McCALL’s WRITING SERVICES
BOOK GHOSTWRITING
Write a book manuscript from author’s source material, interviews, research, or such ideas or documents as author directs. Includes all information gathering activities (such as conducting and transcribing interviews, collecting, analyzing, organizing and preparing author notes, lectures, speeches or other ancillary source materials for inclusion in the manuscript). Includes researching and fact checking. Includes writing a detailed Annotated Outline that contains a synopsis and background, a detailed description of the suggested contents for each chapter (including titles, section headers and sub-headers, etc.), in addition to two initial sample chapters for author’s approval. Includes a first draft, a rewrite draft, and a final polish, addressing author’s notes on each. See the end of this page for a detailed process of what the process of ghostwriting can be compared to. (Read about how McCall became a ghostwriter here.)
DEVELOPMENTAL & SUBSTANTIVE EDITING and REWRITING
Evaluate manuscript for flow, clarity, correctness, consistency, logic and accuracy. Rewrite, reorganize and rearrange portions of manuscript as needed. Includes writing additional sections of new content where necessary. Includes information-gathering activities if needed (such as conducting and transcribing interviews, collecting, analyzing, organizing and preparing author notes, lectures, speeches or other additional source materials for inclusion in the manuscript). Includes researching and fact-checking. Includes a first draft, a rewrite draft, and a final polish, addressing author’s notes on each. (See a few non-NDA examples of books McCall has developmentally or substantively edited here.) [Note: See the definitions of editing services most professional ghostwriters offer, at the bottom of this page.]
MANUSCRIPT POLISHING
Tighten up completed manuscript to smooth out flow and transitions, punch up writing, maintain author’s voice, and retain logic stream.
SCREEN-to-BOOK and BOOK-to-SCREEN ADAPTATIONS
Adapt screenplay into book, or book into film or TV script. Includes creating, revising, and expanding or reducing dialog, storyline and characters as needed to fully represent the book in a visual manner for the screen, and in the proper formatting. Includes writing a treatment, an outline, and a script coverage report. Includes information-gathering activities (such as conducting and transcribing interviews, collecting, analyzing, organizing and preparing author notes, lectures, speeches or other ancillary source materials for inclusion in the manuscript). Includes researching and fact-checking. Includes writing a synopsis, an outline, and a treatment. Includes a first draft, a rewrite draft, and a final polish, addressing author’s notes on each.
To see just one example of a book McCall adapted to screenplay (which was optioned for film by David Sacks, Producer of the hit movie, “THANK YOU FOR SMOKING” and Co-Founder of PayPal), see the book version of Slipping Into Darkness here; and see the screen adaptation version of Slipping Into Darkness, retitled to “AMERICAN GHETTO”, here.
FILM & TV SCRIPT DOCTORING and REWRITING
Analyze and offer input on film, TV, mobile interactive script, treatment or podcast script for story and production elements. Provide comments and suggestions on the project, including main character development, dialog analysis, visual integration or elimination of exposition, and a detailed list of story problems and how they will be addressed. To be followed by punching up and/or rewriting to improve storyline, dialog, logic flow, character descriptions, visual approach, etc.
FILM & TV SCREENWRITING
Write film, television (half-hour or one-hour series, MOW, or pilot), streaming, mobile interactive, or podcast script from a synopsis, outline, treatment and or author notes or other source material as provided by author. Includes writing a treatment, an outline, and a script coverage report. Includes information gathering activities (such as conducting and transcribing interviews, collecting, analyzing, organizing and preparing author notes, lectures, speeches or other ancillary source materials for inclusion in the manuscript). Includes researching and fact-checking. Includes writing a synopsis, an outline, and a treatment. Includes a first draft, a rewrite draft, and a final polish, addressing author’s notes on each.
CREATIVE STORY CONSULTING
Professional writing and individual project analysis, guidance, and consultation. Includes detailed advice and input on elements such as character development, dialog punch-up, setting, theme, spine, story flow, logic flow, chronology, etc.
MANUSCRIPT & SCRIPT COVERAGE REPORTS
Write Film/TV Script Coverage Report that analyzes and offers story and production elements, a viability assessment, overall comments and suggestions on the project, main character development, dialog analysis, suggestions for visual integration or elimination of exposition, story problems that need addressing and suggestions on how to fix them, as well as several other elements.
FILM & TV DEVELOPMENT and PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Write, develop, and produce feature films and TV shows, providing a full range of production development and management services. McCall has worked at all of the major American movie studios and most of the US television networks, on some of the highest grossing movies and top Nielsen-rated one-hour drama TV shows, in positions that include Production Coordinator, Head Writer, Show Runner, and Producer. (See a list of movies and TV shows McCall has worked on here.)
EDITING SERVICES MOST PROFESSIONAL GHOSTWRITERS OFFER
- Developmental Editing: Conceptualizing the grand idea of the message of the document, and identifying and developing the overarching tone of the document.
- Substantive Editing: Taking the developmental edit to the next level, organizing, prioritizing, and structuring the narrative in the voice of the author.
- Line Editing: Guiding the writer in structuring the message of the document in a logic flow that best expresses the writer’s message.
- Copyediting: Overlaying the document’s style guide, adjusting word choices, and placement of sentences and paragraphs within individual chapters to maintain a cadence and flow.
- Proofreading: Checking for typos, repeated or missing words, grammar , punctuation, etc.
THE PROCESS OF GHOSTWRITING: What it can be compared to…
As book ghostwriters, envision us as builders of your “custom home”—your book. It’s a 7-step process:
Step 1. We take the construction blueprint (our Outline–the story idea in basic Beginning, Middle and End format) out to the construction site (that’s our computer), sort everything into piles (our files)–the lumber here; the nails, screws, bolts and other hardware over there; the paneling, carpeting, electric wiring, plumbing, etc., into their own separate piles, in order of how they’ll be worked on (this is our outline, including spine, theme, and all story elements).
Step 2. Then we begin building the house, room by room (chapter by chapter), following the blueprint (the outline) and the desired look (the voice and tone), until we’ve roughed out the basic frame for each room, beginning, middle, and end (this is our Rough Draft).
Step 3. When we have the entire house all roughed out, all basically constructed (the rough draft basically completed), then we begin the detail work–we rough paint the walls, put in carpeting, bathtubs, lighting fixtures, etc., sliding glass doors, etc. (this is our official First Draft–which is the rewrite of our Rough Draft). As necessary to correct problems–and there will always be problems when building a custom house–we deal with each (this would our Second Draft–a rewrite of our First Draft).
Step 4. Then we do the fine finish work (the Polish), which is the detail paintwork, wainscoting, baseboards, landscaping, etc.–our story, character and dialog tweaking and punching up.
Step 5. Then we do a walk-through (a read-through), to make sure all is tight, in place, looking good, bullet proof.
Step 6. The draft goes to the publisher and or agent/manager.
Step 7. Move on to our next “custom home build” book project!
Notice that the first 4 steps above are the actual writing (building) phases:
1) The Outline (the construction blueprint), which helps us to become basically familiar with the story idea (the basic layout of the house we’re building).
2) The Rough Draft (the raw house, all framed up but you can’t live in it).
3) The First Draft (the completed house, which you could live in just fine, but which may need additional work–Second Draft, etc., to solve plumbing problems, electric problems, roof leaks, etc.).
4) The Polish (the new “house”—your beautiful forever book—is now ready to plunk down a fresh “For Sale” sign on the neatly manicured front lawn/book store).
