Rough Draft Writing: The Framework of Your Book

The fourth step in writing a book with a professional ghostwriter is the rough draft writing. Here’s how a good ghostwriter turns your words into a book in your voice.

The first three steps in writing your book required input and information from you, the author, whose name will be on the book. Once you’ve planned your project, gathered the information and created an outline, the ghostwriter begins the process of rough draft writing, which is basically turning your words into a book.

A word-for-word transcript of your recorded interview is prepared. It includes all of the writer’s questions and your answers. Perhaps your mind wanders a bit or you thought of something you wanted to include in another chapter while you’re talking on one topic. That will be in the transcript too.

The ghostwriter carefully goes through that transcript and turns your words into a rough draft of the book. She’ll clean up your syntax and smooth out your sentences. A verbal conservation tends to be choppier and more rambling than the written word. When people talk, they might often use extraneous words such as “so” or “and” to begin their sentences. Those will be taken out so the thoughts are easy to read and flow well together.

During the interview, the ghostwriter will sometimes summarize your thoughts or lead the conversation back to the topic of the book if it tends to go astray. It’s such a seamless process that you’ll hardly notice when those words are included within the rough draft of the chapter.

She’ll also insert headings within the rough draft to indicate a shift in the topic being discussed. Later on, those headings might be part of the final product that’s published. Or, when the whole book is written, the ghostwriter might move a topic to another chapter where it fits better.

The language is tightened so it’s not repetitive and will be easier for your future readers. Generally, an interview transcript that’s 20 pages long will result in a chapter that’s 10 pages or fewer. When the work is complete, you’ll be able to see the first draft of your book. The best part is that it’s all in your own words, yet you didn’t have to do the writing.

It’s an exciting moment when you first see the rough draft of your book, but it can also be a letdown because you realize how much work remains to be done. It’s like reaching the peak of a mountain, only to realize how many more mountains are ahead before you complete your trek. Don’t be discouraged — you’re well on your way to creating your book. 

Related Resources

Read more about the 8 Steps to Writing a Book

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