Sharing the story of your life might be quite difficult because you have to open up to different emotional chapters and experiences of your life.
This might be a very powerful and painful experience because not all memories and experiences are going to be happy and some might be emotionally very sad as well.
That is why, have you ever wondered how a ghostwriter handles emotional stories? A ghostwriter by nature has to be emotional in order to feel what the client is feeling when they are telling the story of their life during memoir writing.
So, how do they go about handling such powerful emotional stories without relating too much to them and breaking down in the process?
This is quite an interesting idea to explore and also quite powerful and that is exactly what we are going to decode in this blog.
We will find out how a ghostwriter handles emotion in memoir writing for the client and themselves too but before that, let us understand what is the emotional challenge of memoir writing first.
What Is the Emotional Challenge of Memoir Writing?
The emotional challenge of memoir writing starts with the initial challenge of having to connect emotionally with the person in order to understand their life and their story and to feel their life events.
This means listening to different anecdotes of that person which might be related to depression or anxiety or even something like PTSD and processing all of that with emotion.
This is a dilemma.
So, you might understand what we are talking about, the ghostwriter needs emotion to do that job in this situation and if they utilise emotion during the process of memoir writing improperly then that might make them emotional and even leave a mark in their minds.
This is quite a complicated challenge because on the one hand, you need emotion to do the job but on the other hand if you get tangled in that emotion then you not only will not be able to do the job but it is going to change you and affect your emotional wellbeing.
Let us now understand how ghostwriters navigate through this problem.
How Professional Ghostwriters Navigate Emotional Terrain
Creating Emotional Distance
The very first thing the ghostwriter does is that they utilise their professionalism in order to always create an emotional distance between the information they are receiving and themselves.
They always approach painful stories with a level of distance that is only possible with professionalism the same way a doctor approaches a patient in order to operate on them without being emotionally involved in them.
This might be difficult to achieve for someone just starting out writing a memoir or autobiography but this is something that simply comes with time just as the student doctor might find it hard to keep their emotions in control but things get hardened with time and professionalism.
Establishing Clear Boundaries
The second professional technique is to establish clear boundaries which means the segregation of different topics and also the ability to recognise signs of emotional distress.
If you know how to handle topics with care and recognise when it’s necessary to stop or pause conversations then you will not only make it easier for the client to express themselves but you are also going to stop yourself from getting emotionally invested in it.
This comes with experience as an experienced ghostwriter is going to schedule interviews depending on situational needs and will always make sure that the interviews are not emotionally draining for either party.
Employing Narrative Techniques
One of the best tools in the arsenal of professional ghostwriters is the utilisation of different narrative techniques in order to process difficult material.
- The ghostwriter can utilise a third-person perspective to create distance and thereby avoid emotional drain.
- They can utilise metaphors and symbolism to express emotions indirectly.
- They can also utilise different framing devices that allow authors to comment on past experiences to present from a healed perspective.
The last technique we have talked about which is the narration of past experiences from a present healed perspective is one of the most powerful tools simply because it helps the client get a sense of relief.
When the client feels relaxed and is able to process past pain better then that also helps the ghostwriter can process that pain much more easily as well.
Building Trust and Safety
The very best way to deal with and navigate emotional situations during memoir writing is to make the client feel comfortable because if the client feels safe and comfortable then the ghostwriter can also feel the same.
This can only be done when the professional ghostwriter is able to connect very well with the client and be very compassionate and considerate about their trust and safety and handle them with respect.
Handling a client with respect in a project like this simply means keeping the comfort of the client above the work deadlines and above the work as a whole.
The ghostwriter should not only think about completing the project in the best way possible but they should always focus on making sure the client is not uncomfortable throughout the entire process because this might actually be uncomfortable if not handled correctly.
CONCLUSION
Writing a memoir is perhaps one of the most challenging types of ghostwriting out there because something like this demands all the attention and professionalism as well as the experience of the ghostwriter.
This kind of project demands the ghostwriter to be compassionate as well as professional and also emotional in order to relate with the client.
Memoir projects should never be attempted by amateur ghostwriters because they will botch up the process and even result in triggering PTSD episodes by accident.
That is why if you are looking for some of the finest ghostwriting talent to help you with your memoir then we are here for you.
We are Ghostwriting India and we present you some of the most experienced ghostwriting talent in the industry ready to help you with all your content needs whether it is memoirs and autobiographies or fiction and nonfiction writing as well as everything else.
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