Why A Good Ghostwriter is Great With Secrets
Ghostwriting is a gift; a steady stream of adventure regularly rushing a writer from real estate to altered reality and back. With an unending avalanche of new topics, this ghostwriter has found they rarely face a draught of new topics of interest.
Because an abundance of subject matter spills directly into a surplus of ideas, a ghostwriter can often gather nibbles of thought for later digestion, at least for those rare moments when they find themselves with both time and energy enough to first set the table.
So what then is the biggest drawback of being a ghostwriter?
The silence required by contract is enough to choke a man used to his every thought running with the flow of water from a faucet.
I’m not going to pretend I’ve had to bury the blueprints to Area 51 or anything, but I have found myself on occasion chomping at the bit as my mouth bubbles and froths, wanting to expound upon the treasures resting inside the safe haven on my hard drive.
It might be I’m tickled by a topic or pleased by a prospective client. Either way, ghostwriting requires a determined non-disclosure and those moments when I want to bang the drums and blare the trumpet, I must swallow and breathe instead.
The other day I was on Twitter and read a comment by a fellow ghostwriter. She mentioned she was doing some work on an extremely cool project. This made me smile. I tweeted back that the worst thing about being a ghostwriter was that we weren’t allowed to talk about it. It’s like being in Fight Club.
She commiserated. “We need a support group,” she said.
“Yes,” I agreed, “but it would be punctuated by so many long silences, people would think we were in mourning.”
I left the Twitterverse to pick up my son from school feeling quite fortunate for the three following things:
1) I’m married. It is not breaking the client/ghostwriter covenant when I am blowing thoughts about my day through the air alongside the steam rising from the evening tea next to my wife.
2) The endless patience of my partner. I am unbelievably lucky that my wife loves to hear me talk. Really, she raises her mast every day so that her sails can capture the majority of my wind.
3) At the end of the day, she truly loves her solitude. Though she loves to hear me expound, she does not ever feel the need to repeat what she’s heard.
Yes, a support group would be nice, but nothing beats the pillow next to mine.
Ghostwriter Dad
4 Responses to “Why A Good Ghostwriter is Great With Secrets”
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I totally agree! I also love that my husband will let me repeat stuff without telling me that I sound like a broken record. He’s awesome like that.
I think you’re a lucky man.
I can totally see how it would be a challenge to keep it top secret the things you’ve worked on that you’re proud of.
I suppose what impresses me most about freelance writers is their ability to write about ANYTHING. Moreover, such practice writing about what you ordinarily wouldn’t can only do wonders for writing about the things you love.
I share a good deal about my work with my husband Micah. While most of what I do is not confidential stuff, it helps to know that there’s someone I can talk to. I make a strong effort not to talk about my projects (using specifics, anyway) on Twitter, and especially not to complain about them. I might complain about a personal project, but otherwise I just share non-specific successes. So at the end of the day, I’m blessed to have someone who’ll let me vent but, like your wife, doesn’t feel the need to repeat any of it.