I get asked this question a lot. When I tell people that I am a ghostwriter, people always ask me why I would want to write books that other people get the credit for. So I figured that I would write a post explaining what is truly my heart and intention as a ghostwriter.
I should probably start off by saying that I did not always want to be a ghost. From a young age, I thought that I would spend my life dreaming up stories, writing my own books, and being large sums of money for them.
Capitalism and bills killed that dream. So did rejection letters and unread blog posts. I quickly realized that the concept of the starving artist was not something I was willing to live out and yet I could not, would not, give up on the idea of spending my time with words. To get rid of my obsession with literature being a tool to heal would be blasphemy against my own soul.
So, when no one wanted to read my own work, I began to write for others. Although I was broke, I found that I still found immense value in using the act of writing about my own life as a way to heal. And I began to believe that maybe, just maybe, someone else might want to do the same with their own story. And maybe they would pay me for my help.
A writing hand for others…
After many years of trial and error, failed partnerships, and successfully published books, what I now do on a daily basis is to sit with my clients and listen to them, helping them to see, feel, and verbalize their stories. I record our conversations and ask them questions as they wade through their memories and imaginations. My job, without imposing personal opinion, bias, or intention, is to bring to light the major theme and story of their experience. After this, I transcribe their thoughts, bring order to their thoughts, and then do the actual typing. They end up with a manuscript they can choose to share, publish, or even burn.
I am a glorified secretary. I do not make up stories nor do I simply hand people prepackaged, researched books. I help people to dig long lost tales up out of the earth that is their memories. I am a listener and it is in the listening that stories and books and tales are born.
Yes, I am paid to do this. My name is not on any of the books I write for others and I hold no copyrights nor the rights to any royalties. I charge for my time and effort and choose to make these services accessible to any and everyone.
I will share more at another time about how my work as a Death & End of Life Doula and my work as a ghostwriter are married but for now, please know this:
My goal as ghostwriter is to be the hand that writes the story of the living and they dying.
As ghostwriter, I am a listener, a scribe, a griot and a bard.
I take words that people cannot order for themselves, and bring them to the light.
I am always open to answering any questions about Beyond Morning, my life as a ghostwriter, or anything else. If you want to know more about how ghostwriting works, feel free to send me a message and we can schedule a chat.
