Craig Wise

Over the last 15 years, I’ve developed a number of handy skills; building a creative team, delivering an effective brand message, working under a deadline, writing for public relations, SEO-enabled Web copy development, and so on. The skill I use almost daily, however, is writing in another person’s voice.

Ghost writing should be in every professional writer’s and marketer’s toolbox. The following strategies have helped me maintain a consistent voice and have led to more effective projects, whether for a corporate blog, developing a keynote speech or creating an autobiographical work of non-fiction.

To help illustrate these strategies, I’ll use one of my favorite writing projects: a family story. In October a few years ago, a sincere father of a bereft family asked for my help in surprising his wife with a book for Christmas. Not just any book would do, he wanted to write the story and self-publish. Married for just over ten years, Jay (the “author”) wanted give his wife the story of their family dog, Ben, who had been a part of their family from the start and had recently passed away. He wanted to bind the story in a book filled with pictures and memories, which his family could enjoy for generations. I’ve never been more touched to be part of someone’s Christmas.

Know What the “Author” Wants

While this sounds easy enough, I cannot overstate the importance of this initial strategy. What are the project’s goals? Where will it be read? Who will read it? Common questions for any project. But as a ghost writer, I need to search for the hidden agenda. There’s probably a reason I was hired when everyone feels they can write well. What does the author believe the story should be able to accomplish?

The author I worked with described his book simply—a story about his family dog that would help Ben live forever. However as I talked with Jay about the book and his dog, I realized much more was at stake than a family memento. On the third or fourth meeting, Jay told me “I want Steff to begin reading this story and well up with tears or just start crying.”

The longer I talked with Jay about Ben, the more I realized the story wasn’t really just about Ben. Though Jay would never admit this, he wanted a story that conveyed his love for Steff and their deep affection for “the perfect Labrador Retriever.”

Discover Who the “Author” Is

Again, this is a simple ask that’s hard to deliver. Deep existential questions rear their ugly heads here. How well do you really know someone? How well do they know themselves? How will the audience perceive the author? But I also have to keep in mind the first rule of customer service—the customer is always right.

Talking with Jay in the weeks preceding the initial draft, I learned he was a very sweet, successful man who was deeply in love with his wife and family but was capable of being unabashedly inappropriate. This book was a bound love letter to his wife of ten years. And his wife would spot a fake in an instant. (In the end, Jay acknowledged he had a little help with the writing.)

Listening and recording Jay’s many memories about Ben, I kept most of the off color jokes my own (now ex-) wife would have frowned upon. I also ensured that Jay’s affection and down-home humor were the guideposts of the story’s voice.

Write for the “Author”

By this point in the list of strategies, you may have noticed a theme—the author leads the way. Effective writing meets the client’s goals and delivers a bit more than expected. Spending time my client is the most effective way to get there. I had to ask for his help. What did Jay’s writing sound like? And, more importantly, what did Jay want his writing to sound like?

I was quite lucky in working with Jay; he had already written one third of the book he wanted Steff to read. However, he admitted it just didn’t get the point across. I talked with him about what the point was before making any revisions. And I tried to maintain the personal touches that made the story undeniably Jay.

However, I needed to make sure I hadn’t assumed too much in the first two strategies. Did I understand the story he wanted? Did I have a clear picture of who this man was? (Or at least how he saw himself?) So, I rewrote the first third of his book, and I asked him to read it.

I learned there were a few areas in my ghost persona that needed improvement. While Jay spoke colloquially, he wanted his written voice to be a little more professional. I sent him another draft for review, and began writing in earnest once he provided a second round of feedback.

A few days after Christmas Jay called me. “She welled up on the first page, by the second page both of us were covered in tears.” Jay also ordered twenty-four copies of Ben’s book to share with friends and family. I’m so glad I got to be a part of helping Jay’s family heal and remember.