Ghostwriting, Washington DC, and happy places
As a ghostwriter, I often ask people to find their happy place – mine is Washington DC. Neither of these points are as trite as they might seem.
When someone comes to me and asks if I will ghostwrite their story, they frequently tell me things they have never spoken of before. This can apply to any genre but I bet you’re trying to think of one where it doesn’t apply, aren’t you?
Business book? Surely that is just someone passing on lessons they learned or talking about how they got to where they are? Yes, it’s all of that – but talking about how they learned those lessons or how they got to the top raises all sorts of other feelings. In fact, those are some of the most emotional journeys because of the highs and lows, the background, the loss of people you thought were friends, the finding your own way and your own network. And the happy place there? Often not work. Frequently what successful people in the business world want to talk about – on or off the record – is the people in their lives, their families and loved ones. The financial superstars, the ones who regularly find a place on the Top 100 lists, need a safe, happy place as much as anyone.
Cookery books? Well, I haven’t done one of those but there isn’t much market for a publication that has 1000 ways to make a meal without having some sort of context to it. Think of Jack Monroe – I’m not suggesting I’m her ghost! – and her story. Would she have the same impact without her own personal trials? And through those trials, she will have found somewhere she retreats to, something that works when the trolls and the critics descend in their droves.
Reality TV stars, influencers, bloggers? Absolutely. These are people who are putting a version of themselves out there constantly. Look at your favourite Insta personality and see how often they post in their stories. Some do it every hour, some do it once a day, they all know the algorithms, they all know what sort of content engages and gets those likes, and they have to keep up, they have to stay on that treadmill.The pressure of that is enormous and the need for somewhere to go – physically or mentally – is huge.
The more obvious memoirs – those of struggle, those of achievement against the odds, those of survival – take their toll. Once you have spoken to me for hours on end, there will be a reaction. Sometimes physical – clients have said they can’t sleep for all the thoughts swirling round their minds, some have said they haven’t slept as well for years. Sometimes emotional– how can all of this have happened to me and I’m still standing, how did I get through it all and find myself so strong? They might already have their happy, or safe, space, but there are occasions when a new one comes up during our chats. A long buried happy memory, a place that was loved, a relative who has been gone for decades but whose kindness and affection made a difference, a song or a smell or a pull at the heart that makes them think all is well.
We all need it. I have mine. From the first moment I arrived in Washington DC, I knew that was my place. Although I was born in a city, raised in a city, studied in a city, I now basically live in a field. The coast of Scotland is a beautiful place, a world removed from the capital of the US, but only one of those locations settles me.
Find yours and this journey to tell your story will be easier – and if you live in Washington DC, let me know... I’ll always find space in my schedule for that!