Some writers I coach need me to be a teacher, mentor, or therapist. Others are just looking for someone to tell them the truth. I might make more money by lying with promises of publishing success. There’s a whole industry of folks who take advantage of hopeful writers. I’d rather be honest and help you …
My rule is extreme and increasingly unpopular. I say everything in non-fiction should be true. You don’t get to make anything up. Authors talk about “different kinds of truth,” or say their memoirs, “explore the slipperiness of memory.” That’s self-serving nonsense. They know what truth is. They change things to make the story better or …
Eyes widen at parties when I tell people I am a ghostwriter, as if I’ve admitted I do something sneaky and slightly nefarious that’s barely legal. What could be more interesting? This happened the other night. I answered a lot of questions. People think this is rare and exotic. You are reading ghost writers all …
