Category: Support

Happy Monday, everyone! I just got back from vacation at Disneyland and am trying to transition back into work mode. (That’s not an easy feat even when you’re self-employed and/or a freelancer.) However, life goes on, and we’re already five days into November. You know what that means? We’re five days into NaNoWriMo! Today I wanted to stop by and provide some words of encouragement for all my fellow writers, especially those daring to take on this month-long writing marathon.

We could all use some encouragement at least once in a while. Writing can be a thankless pursuit and very disheartening. We struggle to write, we get guilty when we can’t find the time to write, we submit to agent after agent, publisher after publisher, magazine after magazine with little to show for it. All the while, there is no guarantee of return; we just keep ourselves running on pure faith. Still, writing can also be very rewarding and spiritually/emotionally freeing. Even the smallest bit of praise or recognition can send us to the moon from our joy. Yet while our writing is still a WIP, what do we have to keep us going but belief in ourselves? What if that self-confidence begins to run low?

That is when doubt sets in. That is when writer’s block becomes its worst, and that is when we are most vulnerable to quitting. We need the encouragement of others to see us through, and when the people around us cannot help, we must turn to the Internet and motivational quotes.

I’ll be the first to admit that motivational quotes aren’t always that motivating. In fact, they can be downright cheesy and annoying. Regardless, I have found a handful of gems online directed at writers. The one which is currently stuck in my head is one I came across on Facebook.

Someday, you’re going to be someone’s favorite author.

–Unknown

It’s a simple sentence but very powerful. One of the biggest problems for struggling writers is the lingering fear that nothing they create will ever matter. To think that someday someone will love your work like you love the work of your favorite writer–there’s no greater encouragement than that. It definitely recharges my batteries to think that one day someone will dive for my work like I dive for the books of J.K. Rowling and Anne McCaffrey.

If you ever start to feel like your writing doesn’t matter and that you should just give up, remember that most writers started off thinking that no one would ever read their works. They wrote because they had something to say, and eventually the audience came to them. Even if it’s not in your lifetime, someday at least one reader will love your works and at the end of the day, doesn’t that make it worth your time and effort?

Do you have any words of encouragement for your fellow writers? Something to keep everyone going during NaNoWriMo and all year long? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Good morning, everyone! October is almost over. You know what that means? Time to start getting ready for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2018! This year, I have a special announcement: I have committed to participating in NaNoWriMo.

I have contemplated participating in NaNoWriMo since I was in high school. Until this year, I decided to avoid it because life always seems to put up obstacles that make writing 50,000 words in a month impossible for me. The problem has become that this time crunch no longer applies to just the month of November–it’s a year-round issue now. With my creative writing dissertation due this year, I cannot use a lack of time as an excuse anymore. After all, if I don’t have a good portfolio to turn in at the end of the school year, I won’t get the master’s degree I’ve invested three years and thousands of dollars to get.

I hope that NaNoWriMo will be another way to force myself to just sit down and write. I agonize over deadlines so, while my psyche might be permanently damaged from the stress, if I have a deadline like writing a novel in a month, at least I’ll get some writing done. Besides, who doesn’t like a little ego boost when this sort of accomplishment is actually recognized, even when it’s with something as small as a digital badge?

This announcement really has two purposes:

1.  Force myself to really commit to NaNoWriMo rather than just give myself lip-service;
   
2. Let other NaNoWriMo participants know that I’m available to connect with and provide support and encouragement.

Writers are like wolves; there’s a misconception that our “lone wolf” state is our prominent–or only–state but in truth, we long for the support and company of our fellow pack members. At least, that’s how most of us are when we aren’t currently creating more quickly than we can type. For that reason, I wanted to use this announcement to let all NaNoWriMo participants know that I am open to connecting with new writing buddies on the NaNoWriMo official website. Just look me up through my username, dragonet07.

That’s all I can really say on the matter until NaNoWriMo officially starts in November. When it does, I’ll try my best to keep you updated on my progress and provide any tips I have based on what I experience this year. Until then, thank you for listening to my rambling morning announcement, and I look forward to seeing you on the NaNoWriMo site!

Are any of my readers planning to participate in NaNoWriMo in November? If so, let everyone know in the comments below and leave your username so we can connect and support each other through this experience!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about some basics which writers should consider before they dive into the world of ghostwriting. While doing my research for that post, I was reminded quite readily of the stigma around ghostwriters. One of the Google search results that particularly amused me was “Is ghostwriting legal?” I’ll be honest, that question hadn’t even crossed my mind until I came across that result. Ghostwriting has existed for so long with no extreme moral repercussions (like those involved with the world’s oldest profession), so why would anyone expect it to not be legal? It made me wonder: exactly how murky is the gray area of ghostwriting? Why is ghostwriting and hiring a ghostwriter considered questionable ethically?

The term “ghostwriting” originated in the 1900s, but ghostwriters are nothing new. In fact, the use of this practice in American politics alone traces back to George Washington himself. However, that doesn’t keep the concept from having a dirty feel to it. The stigma has existed for as long as the profession itself. After all, it’s a good and, presumably, experienced writer doing some or all of the work with the credit going to their client. It doesn’t seem fair to the ghostwriters, especially if they don’t get so much as a note in the acknowledgements, an increasingly common practice. It’s no wonder that there are such mixed feelings about the matter even today.

In an article written for California Magazine, Sarah Elizabeth Adler interviews several ghostwriters. Some of these writers have experienced the disdain some people have for ghostwriting while others have noticed an increasing respect for it. Barbara Feinman Todd, one of the collaborators on Hillary Clinton’s It Takes a Village, says in the article that she remembers a book editor once calling ghostwriters “basically typists”. On the other hand, Marcia Layton Turner, founder of the Association of Ghostwriters, has “‘noticed a shift from shame to pride’ both in being and using a ghostwriter.” With ghostwriters themselves having such mixed experiences, it’s hard to say who will think what about the profession.

The feelings aren’t quite as mixed on the client’s side as some ghostwriters and clients would have you believe. Adler notes the backlash which Clinton received for using ghostwriters and not giving them acknowledgement at first–an argument, by the way, which Feinman Todd wanted nothing to do with. There was even some cat-fighting on Real Housewives of New York City in 2014 in which the use of a ghostwriter is thrown around as an insult. Despite the clients usually being brilliant in the areas their books are exploring, people begin to doubt their expertise once they learn that the clients did not write their books alone. Ghostwriters might be getting more respect, but it seems that their clients are not.

Ghostwriting has been in this gray area for quite some time. Ghostwriters can be seen as commercializing their art, and their clients can come off as deceptive and ungrateful to their ghostwriters. The top unwritten rule of ghostwriting used to be to never try to fool readers into thinking that your client wrote the book all by themselves; after all, most people are too smart for that and will take it as an insult to their intelligence if you try to pretend otherwise. Nowadays, though, it seems that that rule has fallen to the wayside and, just as predicted, readers are offended not by the ghostwriter but by the client. With this increase in deception and shadowy dealings, it’s no wonder the profession has become so questionable ethically.

In general, there is nothing wrong with ghostwriters and their work. We might not have half the novels or speeches, especially biographies and political speeches, that we have without them. However, it is still an area which both writers and clients must tread through lightly. After all, one man’s collaboration is another man’s deception.

What do you think? Is ghostwriting a valid form of writing and making money? Is it a shady deal? Or is it somewhere in between? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Ghostwriting can be a great source of income for both experienced and struggling writers. Once a writer develops a strong enough reputation, he/she can even start working with celebrities and other public figures through this occupation. In fact, bestselling ghostwriter Andrew Crofts charges fees averaging six figures and has worked with the likes of Alexandra Burke (The X-Factor) and Pete Bennett (Big Brother). But what exactly does ghostwriting entail? Through a mixture of very recent personal experience and online research, I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the most important things that a writer needs to know/understand before deciding to delve into the complicated–and sometimes thankless–world of ghostwriting.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Pricing is tricky.
               Knowing what to charge is probably the most confusing and stressful part of any freelance work. What’s worse is that you’ll always get different advice, sometimes drastically different, depending on where you look. Ghostwriting is the same way. I’ve come across places saying that you should receive 10-33% of the advances plus royalties and others that suggest $5,000-50,000. (Mind you, that’s just for books; articles and blog posts are an entirely different can of worms.) In addition to the kind of writing that you’ll be doing and the length of the piece, you have to take into account research, the writing tools you’ll have to use, and even the clients themselves and the platform through which they contact you when pricing your services. For instance, you can expect to be paid much less for ghostwriting an article for a blogger on Fiverr than when a well-known online newspaper or magazine contacts you or you pitch an article to them. I’ll admit, I still struggle in this area. I undersell myself often, but I’m working on it. The best I can offer for guidelines is this pricing guide from Writer’s Market. However, remember to do your own research before giving a client a quote. Start high and then offer to lower it if necessary. That way, you won’t be cheated or sell yourself short.
            2. Timelines vary.
               Ghostwriting projects are just like any other writing project; some will take longer than others, and you never know how long it will take you ahead of time. You can give your client an ETA for the first draft, but there’s always a chance that you’ll have to move that deadline at least once. Hopefully, the client will be flexible enough to allow such extension within a reasonable time frame and for a reasonable amount of times. If your client is a stickler for the initial deadline, though, it’s still doable. Just expect a lot of late nights and a lot of stress.
            3. You have to be careful where you offer your services.
               There are a lot of places to offer your services both as a freelancer and as a writer. However, not all of these places will serve ghostwriters well. Places like Upwork and Fiverr take a cut of your earnings, and platforms like Fiverr in particular require you to be more flexible (and cheaper) with your prices in order to get much business at all. From my personal experience, places like Upwork are overly strict, allowing for very little or no slip-ups even momentarily, and seem more on the client’s side than the freelancer’s. Most of these platforms also have the potential to hook you up with scammers, something which I have encountered at least once on one of these sites. The only way to know which will be best to promote your services is to try them out for yourselves, including sites and organizations specifically made for ghostwriters. Huffington Post, in telling clients where to find ghostwriters, lists the following sources as places where ghostwriters can sell their services: ghostwriter agencies, LinkedIn, freelance writer marketplaces, Reedsy, MediaBistro, American Association of Ghostwriters, Freelance Writer Search, Upwork, Scripted, Guru, Fiverr, and, of course, the ghostwriter’s own website.
            4. The client calls the shots.
               This one might seem pretty obvious given the nature of ghostwriting, but it’s also very easy to forget. You’re not in control of what you write, not entirely. The client has the last say. If you disagree with them on something, you either have to convince them to see it your way or concede and make it as they have specified. Usually the latter occurs. It’s no big deal; it’s part of the job description. Nevertheless, if you find yourself constantly arguing with your client, feeling unheard, or just feeling frustrated overall, you might want to reconsider continuing a working relationship with this individual. You also have to watch out for the clients who ask for rewrite after rewrite after rewrite. You have to draw the line somewhere. On Fiverr, this means making sure to specify a number of revisions you will allow. On Upwork, it means making sure that you have copies of the messages in which you tell the client how many rewrites you will be willing to complete. Outside of freelance sites, it means having the client sign a contract which clearly states how many rewrites your service will include and the price of additional drafts. It’s a pain in the butt, but endless rewrites are even worse.
            5. You won’t always agree with what you’re writing.
               Because of #4, you might not always agree with what you’re writing. You might not like the genre, the topic, the messages, the writing style, etc., but it’s really not up to you. After all, it’s the client’s vision that you are trying to bring to life, not yours. Unfortunately, when it comes to things like the topic, messages, or themes, this issue can become particularly bothersome. You always have the choice to walk away from a project before you start it if you learn something about it with which you vehemently disagree. However, it’s not always that easy. Writers have to eat, and sometimes it’s a choice between money and values. I’ve had such an experience before, ghostwriting something which contains messages that I don’t necessarily support. Still, the person was nice and easy to work with and I needed the money, so I took the job anyway. Such projects kill you a little inside, but sometimes it has to be done. Just remember that you always have the option to work against any negative influence by publishing your own works and, sometimes, your name won’t even appear on what you have ghostwritten.

               

            6. Your name might not be on the final product.
               That brings me to the final point of this post, which is a mixed blessing: your name might not be put on the final product. According to The Guardian, Christy Walsh, who coined the term “ghostwriter”, set a strict code of conduct for ghostwriters with the first rule being “Don’t insult the intelligence of the public by claiming these men write their own stuff.” The article in The Guardian claims that this rule still holds true, with many books including such credits as “written with”, “edited by”, or “as told to”. Regardless, this is not always the case. Ghostwritten articles, blog posts, and books, especially those that are not of a biographical nature, can easily be attributed to the client or even a pen name, excluding the ghostwriter altogether. Even some ghostwriters given credit are only partially credited no matter how much they actually contributed. If you want a good example, check out this article on the man who ghostwrote President Trump’s The Art of the Deal. Ghostwriting can be a thankless job, but if you have issues like #5, that’s not always a bad thing.

Ghostwriting is not for everyone. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience with little acknowledgement. Still, for writers in need of money (which is most writers), it’s a viable solution. You just have to be prepared for all that it involves.

Have you been a ghostwriter? Collaborated with one? Whichever end of the partnership you were on, what was your experience like? Any words of advice? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Friday, readers and writers. Normally on Fridays I post something fun and light-hearted. Today, however, there’s a crucial topic that should be covered first: depression and suicide.

As you might have heard, beloved TV personality Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. Earlier this week, Kate Spade, a prolific American fashion designer, and Ines Zorreguieta, sister to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, reportedly took their lives as well. Unfortunately, these are just high-profile examples of a very prominent issue.

In the United States alone, there is an average of 123 suicides per day, amounting to 44,965 deaths by suicide per year. A report from the CDC also indicates that suicide rates in the United States have risen by more than 30% since 1999. Global statistics from Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) indicate that there is one death by suicide every 40 seconds, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for those 15-24 years old, and depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.

So, why am I discussing this on a blog about writing? First of all, it’s very important to spread awareness of this issue. I think the statistics alone speak to that. Second of all, writers and other creative types are no strangers to depression and suicide. The following is just a small sample of the long list of writers who committed suicide: Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, Ernest Hemingway, Anne Sexton, Hunter S. Thompson, Gerard de Nerval, Arthur Koestler, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Cesare Pavese, and Yukio Mishima.

The third, and perhaps most important, reason is that I have suffered from depression and know many people who also suffer from depression. I’ve never wanted to take my own life, thankfully, and I don’t know if any of my friends or family members with depression have thought about it, but it’s always a major concern when it comes to depression, like a Dementor looming over your shoulder, just waiting for the most opportune moment to give you the Kiss. (Please excuse the Harry Potter reference; J.K. Rowling really hit the nail on the head with the Dementor/depression metaphor.)

Suicide is preventable. The problem is that many people who have these thoughts do not get the help they need. Often, they suffer in silence due to the social stigma surrounding mental illness. We are made to think that any degree of mental illness is a weakness or our own fault–most times, it’s considered both. Asking for help is also seen as a weakness, as a sign that we are incapable of taking care of ourselves. No matter how you look at it, society has influenced us to think that we cannot reach out for help or even let on that something’s wrong because we will be shunned.

Maybe that’s why the people who kill themselves are usually the ones we least expect. They don’t want other people to know that they’re having problems. They don’t want that “crazy” or “weak” stigma attached to them. As a result, they don’t get the help and support that they need, even if loved ones would be more than willing to provide it.

How can we help our loved ones with this problem? Really, all we can do is be there. We have to show them that we love them and will support them no matter what, and we have to let them know that they will not be ostracized or judged for having problems. Let them know that reaching out for help, whether it’s from a therapist or just a sympathetic ear, will not make them weak. Most importantly, if something feels off, our loved one is behaving abnormally, or our loved one disappears for a while, we need to trust our instincts and reach out to them. We can’t just assume that they will work it out or that it can wait for another time. If we do, there might not be a next time.

Obviously, we can’t always stop this from happening. Humans have free will and will do what they want to do or what they feel they have to do, and sometimes pressuring someone to open up too much will do the exact opposite of what we’re aiming to do. Still, we can be there and offer all the love and support that the other person is willing to receive. Sometimes that’s enough, especially when many people demonstrate this sort of support for the person.

If you struggle with depression and/or thoughts of suicide, know that you are not alone. I know it can be hard to reach out, especially if you feel stigmatized because of your issues. I know that depression can make it hard to feel as though you can open up to anyone or that anyone will even care, but someone out there does care about you.

Finally, if you are contemplating suicide or you suspect a loved one is considering it, please visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to get help and resources for getting through this difficult time. Also, if you have already survived an attempt or you have lost someone to suicide, there are resources on the website to help you handle the trauma.

My apologies for starting off the weekend this way. I promise to have more light-hearted material up in the next few days; this issue is just very important to me and I want to make sure that people know that they can get and give help.

 

Hello, everyone! Long time, no read…or write. Two weeks, almost. It’s been quite a busy few weeks for me, and now that I have a moment to breathe, I thought I would just explain my absence.

Part of my absence is due to the school year wrapping up. My creative writing portfolio was due last week, and a week from tomorrow (Wednesday) my end-of-year essay is due. So, yeah…cue the panic attacks. Fortunately, next year I will be focusing solely on my Master’s portfolio for school, so hopefully that won’t be quite as chaotic (although no less stressful).

Another part of my absence comes from work. I had some notably large projects due the past couple days, and now I have a steady stream of smaller projects coming in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m incredibly grateful for the work. (Keep it coming, please!) It just makes updating this blog a little more difficult and sporadic.

Another significant reason is medical. As I’ve discussed before, I have chronic migraines. Thursday and Friday, I was hit with particularly bad migraine attacks and was bedridden. I couldn’t even sit up without excruciating pain and nausea, let alone write.

Of course, there have also been the typical issues like family and clingy puppies to deal with. Those are just easier to shut out than the others. (Although I would love to be able to get my dog Bubba to sleep before 3 or 4 in the morning–I’m working on it!)

So, those are some of the reasons for my absence the past several days. While I’m still incredibly busy, I have plenty planned for this blog as well and hope to initiate these plans soon, including updating you on my Vistaprint promoboxes for April and May!

For now, I have messages to catch up on and an essay to write. Keep on writing, and hopefully I’ll be back with more support, advice, and distractions very soon!