In 2001 A Cop for Christ was published. It was the ‘autobiography’ of Mike Di Sanza, a New York cop, and I ghost-wrote it.
You can read how that came about in this earlier blog post.
I met Mikey when he was staying with a young Irish pastor and his family in a nearby town. I got to know Christy and Linda Smith and liked them very much so when Christy asked me how I’d feel about writing his story I was delighted to give it a go.
Over the next twenty years the project progressed erratically. Christy moved away and work and life took up a lot of his time. Every now and then I’d get a phone call or he’d turn up at my door saying how keen he was to continue and I’d be re-enthused and do some more work on it, only for him to disappear again. Admittedly as a police chaplain and emergency first responder he did have one or two reasonable excuses – like going to the Baltic states during the era of ethnic cleansing or Haiti after the terrible earthquake or New York after 9/11.
But last summer, during lockdown, he got in touch again, and since then, thanks to the wonderful Zoom, we really have accomplished something. Last week I put down my pen (stopped typing) having finished the first draft of his autobiography.
Christy has given it to to a couple of his friends to read and they remarked that they could ‘hear’ Christy telling the story. That is a great compliment to a ghost-writer.
As an author one develops one’s own voice. It’s distinctive and often recognisable. It may experiment with different styles but its foundation is loyal to the original. As a ghost-writer one has to become someone else, take on that person’s identity, speak, write as the subject does. Having it described as authentically Christy means I succeeded.
One of the readers did pick out one sentence that she didn’t think Christy would ever say. When Christy told me I knew instantly which sentence it was. The very first one. Each time I’d read it I’d wondered about it and struggled to remember whether Christy had actually said it or whether, carried away with my enthusiasm, I added it for extra colour. I deleted it.
The manuscript needs editing, some points need clarifying, and Christy needs to tell his siblings about his book, and allow them to read it. He talks about his parents and his childhood, and even though it is all done with affection and humour it is honest, painfully honest.
While I’m waiting to hear their reactions and whether we need to amend or correct anything, I have started submitting to publishers. I haven’t done this for a long time – the odd occasion excepted. My experience of submitting has been so negative I am not expecting much but who knows?
I have opted for two London-based Christian publishers and three secular Irish publishers. I know I’m biased but it is a good story, peopled with characters that could have come straight out of Joyce’s Dubliners. It’s funny and poignant and though the goodness of God runs through the pages it is never overbearing.
So, that’s mostly what I’ve been doing writing-wise for the last few months. Maybe now I’ll pick up my other two completed novels and think about publishing those. Or start a new one. Anything to avoid marketing and promoting – but that’s for another post.
