In the heart of our home, standing consistently through the seasons of our lives, sits an oak dining room table that has witnessed 45 years of our family's journey. This sturdy wooden antique relic, adorned with ornate legs inherited from my husband's Aunt, has been more than just a piece of furniture; it is the keeper of our memories, a silent storyteller of our shared history.

Given what might be the last chance I have, although I hope not to reinvent myself, I decided to become a ghostwriter. This deeply considered and purposeful decision appealed to me. My decades-long love of reading and writing are foundational aspects of my journey.

Two of my favorite creative practices are taking pictures on my nature walks and ghostwriting meaningful books for my clients. I will happily participate in these two activities for years, improving my skills as I grow and learn. They have three common considerations: framework, perspective, and storytelling.

I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s. Men worked, and women stayed home and raised their children. As a young girl, I did not consider or think about a career. My counselor in high school told me I was not college material or that if I went to college, I should major in home economics. This assessment of my potential hurt on a deep level I could not express because I did not know the damage he had inflicted. I could laugh, however, thinking about my home economics teacher's frustration as I struggled to arrange flowers and sew a simple triangle scarf.

A greeting of a welcomed warm hug conveys a deep connection. The people hugging may have a history going back decades or have recently met and experienced an instant affinity and common ground. It can mean love, respect, joy, and the assurance that each person as the recipient is essential and validated. 

Fifty Years in the Wool Trading, as remembered and dictated by Marcus Harris, is a sixty-page softcover book I found when I was ten years old on a bookshelf in the living room of our small bungalow house in Northbrook, Illinois. My great-grandfather was born in the United States, and his parents, Gustav and Stella, were born in Prussia and Rhineland, respectively. 

For the forty years I worked as a manager of complex software development, much of the discussion and adaptations in a quest for faster turn time and efficiencies centered around the software development methodology. Delivery on time and within budget is always the goal.

Fifteen years ago, I found myself between jobs and between careers. I was leaving my career at big companies, with lots of work and far travel, for something new. Since I could not puzzle through my next career step, I decided to do something Zen and relaxing.

I was eight years old in 1960. My dad quit his job as an actuary at Bankers Life and Casualty to start a data processing services bureau. His first products were accounting general ledger and payroll. He rented a small office space on Touhy Avenue in Skokie.

The year was 1967. I walked 'town,' our years-long gathering place for my friends and me. When we all were permitted to ride our bikes the three miles from home to 'town,' we would congregate at Ben Franklins to buy hair ribbons, candy, and Archie comic books.

Managing projects is a wonderful life skill. It's important to know this skill for business and life. It helps you manage simple and complex events. And this skill is one of the foundations of my success as a ghostwriter.

Although I meant to, I never asked her what she remembered about her first automobile ride, what she thought about air travel, and what support she had for raising her children. Was she lonely in town? How did she feel when her two sons fought in World War II? Did she have to work during the depression? …I always thought there would be time to ask those questions. I had all the opportunities I could want.

Many of us have funny and poignant stories to tell, legacies to leave, businesses to grow, wisdom to impart, and messages to get out. Many of us procrastinate, make excuses, don't know where to start, don't know how to start, don't have the time or talent, are afraid that what we write will not be welcomed, and so on and on.

His presence left an enduring mark on those who crossed his path. The company grew and evolved in many ways, including its reliance on computers and the information generated from running programs. At the time, communication was on tapes, cards, and paper reports. The disbursement of information was often slow through the company's internal mail system.

As a ghostwriter, my skills and experiences from careers in customer service, information technology, project management, and real estate illuminate my ghostwriting skills. Often, I like to consider shared values and skills among industries for which I have work experience.

Deciding on the audience is a crucial first step for the ghostwriter and the author. The author will have a concept of their book and what they want to achieve by writing it. That is the starting point. The book will take shape once the author establishes who their audience is. Several reasons why this is so important are as follows.

Will my book be in my voice if I hire a ghostwriter? Before signing the contract with your ghostwriter, this may be one of your questions and considerations. Generally, a ghostwriter will have a solid, proven process they follow.

You did it! You are holding your dream in your hands. You may have dreamed about this moment for years and decided to hire a ghostwriter to get you to the finish line of book publication. Your book about your family legacy is complete. You thought about a brilliant idea to promote your business nine months ago, moved quickly, and now, with the help of a ghostwriter, your book is in your hands.

ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence language model developed by OpenAI, launched in November of 2022, has quickly become the fastest-growing internet application.

ChatGPT is designed to generate human-like responses to user input.

Many of us have already taken the first step toward writing a book. You may have a detailed outline. You may have unfinished or partial manuscripts tucked away in your files. It may need to be revised.