Blog - News and Updates from the World of Ghostwriting and Self-publishing

What does it mean to create a great voice when you’re writing?

Posted on October 9 2013 by Mark Graham

Creating a specific voice for any writing project is a great strategy for successful writing. What is a voice? In writing terms, it means choosing your words carefully to create a distinctive personality. You want your readers to feel like they are interacting with a real live person, with a rich history and even personality quirks.

The voice that you choose for your writing project can lead your readers to feel differently about your story, characters and even your style. Consider the following two examples of text, both describing the same scene. Continue reading →

Who is my audience?

Posted on May 15 2013 by Mark Graham

When you embark on your writing adventure, one of the key factors to consider is your audience. Who will be reading what you have written? Who are you addressing? Depending on the type of project you have in mind, the answers to these questions may be different. Every piece of writing has an audience; you may be writing for a general group of readers, a select few individuals, or even just for yourself. Continue reading →

Passion is the key to a great story

Posted on April 9 2013 by Mark Graham

Every endeavor worth pursuing begins with passion. Writing is no different. If you are passionate about your story, it translates into all aspects of your writing. Without passion, a story is merely a collection of words, and your reader will know it within a matter of pages. Passion is what grabs hold of a reader’s imagination and runs with it all the way to the end of the tale. It’s an element that simply cannot be imitated. You either have it or you don’t. Continue reading →

What makes a great self-help book?

Posted on March 7 2013 by Mark Graham

Books can serve a wide variety of purposes from entertainment to education. Self-help books are a specific type of educational book that aims to help the reader solve problems in his or her everyday life. Common topics include weight loss, social skills, professional advice, and much more. However, just because your book talks about the technique that helped you won’t guarantee the same success for your readers. Remember, you’re writing the self-help book for your readers, not just to document your experience. Here are some suggestions on ways to maximize the effect of your words.

Hook your readers.
Continue reading →

What is the difference between a biography and a memoir?

Posted on February 7 2013 by Mark Graham

While there are a great many similarities between biographies and memoirs, there are a few subtle yet distinctive variances between the two categories of literature. Both tell the tale of an individual, but the difference between them lies in the parameters and style of the narrative.

Typically, biographies span the entire lifetime of the subject, from infancy through childhood to all the adventures experienced during adulthood. Much like documentaries on film, events covered in a biography will most likely unfold in chronological order. Autobiographies follow the same rules as biographies with one provision: that the author is also the subject. Quite simply, a biography is a chronicle documenting an individual’s history. There are no hard and fast rules for biographical accounts, as one person’s lifetime can vary wildly from another’s, but in general Continue reading →

Do I need a ghost writer?

Posted on January 24 2013 by Mark Graham

The written word is very powerful. Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, there are many ways to take advantage of the written form. Communication in today’s world is quicker than ever before, which means you have a potentially vast audience. The services of a ghost writer can come in handy for companies whose employees are too busy to craft a top flight presentation or individuals who aren’t quite sure how to get their messages across. Experienced ghost writers know all the right questions to ask in figuring out how best to present your message. They know about setting the appropriate tone and using the right vocabulary to fit your industry. They understand the importance of deadlines. If you are considering working with a ghost writer on any project, here are some good questions to ask yourself first. Continue reading →

What is a ghost writer?

Posted on December 6 2012 by Mark Graham

Ever wonder how busy celebrities have the time to write books about themselves? What about those famous singers who seem to churn out a new hit every time you turn around? Typically, the actual writing is done by a ghost writer. Ghost writers are people who make a living by writing for others, which includes but is not limited to books, biographies, memoirs, manuscripts, articles, stories, reports, and even sometimes song lyrics. Their work can appear in individual volumes, magazines, newspapers and more. These days, many companies and individuals hire ghost writers to update their websites and blogs. Mark Graham Communications specializes in ghost writing screenplays and books of all kinds. Continue reading →