Tuesday, August 21, 2018

The Rich And Enlightening Experience Of Memoirs Ghostwriting

By Shirley Reed


Everyone who obtains a degree in journalism or literature believes they will one day be another Pat Conroy. In reality, most writers wind up becoming masters of spin for the local newspaper or television station. It takes guts, ambition, and a great deal of creativity for a memoirs ghostwriting author to find someone that the world will sufficiently regard as a person of interest.

To write such stories, the ghostwriter must pay particular attention to every facet of the history of their subject. They need to have a genuine interest in the story that is being shared with them. A great deal of trust is being placed in their ability to be non-biased, entertaining, thorough and creative as they record events their subject carries strong emotions on.

Without free access to the home the job is nearly impossible to accomplish. In fact, sometimes the subject must issue their storyteller a temporary Limited Power of Attorney so that they are able to obtain any legal, medical, or historical documents which might be of a private or protected nature. Many a history teller has had to meticulously organize the documents, photographs, and other memorabilia in homes that can only be described as a hoard.

This gets rough when their subject is an elderly person possessing phobias of theft and murder. Elderly men and women suffer various forms of dementia, and this can cause paranoia. Fears erupt into conflict when they observe hands being placed on their belongings.

Writers are cautioned about accepting the oral account only, as this exposes them to the possibility that their subject is lying or misrepresenting significant events in some way. Sometimes elderly people suffer dementia, and when their condition is revealed, the world disregards their story as being without credibility. Physical evidence such as photographs or journals are the only protection a writer has.

In order to make their work entertaining and engaging for the readers, ghostwriters have the power to utilize creative license where appropriate. Just as Mark Twain did when writing Pudd'nhead Wilson, ghostwriters are masters at creating an Ebonics alphabet, mimicking the accent and colorful language of their subject. When done expertly, such a writer can win the Pulitzer.

These writers often spend months or years away from their normal daily routines in order to tell a story. When the story is one of horror, death, murder, betrayal, or war, their immersion in that world can cause them true suffering. Family and friends are encouraged to touch base with them often to help keep their mental health strong and clear.

There are few tasks more challenging than taking a horrific or ugly story and telling it in a beautiful way. Writers who possess this talent help grant clarity to our hindsight, and they can plant the seeds of compassion for men and women placed in compromising situations. These stories give us a background that helps us to change the future by making better choices than those of the past.




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