Did anyone else watch the PBS show "Ghostwriter" when they were a kid? It was about a ghost (I'm pretty sure--no one ever really knew) who used writing or something to help an ethnically diverse group of kids solve mysteries.
That show is completely not what I'm talking about today. Ghost writing is when you write for a newspaper or magazine without being a member of their staff. At least at my school, ghost writing is a great way to get writing experience without the pressure of a grade. I've been writing for the school's newspaper for two semesters now. My second or third article submission was an hour late, and I got this reprimanding e-mail warning me that "this time it was okay, but next time my grade would be affected."
I politely replied, "Okay, I'll be on time next week. Just a note, though: I'm not registered for credit, so you don't have to worry about keeping up on a grade with me."
So far, I've had about a half-dozen nice portfolio piece articles published. Try ghost writing out, and if you don't like it, quit without a failing grade.
