Ghostwriting is one of my new skills |
But the Helper,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26
This past year I had the opportunity to hone a new skill, ghostwriting. It’s something I’ve wanted to do, although I wondered whether I’d really enjoy the process.
For those who aren’t
familiar with how ghostwriting works, here’s the process boiled down
into its simplest form. The ghostwriter agrees to take a concept or story and put
it into manuscript form. It might involve turning a series of
sermons or the events of someone’s life into a full-length book. The concept is
that the idea comes from the author, and the order of the words
comes from the ghostwriter. This means that in most
instances, the final decisions on how the idea looks as a manuscript belongs to
the author, NOT the ghostwriter. Frequently the ghostwriter isn't even mentioned.
The process itself has caused a debate in our
industry. Some say it’s unethical for the person (ghostwriter) doing the actual
work not to get the credit. Personally I don’t think the issue is that cut and dried. So
far, with the projects I’ve been involved with, I would never have written
about the subjects on my own or come up with the ideas, so I really don’t feel
cheated at all. I’m actually grateful to be a part of the projects.
I'm a bit of a control freak |
But getting back to the
issue, I was worried I would feel too possessive by putting all that effort
into something that wasn’t mine. And, being just a little bit of a control
freak, I worried I wouldn’t be able to let it go when I was finished.
Actually the opposite turned out to be true. These projects have given me a freedom I never imagined. I found that without the ownership issue, I could spend all my effort in pursuit of
excellence.
Letting go gave me freedom. |
Don’t get me wrong. I try to
make everything I write excellent. But without the emotional ties of ownership for the project,
it was simpler to see the big picture. My emotions didn't cloud the issues, and I didn’t have to worry about the
outcome. Instead I was certain that the person directing the project had things
well in hand, or at least had all the responsibility of how it ultimately
turned out.
Then it hit me.
Absolutely brilliant, Edie! And thank the Lord for showing you so you could show your readers. Freedom is a sweet thing to release.
ReplyDeleteSo true Edie...with all of life :-)
ReplyDeleteLove that application Edie! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteTerrific take-away. Thanks for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteAgree! Agree! Great post.
ReplyDeleteDear Edie - I love your last paragraph. Thank you for the reminder and emphasis on writing and living in response to the Holy Spirit's leading.
ReplyDeleteIn Christ's Love, Emily
Love this, Edie. I've done a little ghostwriting and it is freeing. Love your insights into why. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteVery cool post Edie. I'd have never thought about ghost writing in that way, but now that you explain it, I get it!
ReplyDeleteI was never sure what ghost writing involved. Thanks for the great info!
ReplyDeleteI was never sure what was involved with ghost writing. Thanks for the great info!
ReplyDeleteReally very informative about Ghost writing
ReplyDeletekeep sharing.