HAVE YOU EVER MET A GHOST?
HAVE YOU EVER MET A GHOST?
A ghost-writer is … ? It is the perfect question for television game shows so in case you are ever asked it might not be the person you imagine. Here are some interesting facts about ghosts, sometimes known as co-authors.
It is estimated that 80 percent of celebrity memoirs are written by a professional ghost-writer. Some celebrities don’t even read their own life stories. When the subject of his memoirs was raised former U.S. President Ronald Reagan grinned: “I hear it’s a terrific book. One of these days I am going to read it myself.”
Interviewed by Vanity Fair about her life story, Ivana Trump squealed: “It’s not just about the beautiful people and the gorgeous yachts and the fabulous homes and lots of sex. I tried to put in more the feelings.”
GREAT SALES SPIN
It was great sales spin but she reportedly paid ghost writer Camille Marchetta $350,000 to write For Love Alone. Big Brother personality Pete Bennett messed up by publicly expressing surprise at the content of his life story. His publicist commented: “You really should have read it, Pete.”
It isn’t necessarily true that people who use ghost-writers are interested in seeing their story published. According to professional ghost-writer Michael Walsh half his clients are not interested in being published.
So why do they do it? “For the same reason people have a portrait painted, go on holiday or decorate their home. It is a personal indulgence.”
FANTASY AND FICTION
Based in Spain he says his clients are of mixed nationality but the one thing they have in common is seeing their story reading like a bestseller. “I bring a story or situation to life,” Mike says. “They are usually badly written. They need not only correction; most need sexing up.”
Some are autobiographical and can be passed along the family tree branches and kept as a written heirloom. Others want to see their life experience, trauma or romance written by a professional storyteller. Many want to see a deeply personal experience well written.
“People have great imaginations even if their writing skills don’t match up,” Mike says. “If it is fantasy or fiction, fine: They want it just the way they imagine it and I can make it real for them.
Do you have to be famous? Mike Walsh says the famous tend to lead boring lives. Far more interesting are the real life experiences or imaginations of real people. If only we knew. He does.
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