Many potential ghostwriting clients ask me what style I would use to write their novels. The answer is that I don't have just one style. It's not one style fits all. The style that I use is the one that seems best suited for the project, but ultimately I use whatever style the client prefers.
Some authors use a very straightforward style--some call it "meat and potato prose"--and the style pretty much tells the story without a great deal of flourish. Other writers, such as Ray Bradbury, use a very lyrical style--almost poetic--that greatly varies sentence length, subordinate clauses, the use of punctuation, and imagery.
Some writers, like Dan Brown, write very short sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. It's rapid-fire prose that moves the narrative along at breakneck speed. Dashiell Hammett also employed a very bare bones approach to his prose, as did Ernest Hemingway, who derived his terse prose style from Hammett.
Many writers of classical literature used very long sentences and complicated syntax, at least by today's standards. The works of greats such as Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens are examples, although these authors are still quite readable. In modern times, John Updike used extremely long sentences and very intricate syntax although the novels were nevertheless very readable by most, although many readers found his prose challenging.
Any ghostwriter who says that he or she uses only one style is probably not your best choice. A great ghost has to be able to vary style according to content--according to the effect the client wishes to achieve. If you are searching for a ghostwriter, it is sometimes good to tell him or her what authors you admire and that you would like to emulate a certain style.
The style that is used for your novel is the one that's right for you. The samples contained on this blog are just that: samples that illustrate the prose used for a wide variety of genres as well as literary fiction. If you have any questions, please email me by selecting the contact link in the Site Map or in the sidebar.
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