Ghostwriting Reflection

My younger brother, Mike, is currently applying to colleges right now and his application for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which he is about to begin, requires a personal statement for the essay requirement. I met with him this past weekend and discussed his experiences and achievements in the last four years of his high school career. I acted as a ghostwriter and wrote his personal statement for him.

As I was writing his personal statement, I was working diligently and quickly because so many ideas were flowing that I did not really stop and react to what I was actually doing. It was after my introduction that began with a story he had experienced, that I encountered my first quick feel of uneasiness. It was hard for me to write “I” and “my” when it came to feelings, when I was not actually that person feeling that way. On the other hand, the easy part of ghostwriting this for me was that I knew my brothers achievements and work ethic because I had gone to school with him and also worked at Fannie May with him. Come time to the reflection of his achievements however, it was difficult to write because I still am unsure if I pinpointed the exact feelings he described to me. In the end, this experience left me feeling somewhat uneasy and guilty.

I think that my experience is typical to other students in this class who have completed the assignment, yet I do not think actual ghostwriters who are professionals in this field feel the same way I do. I feel this way because they have chosen the path to become a ghostwriter, therefore knowing what they are getting into, and I have been (in a way) forced into completing an assignment that has made me into a ghostwriter. I believe that someone who would write a presidential speech most likely does not feel guilty or uneasy, but rather honored and proud.

I believe that this worked helped change the relationship I have with my brother slightly. Like I stated previously, I have understood his accomplishments and extracurriculars, but not to the extend of how they made him who he is today. I often felt proud writing his personal statement as an older sister to have a brother that has accomplished so much in a small period of time. It was this pride that helped create a stronger relationship with my younger brother.

Upon completing this assignment, it has really made me reflect on what I have so far learned about what an author is. It confuses me because I do feel like the author of this paper, yet an author has been set in my mind as someone who is the originator of the work. My brother told me what to write; therefore I am unsure if he would be considered the author even though he didn’t write it. He came up with the ideas and I put them on a document. I was a “writer” but maybe not an “author.” Overall, this assignment has made me feel slightly uneasy, strengthen a relationship with a sibling, and reflect on the principles of authorship.