Roman Polanski's 5 Lessons for "The Ghost Writer"

Roman Polanski's film "The Ghost Writer" (2010) isn't exactly an instructional portrait of the craft of ghost writing. That Ewan McGregor's character is even a ghost writer seems more of a plot device than an integral element of Polanski's film. It does seem that those embarking on the freelancing adventures of a ghost writer should heed subsequent advice from Roman Polanski and Ewan McGregor.

"The Ghost Writer" Lesson 1
Ewan McGregor's Ghostwriter goes against his gut instinct and takes a contract his agent obtains for him. Don't always listen to your agent, if you even have one. Literary agents, while with their client's best interests in mind, will often coerce you into the more lucrative decision. This is not always the best choice either for your career, health, sanity or your life.

"The Ghost Writer" Lesson 2
Accepting unreasonable deadlines is a bad idea. Ewan McGregor accepts a one month deadline for a book, and even further accepts to push it up to two weeks. The ghost writer should always consider travel and research time as part of that deadline. It's not just the time it takes to sit your but in the chair and pound some keys. In Polanski's film we see McGregor is in a state of incurable exhaustion.

"The Ghost Writer" Lesson 3
Ewan McGregor breaks his own rule as the ghost writer; redundantly saying he never stays in a client's home. This enables the ghost writer to maintain a professional distance from his subject and client. It also prevents you, as a ghost writer, from sleeping with your client's wife, especially if it's the wife of a former Prime Minister.

"The Ghost Writer" Lesson 4
Another lesson for the ghost writer reveals itself in Polanski's dialogue from the film. The aforementioned Prime Minister's wife (Olivia Williams), warns Ewan McGregor's ghost writer not to get too caught up in research. Aside from the more fatal reasons in Polanski's film, research can absorb too much time and bog you down in exorbitant details. Worse off, digging too deep into research can unearth a tainted perspective of your subject outside of the project's scope. The ghost writer shouldn't listen to the whisper of dirty secrets from skeletons in the client's closet.

"The Ghost Writer"Lesson 5
As much as the open bar at the book release party is calling your name, a ghost writer shouldn't attend the gala event. Ewan McGregor even admits this in another lesson plucked from Polanski's dialogue. In reality, a ghost writer may be too tempted to reveal his pivotal role after several rounds at the open bar, thus betraying a non-disclosure agreement. Seeing someone bask in the glory of your blood, sweat and tears at the keyboard may be all too much to take. In some cases, as far as Polanski is concerned, attending may even cost your life.