First, thanks to Theresa for last week’s post. I think many writers are intrigued by the idea of ghostwriting as they have friends, or know people, who they feel they could collaborate with to produce a great book. But, they’re not sure how to go about it.

They wonder what will happen if they get part way through and then the subject changes their mind?m What if they write the story that they’ve been told and then find that the subject disagrees with the slant they’ve put on it? What if they are refused permission to use facts and incidents that would  make it  more interesting? Does what they are being told lead to a legal minefield? Should they get agreement from a publisher before they begin or hope that a contract will be forthcoming on completion? And, not least, how will any profits be split?

I’m a fan of The Writing Magazine – not only does it provide great articles but it has many other advantages including  free entry to its competitions for subscribers plus they are currently offering a course on ghostwriting. So, if you have a someone  in mind or are interested in taking this further then why not have  a look at what’s covered by the course and whether you feel it will answer any questions you may have about going down that route.

Incidentally, if you become a member of our Association of Freelance Writers  you get 50% off your first year’s subscription to The Writing Magazine!

Amongst plenty of other benefits, membership also gives you reduced entry to our annual competitions and I just want to remind you that our Short Story Competition 2021 will be closing on 31^st March. So, if you’re thinking of entering  then you need to start writing and polishing your story now! The word limit is 2000 and it can be on any subject or theme. There are prizes of £300, £200, £100 and £50 and each winner also receives a Writers Bureau course of their choice.

I’ve just read a great post on how to write a good short story; so if you’ve not already written yours (or it’s written but sitting waiting for you to send it off) then why not read through these tips from Jerry Jenkins before going any further. Whether you’re an expert or a novice I think you’ll find something useful here.

My guest next week is a runner up in our Student of the Year 2021 competition – Prachi Sharma – and she’ll be looking at how to make your blog posts stand out from the vast multitude that appear online every day.