Editing | Ghosting | Content Creation & Strategy

So what about smart technology?

From mid-2014 to early 2016, I worked with a team of Cisco executives to create a book that detailed the company’s contributions to the design and building of modern, ‘smart and connected’ cities. The work took me to Songdo, South Korea, Bengaluru, India, and the cities of Chengdu and Hangzhou in China. Along the way I interviewed consultants and experts from many countries, and often was struck by the energy, intelligence and vision of these corporate and civic leaders.

The book has not been published (it’s a long story, and beyond the influence of this contracted writer), but my interest in the intersection of cities and technology is ongoing. There are endless questions and debates about what a city is, who it exists for and whether it can be planned top-down (let the experts handle it), down-up (power to the people who will live and work there) or something in between. It’s a big vital story of a century in which more than half of the world’s human beings will live in cities. Can Internet technology give us quality of life, freedom, choice and efficiency? Or will it bog us down and benefit the few instead of the many? Experts from many disciplines are needed: are you looking to join and influence the conversation? I can help. 

Confessions of a ghost

Tell me about ghostwriting

Modest talents don’t often factor into life plans. But some remain inside us, like little pools of energy, until they bubble forth and surprise us with their usefulness. In my case, a knack for mimicry pays dividends today.

As a kid I’d happily imitate anyone: the president, my grandmother, Don Corleone, the man who ran my college bookstore, you name it. In most cases, I liked the people I was imitating very much; in fact, the better I liked them, the better the impersonation. You have to observe carefully to reproduce someone’s speech patterns, word choice and demeanor. Unless your goal is satire, sympathy is essential.

Growing up, I moved often with my family. It seemed I was always the new kid, always negotiating a new social structure, I tried on many guises. Every move was a fresh start. In my work today, I assume a new role with every project, with new logic patterns and new voices.

Ghosts are chameleons. We sink into our roles and emerge when they’re complete. And that’s an indispensable trait when it comes to working with clients who have something to say, the authority to say it, and strong opinions about how it should be said.

This doesn’t mean ghosts are void of opinions, good sense, taste, and backbone. My clients know that I’ll point out the fuzzy ideas, ineffective approaches and rank phrases. But I don’t set the terms of the aesthetic and purpose of your work. That’s your job and privilege. I take care of the rest.