Meet Greta. A 30-something single-mom living in Chicago proper, ghostwriting for a man she has never met. She’s stuck in the fashion of the 80s, obsessed with food, Oprah, Do-It-Yourself television, and Internet shopping. Follow her journey as she fumbles through work, motherhood, relationships (or lack-there-of), and tries to move into a more meaningful life.

At thirty-two, I sit in front of my computer tapping away at the keyboard, writing as a man I have never met -- Robert Clamming, famous author of 20 bestsellers, top of the New York Times list twice in the last 2 years. I am his ghostwriter.  At least that is what I tell myself on my good days.  The not-so-good days are filled with toddler tantrums, doctor appointments, and scrubbing spilled food from the dining room carpet.  But I suppose that’s what happens after a delightful one-night stand with the former first floor flat mate.

I take off my glasses and rub my eyes -- stinging from the all-nighter I pulled to finish the current manuscript.  Between comforting Owen through night terrors and the bed-wetting incident, I was convinced this would be the first deadline I wouldn’t make. Miraculously, my muse stayed focused, and my son asleep. Clamming has sent a courier to pick the manuscript up this afternoon. I look towards the clock on my nightstand and realize I can barely see it without my glasses.  I’m getting old.  I reach over my half-finished mocha for my glasses, and scramble over to the bathroom, splash water on my face and head to the clean laundry bin to dig out my nice black sweatpants for visitors. It’s the least I could do for the FedEx man when he arrives today for the package exchange—a monthly package from Clamming for me in exchange for a draft of the manuscript.

I didn’t choose to become a ghostwriter.  In fact, I stumbled on it quite by accident.  After graduating from college as an English major, a closet wanna-be-novelist, I landed a day job as a technical writer.  I’d been working for about 9 months and was going about my daily grind of surfing the Net during lunch and stumbled upon a wanna-be-writers message board.  Found an interesting Want Ad: 

Wanted:  Reliable Ghostwriter. 

Do you write well?  No ideas for stories?  I’m a traveler who has tons of ideas but no time or grammar to write them.  Want to join me in writing adventure fiction based on my experiences.  No novices please.

I didn’t foot the bill in experience. I had only written fictional pieces in my personal journal or in Composition and Creative Writing courses.  In fact, I’d never even really read anything in adventure fiction either. But, whatever spirits were with me that day- I decided to inquire. 

I responded:

Wanted:  Adventure Traveler with Stories

Writer with college degree looking for stories to tell.  I can string flawless sentences together and even twist them into an interesting story.  I have not published one piece of work but am willing to give you a sample 1000 words if you give me the idea. 

Clamming must have found it amusing- by that evening I was given the writing prompt: ‘Standing at the peak of Mt. Jiaozi my journey was just beginning…’ and a deadline of 48 hours to complete 1000 words of a fiction piece that would be the start of the next Clamming novel.  No monies were to be exchanged for this work- as it was a test of my abilities.

I almost quit before I began. I had no idea where Mt. Jiaozi was, nor did I particularly care.  But my curiosity got the best of me. And so did a quick Internet search for the Mt. Jiaozi’s Southeast Asia location.  I was even resourceful enough to find what kind of scenery I would find from this mountain top view. But then the hard part began- what kind of interesting story can I find in that beginning?

Somehow I eeked out 1000 words of story about a man who had committed adultery and flown to Asia to clear his head before admitting  his sins to his clueless wife.  The story either was so terrible Clamming felt bad for me, or I’d managed to impress the bastard, because 7 years later, I am still working for a man that I have never met. 

Help write the next chapter! Your idea could wind up in Greta's life. 
Seems like Greta and Clamming have an odd arrangement -- trading packages? Greta always sends her completed manuscripts to Clamming, but what is Clamming up to? Leave a comment and tell us what Clamming sends to Greta each month.

Bethany Hiitola lives in a far north suburb of Chicago with her husband, son and new daughter.  Throw in the animals, and it is a full house of chaos.  Somehow, Bethany still manages to reach for her dream of writing—all between diaper changes, nap times, fixing meals, and work projects.  Oh and giving her husband the attention he deserves.  More details are at her website:  www.bethanyhiitola.com