Ghostwriter Diaries 24

THREE DAYS until submission! I haven't quite reached the peak of this ghostwriting mountain, but I have completed most of the final ascent. The steepest slopes are behind me. All that remains ahead is a short trek up the final ridge that ascends steadily to the summit. It doesn't look too arduous, but the ledges are precarious and it's a … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 24

Ghostwriter Diaries 23

FOUR DAYS until submission! My ghostwriting marathon is nearly over. This morning, I dealt with all but the last ten pages of editorial notes on the MS. I had fewer issues to deal with than in previous chapters, although a couple of storyline tweaks meant rewriting several sections. A few tricky moments, but nothing terminal. … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 23

Ghostwriter Diaries 22

FIVE DAYS until submission! My editing session this morning was smooth and strong, much like the coffee that fuelled it. Today's challenges included bringing an important secondary character a little more centre-stage (I'd inadvertantly sidelined him in the thick of the battle action). I also made a few changes in one chapter that needed foreshadowing … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 22

Ghostwriter Diaries 21

SIX DAYS until submission! I had a better morning this morning, with two chapters edited before I descended into the bowels of the day job. In the narrative, the final battle has begun, which means my original prose had occasionally strayed away from my main characters' POVs and adopted a more omniscient, authorial perspective. It's … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 21

Ghostwriter Diaries 20

SEVEN DAYS until submission! Here begins my final-week sequence of blink-and-you-miss-them ghostwriter reports ... A 5:15am start rewarded me with 90 minutes of precious editing time before the day job kicked in. I edited only one chapter, due to the need for some delicate rewriting: weaving character relationships more fully into steadily mounting pre-battle tension; … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 20

Writing in Technicolor

I write in Technicolor. Perhaps I should explain. Like most writers of my generation, my writing style and sense of narrative have been greatly influenced by cinema. If you asked me to list the stories that have had the greatest influence on me, I'd be as likely to cite George Lucas's Star Wars as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, … Continue reading Writing in Technicolor

Ghostwriter Diaries 19

After a solid day spent editing, and with a little over a week to go until my final submission deadline, it's unlikely this entry will make a lot of sense. But if I don't check in now, you probably won't hear from me again until it's all over. And that would be a shame. Today, … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 19

Ghostwriter Diaries 18

I'm eighty-eight pages into the second draft, which means it's time to put down my laptop for a moment and check in with you, oh loyal reader of these rambling and soon-to-be-concluded ghostwriter diaries. Why pause for breath on this particular page? Read on and you'll find out. This might be the second draft, but … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 18

Neolithic Names

Character names are a thorny issue for writers of fiction. If a name doesn't remind you of your old Uncle Henry, it probably conjures up an image of a famous actor or politican. Perhaps a notorious serial killer. Give your hero a long name and you'll be sick of writing it out by the time … Continue reading Neolithic Names

Ghostwriter Diaries 17

If you've ever climbed a mountain, or even a moderately challenging hill, you'll know all about false summits. A false summit is the tantalising peak that appears over the next ridge when you're still only halfway up the slope. You strike out towards it with renewed gusto, convinced your ultimate goal is in sight, and … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 17