I have a story. Am I the best choice to tell it?

[Nik]

From ancient times kings and army leaders retained court and army chroniclers to record events and military campaigns, but mostly to glorify their employer. Don't think that monarchs or oligarchs retain chroniclers these days, but the profession hasn't disappeared. In more current times there are many examples when writers (in a sense that they know how to write professionally) work as ghosts for others constituting literary 'muscle-for-hire'. In many cases they narrate celebs bios or family memoirs or recount military operations and so on. And hey, for all I know they charge from few K to few dozen for their work. SO maybe that should be called a writing biz? Or scripts. If you outsource adapting your novel into a script, you should be ready to part from few grand to 20-30.
I think even when someone has a good story it doesn't necessarily mean that s/he should deliver it. Sometimes a collaboration or a ghost may be a better solution.
When somebody just retells the events from his life experience to a ghost, there is no much art in storytelling and it's the writer trying to put them into an engaging form doing the 'magic'.
However with a fictional story it's a bit different. Conceiving an exciting idea and even detailed scenes in mind is one talent and being able to tell them in engaging and eloquent manner is quite a different thing altogether. Sometimes critics even address different components, like plot and writing, separately.
What do you think? Is ghosting a sound writing biz? Can it be beneficial to split ideas and actual writing between two different persons?

[Tara Woods Turner]

It can be beneficial if you have inspired ideas but lack skill or if you write well but don't have the technical skill required for certain mediums. Best selling novels are adapted for screenplays because it takes a different skill set to write for film. A brilliant storyteller may lack the power of prose and thus seeks a ghost to bring their vision to readers. All valid, yet different forms of literary expression.

[Nik]

Does a symbiosis btw a celebrity and a ghost writer narrating for him/her/whoever offer enough of a creative outlet? Can ghosting be satisfactory in itself? What do you think?

[Scout]

Ghosting an autobiography of Putin would probably be interesting and satisfying - and dangerous :-) Whom would you like to ghost write for?

[Nik]

Actually there was an oligarch that I know that was looking for a narrator to put his story on paper. After doing a fictional Oligarch, I can hardly manage another, real one :)
Apart from that, there are lots of fascinating people and it should be exciting to deliver their story to the readers.. Don't see myself as a ghost, but I'm sure there are many brilliant ones outside.
We can ask the writers in here: Has anyone ghosted/would ghost?

[Ian]

Nik wrote: "Actually there was an oligarch that I know that was looking for a narrator to put his story on paper. After doing a fictional Oligarch, I can hardly manage another, real one :)
Apart from that, the..."

The problem would be, how honest and how complete would he be? I suppose even the honesty is not a total requirement but completeness would be. Then what happens if said oligarch doesn't like the output? It could be a mission filled with problems.

[Nik]

Ian wrote: "...It could be a mission filled with problems...."

True, on the other hand what fun doesn't have a price?

[Ian]

Fun? Price? You mean said oligarch will send out a hit squad if he doesn't like the writing??

[Nik]

Getting killed by an oligarch is the best PR move for a book about oligarchs ☠️

[Ian]

Obviously you and I have different views on "best". Sounds like you are a secret oligarch :-)

[Nik]

Thanks, but nah 🧟‍♂️ I’m pretty indifferent if not aversive to money-making. And if I were one, I’d be busy patting Beau’s cat, reprimanding CEOs, heads of state and politicians, mingling with celebrities, placing modest earnings in favorable locations, doing carefully media coveraged charity and that stuff described in billionaire trope romances. All of the above, wouldn’t leave much time for conversing with you, guys

[Scout]

Nik wrote: "Getting killed by an oligarch is the best PR move for a book about oligarchs ☠️"

And increase interest in your previous books :-)