Ghostwriter Skill
Purpose
This skill transforms source material - transcripts, notes, research, interviews - into authentic, human-written content that reads naturally without obvious AI tells. It extends the anti-ai-writing skill by adding voice adaptation and source material conversion techniques.
Core Philosophy: The best ghostwriting is invisible. Readers should feel like they're reading a real person's thoughts, not a filtered or processed version of source material.
This skill assumes you've read the anti-ai-writing skill. It builds on those fundamentals with additional techniques for voice adaptation and source material conversion.
When to Use This Skill
Use the Ghostwriter skill when:
- Converting transcripts or interviews into polished articles or newsletters
- Refining notes into publishable content
- Converting source material into different voices or styles
- Building content that maintains a distinctive, personal voice
- Adapting writing to match a specific author's style
Use in conjunction with:
- anti-ai-writing skill for core humanization patterns
- Voice style profiles for adapting to specific voices
- Source material that needs authentic conversion
- brand-identity-wizard profile for brand voice consistency
The 8 Human Desires Framework
Great writing taps into core human desires. Choose 1-2 per piece:
1. Safety of Tribe
Belonging, community, fitting in
- "The hidden skills that separate successful people from struggling ones"
- Use when: Readers need to feel part of something larger
2. Survival & Success
Progress, achievement, security
- "The greatest threat to your potential is getting tied down too early"
- Key phrases: "breakthrough," "advancement," "finally," "unlocked"
3. Life Enjoyment
Pleasure, experiences, freedom
- "Why most people miss the best parts of their work"
- Key phrases: "savor," "freedom," "experience," "joy"
4. Social Acceptance
Status, respect, recognition
- "What successful people know that average people don't"
- Key phrases: "elite," "leaders know," "insiders understand"
5. Sexual Companionship
Connection, attraction, intimacy
- (Less relevant for business content, but understand it exists)
6. Comfort & Clarity
Simplicity, ease, certainty
- "The one question that eliminates decision paralysis"
- Key phrases: "simple," "easy," "finally understand"
7. Freedom From Fear
Safety, protection, security
- "How to protect yourself from predatory practices"
- Key phrases: "protect," "avoid," "defend," "safe"
8. Perceived Status
Respect, authority, expertise
- "Discover what MIT researchers just learned"
- Key phrases: "breakthrough," "discovered," "research shows"
Application: Identify which desire(s) your content taps into. Lean into them deliberately.
Voice Style Adaptation
The ghostwriter can adapt content to different voice styles. Choose based on your content needs:
Authentic Conversational Style
Best for: Calling out obvious truths, challenging conventional wisdom
Characteristics:
- Direct, no-nonsense communication
- Uses contrarian framing
- Challenges mainstream narratives
- Conversational but substantive
- No hedging or corporate speak
Example tone:
- "Everyone says X. They're wrong. Here's why."
- "The thing nobody wants to admit is..."
Analytical Enthusiasm Style
Best for: Explaining trends, making smart analysis exciting
Characteristics:
- Enthusiastic about ideas and trends
- Makes complex ideas accessible
- Uses analogies and mental models
- Balances depth with readability
- Injects energy into dry topics
Example tone:
- "This is fascinating because..."
- "Let's break down why this matters..."
Discovery by Deletion Style
Best for: Refining and polishing, limited word count
Characteristics:
- Maximum impact per word
- Ruthless editing
- Clarity through brevity
- Every sentence earns its place
- No filler or padding
Example approach:
- First draft: 500 words
- Final version: 200 words with same impact
- Cut anything that doesn't directly serve the reader
Decision Framework Style
Best for: Helping readers think through tradeoffs
Characteristics:
- Reframes risk and decisions
- Focuses on asymmetric bets
- Provides mental models
- Helps readers see situations differently
- Practical, actionable insight
Example tone:
- "The real question isn't X, it's Y"
- "Most people optimize for the wrong thing"
The Ghostwriting Workflow
Step 1: Understand Your Source Material
Read through everything completely:
- What's the core insight or story?
- What's the emotional arc?
- What's the most important takeaway?
Ask yourself:
- What's being said that no one else is saying?
- What will readers think, feel, or do differently?
- What's the 30-second version of this?
Step 2: Apply the SUCKS Framework
Before writing:
- Who is my ONE reader?
- Is this unique and useful to them?
- Can I make it clear, curious, and conversational?
- How do I keep it simple and structured?
- What will stick with them?
Step 3: Choose Your Voice Style
Select how to adapt the material:
- Authentic Conversational - for challenging wisdom
- Analytical Enthusiasm - for explaining trends
- Discovery by Deletion - for maximum impact
- Decision Framework - for helping with tradeoffs
- Default (Professional) - for business/default writing
Or create a custom voice profile using the voice-analyzer skill.
Step 4: Identify Human Desires
Which 1-2 desires does this content tap into?
- Safety of Tribe (belonging)
- Survival & Success (achievement)
- Life Enjoyment (pleasure)
- Social Acceptance (status)
- Comfort & Clarity (simplicity)
- Freedom From Fear (protection)
- Perceived Status (expertise)
Lean into these deliberately throughout the piece.
Step 5: Convert Source Material
Draft your content:
- Extract key quotes and ideas from source material
- Translate them into your chosen voice
- Structure with clear beginning, middle, end
- Use specific examples, numbers, and concrete details
- Create energy transfer (conversation, not lecture)
- Apply human desire framing throughout
Step 6: Apply Sticky Sentences
Identify 2-3 most important statements and strengthen them:
- Add alliteration, symmetry, contrast, or rhythm
- Make them quotable
- Make them memorable
Techniques:
- Alliteration: "Specificity is the secret"
- Symmetry: "Read for awareness. Write for understanding."
- Contrast: "To be everywhere is to be nowhere."
- Rhyme: "Tell a story or lose your glory"
Step 7: Eliminate AI Tells
Go through systematically and remove (reference anti-ai-writing skill):
- Correlative constructions ("X aren't just Y, they're Z")
- Overuse of "just" and "actually"
- Hedge words (might, could, perhaps, seems)
- Passive voice
- Corporate jargon
- Vague language (replace with specifics)
- Forbidden patterns
- Too many transitions
- Overcomplicated sentences
Test for each sentence: Would this sentence appear in a ChatGPT output? If yes, rewrite it.
Step 8: Read Aloud & Quality Check
Read your entire piece aloud:
- Does it sound like a real person talking?
- Could I send this to someone without embarrassment?
- Does energy transfer (not feel formal)?
- Is every sentence earning its place?
- Do important ideas have sticky phrasing?
- Are there obvious AI tells remaining?
- Does it match the intended voice style?
- Does it tap into the intended human desires?
Elements of Effective Ghostwritten Content
When converting source material, include:
- Capture attention immediately - First sentence must hook
- Use specific numbers - "1.5 million" not "many"
- Employ pattern interrupts - Surprise the reader
- Address problems directly - Name the struggle
- Write with confidence - Eliminate hedge words
- Highlight concrete benefits - "Double output in 30 days" not "boost productivity"
- Include social proof when relevant - Results, credentials, validation
- Ask powerful questions - Make readers think
- Incorporate warnings - Create urgency, show stakes
- Remind, don't just inform - Confirm what readers already sense
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Over-Processing Source Material
Bad: Turning a natural conversation into corporate-speak Good: Preserving the authentic voice while polishing
2. Adding AI-like Phrases
Bad: "It's important to note that..." "Moreover..." "Furthermore..." Good: Direct communication with natural transitions
3. Losing the Original Insight
Bad: Adding so much polish that the core idea disappears Good: Enhancing clarity while preserving original meaning
4. Sounding Generic
Bad: Making content that could be about anything Good: Making it specific to one person's perspective
5. Hedging Your Conviction
Bad: "It might be possible that..." "Some experts say..." Good: "This is true because..." "We know..."
6. Missing the Human Desire
Bad: Content that doesn't tap into any deep motivation Good: Content that clearly connects to belonging, success, clarity, etc.
Quality Checklist
Before finalizing ghostwritten content:
Source Material:
- Core insight clearly identified
- Key quotes extracted
- Emotional arc understood
Voice:
- Voice style selected and applied consistently
- Energy transfer achieved (conversation, not lecture)
- Matches intended author's style
Human Desires:
- 1-2 desires identified
- Desires woven throughout the piece
- Reader motivation is clear
Sticky Sentences:
- 2-3 key statements strengthened
- Techniques applied (alliteration, symmetry, contrast, etc.)
- Memorable and quotable
Anti-AI:
- All forbidden patterns eliminated
- Hedge words removed
- Vague claims made specific
- Reads as genuinely human
Final Check:
- Read aloud - sounds natural
- Every sentence earns its place
- Would send to anyone without embarrassment
Related Skills
- anti-ai-writing: Core humanization patterns (use first)
- voice-analyzer: Create custom voice profiles from writing samples
- transcript-polisher: Clean raw transcripts before conversion
- hook-and-headline-writing: Craft attention-grabbing headlines
- brand-identity-wizard: Define brand voice for consistency
*This skill extends anti-ai-writing with voice adaptation and human desire frameworks. Use anti-ai-writing for basic humanization, and ghostwriter for full source material conversion with distinctive voice.*