Ghostwriting

This is from a review of Robert Harris’ new novel.

Citing a real handbook on ghostwriting by Andrew Crofts, it demonstrates some entertaining tricks of the trade. A good ghost, for instance, supplies his or her own memories, because the famous person may have been too busy being successful to recall anything. When concocting Lang’s childhood appearance in a Christmas pageant, the ghost researches which real pageants were put on in the place where Lang lived as a boy. Then he gives the ex-prime minister a choice of roles. Wise man? Too much. Sheep? Wrong message. “A guiding star?” “Perfect!”

I need to get my hands (hum) on that handbook. Not the Harris book, though, which sounds perfectly awful. I got better books here.