did not award a prize this year iirc) and what is the funniest thing you have read?
Comedy is fucking hard. A successful sitcom is the gold standard. And when comedy goes wrong it seems to make people very angry. It irritates me that people are ‘experts’ at comedy when they just sit on their arses watching it. I don’t mean you don’t have the right to an opinion but you really think you can do better? Go on then. 27 minutes with a joke every 30 seconds please.
David Walliams writes his own stuff. But most and when I say 'most' I mean 99% of celeb books are ghosted.