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If it’s your first time working with a ghostwriter, you may wonder what you can do to prepare for the interviews he or she will use to write your manuscript. While talking about the ideas you want in your book may sound easy, coming up with the right words on the spot is often challenging. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your time with your ghost.
If you’re writing non-fiction, organize your thoughts in support of your thesis.
Most non-fiction books are written with an overarching thesis in mind that’s supported by chapters with their own sub-theses. In preparation for an interview about the contents of a specific chapter, focus on how its sub-thesis relates to your book’s main thesis and build around that. What’s the main point you want readers to come away with by the end of the chapter? How does it support your bigger idea? By centering on these questions, you’ll be more likely to draw your readers in and hold their attention. Content that doesn’t relate to your thesis will feel random or confusing to the reader and is therefore better left out.
If you’re writing fiction or a memoir, organize your thoughts around impactful moments that move your plot forward.
The plot of a fiction book or memoir typically unfolds in chronological order. Each chapter should revolve around an event or set of related events that advance the narrative in a significant way. While preparing for your content interviews, ask yourself what will change over the course of the chapter at hand. How will your characters and their situations be different by the time it’s over? A compelling narrative isn’t comprised of a series of facts, but a journey that creates an emotional experience. Zero in on the moments of your story that are likely to create the most intrigue and impact. Leave out any fluff that won’t help advance the plot.
Brainstorm ideas for your hooks.
The beginning of each chapter of your book should grab the reader’s attention and hook them into the topic at hand somehow. These hooks will lead into the theses of your chapters, providing readers with smooth transitions into the ‘meat’ of your material. While preparing for your interviews, it’s helpful to brainstorm a handful of ideas for how you might accomplish this. Possibilities for hooks in a non-fiction book might include:
Posing a thought-provoking question to the reader
Sharing an anecdote
Sharing an interesting fact or piece of data
Making a surprising or provocative statement
Sharing a funny, shocking, or relatable piece of info
In fiction books and memoirs, you can use your chapter hooks to orient the reader. You might describe a scene in a way that puts them in a character’s shoes or makes them aware of a situation that’s currently unfolding in the plot. What do you want them to feel, envision, and hear in their mind as they mentally enter the scene? Do your best to show rather than tell, referring to relative sensory experiences when possible.
Review your chapter’s main points or beats.
Ideally, you and your ghostwriter will co-create a detailed outline of your book’s narrative before your content interviews begin. Each chapter should have a list of bullet points (or something similar) for your reference. In non-fiction books, these will be the main points that make up the sections and paragraphs written in support of your thesis. If you’re writing fiction, these will be the beats of your story—the events, actions, and decisions that move the plot forward. Think about these main ideas while preparing for your interviews so you can come to the table with reasonably fleshed-out ideas.
Think about how you want to articulate your ideas to readers.
Content interviews can feel tough when you’re not sure how to elaborate on the main bullet points of your chapters. If your big idea (“Robots will conquer Earth in the future and force humans to flee to Mars,” for instance) feels self-explanatory to you as-is, you’re likely to have a hard time unraveling it in conversation. Try to approach your material from the perspective of your target audience. What questions might they have? What information do they need to meet you where you are in your mind? What knowledge might they lack that you may unknowingly be taking for granted? A good ghostwriter will help you work through this by advocating for your reader at all times. Each paragraph becomes a collaboration to cleanly craft your train of thought.
Think about your chapter wrap-ups and transitions.
Great books leave readers with chapter endings that lead into the subsequent chapter in ways that pique their curiosity and keep them reading. How might you wrap up in a way that rounds out your thesis? What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away with? What can you say to build interest in what’s coming next?
Get a good night’s sleep and get ready to focus.
Content interviews, while flexible, aren’t meant to be open discussions, but targeted conversations. A good ghostwriter will push for the material they need from you to develop your narrative, which can feel challenging at times. It takes brain power to participate and you won’t be able to make the most of your interviews if you’re exhausted, sick, or in the middle of a crisis. Life happens and while forward momentum is important, your ghostwriter will understand if you need to reschedule a call once in a while. If you fear you may be getting off topic as you speak during an interview, simply share that with your ghostwriter and they’ll help steer you in the right direction.
Prepping for content interviews can feel like a chore at times, but will result in a more fruitful, collaborative process and a better manuscript overall. We ghostwriters are here to drive the conversation, but we need your best words in order to do your book justice, so brainstorm and indulge in plenty of beauty rest beforehand. Enjoy your process!
