I get hired to write clients' memoirs or their life story. Some people might think that this entails getting handwritten notes, journals or other items submitted to the ghostwriter and then the ghostwriter crafts a well-written biography of the client.

I can honestly say the chances of that realitically happening is about .000000001% and that is if the person handing over the notes has answered the 5 W's! If you have been reading my articles for any length of time, you know what that stands for, but for those who might be stumbling upon this article for the first time: The 5 W's are comprised of the following: Who, What, Where, When and Why.

Then, the ghostwriter needs to emmerse themselves into the notes and journals to get a feel for the person they are writing about. What is their voice? Their personality? Then they must adapt their style to reflect their client. A good ghostwriter is quite skilled at this and sometimes, it may take a bit more interviewing and listening carefully to the client's answers to pick up on personality and voice distinction.

Believe me, if the ghostwriter has questions, then you can count on the reader having questions as well. Don't be afraid to ask questions of your client so that you can provide the best and most complete story possible. The one thing that usually becomes a problem when writing a memoir is that everyone and I do mean everyone has demons in their closets. We are all human the last time I checked, we all have either made mistakes, treated someone badly, behaved badly, or some other type of faux paux. Most people are hesitant to reveal such personal information about themselves, spouses, parents, family, etc for fear of judgement or prolonged embarrasment. I know that I wouldn't want certain things mentioned in my own memoirs! It's a normal fear and there are ways to combat this issue.

Listen to you client. Is revealing certain parts of their life too uncomfortable for them? There is a way around it while still revealing all the information. Discuss the possibility of your client using a psuedonym. In other words, choose a fictious name to write under! This keeps your client's identity anonymous, obviously while still being able to reveal their story without the blood, sweat or tears.

Sometimes, this provides the perfect vehicle of protection for your client. And, when it comes time to copyright your material, the only people you will need to reveal your identity to is the US Copyright Office and the publisher of your book! That is so they can make the royalty checks out to the correct person! And, they can prove that your material is copyrighted and belongs to the correct person.

Remember, if you are writing memoirs for the first time, remind your client that they will need to work as vigilantly as you do in order to produce their story. Let's face it, you the writer wasn't there to witness your client's life so they must make sure that they provide as much information as they can for a really thorough, enjoyable memoir. Good Luck!