Sunday Snippets
By Venkatesh Raghavan
Much before I took up my ghost writing skills as a means to supplement my income, I got initiated into the profession informally during my post-college years, which I spent as a freelance journalist. My mother Rukmini was a primary school teacher and she asked me to pen a research paper that was required by one of her aspiring teacher friends yearning for a B.Ed degree to enhance her career prospects.
I vaguely remember that the research paper was about promoting scientific thought and nurturing a questioning mind in students to help them acquire a sound and logical reasoning blend of mind. At that point of time, though I had not even crossed my mid-twenties, in view of my wide and sporadic reading, I was able to pen the research paper dwelling on scientific reasoning tools like analogy, simple enumeration and simulation. Though I got to learn after specifically making inquiries with my mother that her aspiring teacher friend had secured a B+ in her research paper, there was not even a word of thanks forthcoming from the beneficiary of my efforts.
Much later, in my working life, I played ghost writer for many students across grades, meaning from lower secondary levels to high school levels to penultimate and final years of their graduation that helped them complete their respective research projects. Many times people like my cousin sibling Prasana used to point out that unless they learn to write it on their own, it will not benefit them. Their juxtaposition however did not bother me as for me it was more about enjoying a good creative effort rather than earning big time money.
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Years passed and I was in for a surprise when my mother’s tuition student Mallika walked in with her friend asking me to pen their letters of intent for US universities they aspired to seek admission. Mallika kept telling her friend in my presence that I was from Bombay Scottish School. Even before I could protest and point out how wrong this piece of information was, her friend asked me, “How much will you charge us?” I then patiently pointed out to them that US universities expected students to write to them with their own language skills. “If you employ a professional writer for this purpose, it will easily get spotted and it may result in your rejection.” It was later I learnt that an essay I had written for Mallika was read out loudly by the teacher in front of the entire class. That was when I got shortlisted unofficially by school and college students seeking ghost writers.
To make a long story short, from then on there were frequent requests for ghost writing assignments which I catered to, some of which got delivered against tight deadlines, given that I spent most of my time in the office. I will just cite two such instances that continue to linger in my mind. A school teacher wanted me to narrate the story of “Tin soldier” that belongs to the list of classics in child literature in a drama form. The request came to me through my land lady Jigna who acted as the intermediary. I cite this instance as this was one of the most creatively fulfilling experiences in my ghost writing career. Nearly a year back, I was asked to pen an essay on what could be done to improve and promote tourism in our country. This too lingers in my mind, as I felt satisfied airing my strong feelings about how our countrymen lack courtesy and are rampantly dishonest when dealing with tourists. This assignment lingered in my mind as it gave me a chance to voice my opinion on at least a school platform.
