Ghostwriting... Thoughts from the Spectral Scribbler

I've done plenty of ghostwriting. Articles, blog posts, tweets... No big deal. Of course, it's hard to see my work out there with someone else's name on it, but it's part of the package of freelancing. Except...

I just finished a very rough draft of a novel for a client. I was overworked and underpaid. I had to take his ideas and fashion a story around them with his input. I took the job for the experience. He knew this, and for the most part was understanding. His impatience weighed on me, as he expected FAST results. Creativity isn't always speedy. I knew this was a first draft and it would be rewritten, so I just kept heaving words at the page and making notes when I realized that I had a continuity problem or a timing issue. My client preferred that I not go back to repair things - just keep writing.

So I vomited up over 33,000 words and handed them over with mixed feelings. I'm still trying to figure all of these feelings out. On one hand, I feel good that I provided my client with what he wanted. I have a sense of accomplishment and something to add to my resume. But... I am a perfectionist and handing over a piece that felt undone was difficult for me. But... those words are mine. A lot of the ideas are mine. But they no longer belong to me.

I didn't expect to feel like I just gave a child up for adoption. Okay, that's too melodramatic, but you get the idea. I worked for so many hours, both creating and writing... and it is now out of my hands. Yes, he asked if I would look at things as he works with it, and I agreed. But will I want to do this again? I don't know.

I have felt twinges of this with some of my other ghostwritten work, but not on this scale. Maybe with some time and distance, I will feel differently. For now I think I'll just dive into my other work...