A light bulb moment.

I found myself there yesterday to get 60-watt, standard screw base bulbs for our new bathroom fixtures. What I did not expect was the mind-boggling number of additional choices that stood between me and the payment kiosk: finish (frosted, clear), shape (conical, spiral, parabolic aluminized reflector, torpedo, globe, traditional), filament (tungsten, LED), and temperature (cool white, warm white, day white, direct white). Fortunately Home Depot employees are well-trained to help people like me rocking that deer-in-headlights look.

What does this have to do with writing a memoir? A lot, actually. Good ghostwriters are like Home Depot employees. We listen. We repeat back what we have heard. We help authors narrow down their options. We make suggestions. This collaboration makes the author’s vision come alive.

Of course there’s more to ghostwriting a memoir once the book format (chronological, rags to riches, tell-all, non-linear narrative, cookbook) has been selected. Authors tell me that they enjoy the interview part of the memoir process the best, those unhurried conversations we have to build their story. The conversations are easy because I have 30 years of professional experience encouraging people to talk about themselves! We have fun together and make all kinds of random discoveries in support of their narrative. An author and I were shocked to learn that it was 28 years between the time BART, the public rail transportation system in the San Francisco Bay Area, came up as a discussion between civic leaders until the first train carried passengers!

Light bulbs are often analogies for sudden understanding, inspiration or a new idea. Here’s my idea: A comedian needs to do a set on light bulb shopping! I’ll wrap up this post with a thoughtful joke: How many philosophers does it take to change a light bulb? Hmmm … I’ll have to think about it.