From failing freshman to published author – thank you, ghost writing coach!

[Gort]

I just need to put this out into the universe because I'm so happy I could cry. Two years ago, I was on academic probation. My writing was terrible—disorganized, full of errors, no flow. I thought I was just "bad at school." Then I found a writing coach who offered ghost writing-style support. We would meet weekly, I'd explain my ideas out loud, and she'd help me structure them into actual paragraphs. She never wrote FOR me without explaining WHY, but she definitely "ghost wrote" the framework that I then filled in.

Yesterday, I found out my research paper was ACCEPTED for publication in an undergraduate journal! I'm not a bad writer—I just needed someone to show me the way. If you're struggling, please know that asking for help (even ghost writing help) doesn't make you a failure. It makes you smart.

 

[NinaWeiss]

I just need to put this out into the universe because I'm so happy I could cry. Two years ago, I was on academic probation. My writing was terrible—disorganized, full of errors, no flow. I thought I was just "bad at school." Then I found a writing coach who offered ghost writing-style support. We would meet weekly, I'd explain my ideas out loud, and she'd help me structure them into actual paragraphs. She never wrote FOR me without explaining WHY, but she definitely "ghost wrote" the framework that I then filled in.

Yesterday, I found out my research paper was ACCEPTED for publication in an undergraduate journal! I'm not a bad writer—I just needed someone to show me the way. If you're struggling, please know that asking for help (even ghost writing help) doesn't make you a failure. It makes you smart.

The line that got me: "I'm not a bad writer—I just needed someone to show me the way." That's it. That's the whole thing. So many students internalize "I'm bad at this" when what they really need is a different approach, a different teacher, a different kind of support.

Your coach's method—having you explain ideas out loud, then helping you structure them—is actually backed by research. Verbal processing activates different brain regions than writing. For some people, the gap between what they can SAY and what they can WRITE is huge. Bridging that gap with a coach isn't cheating; it's smart learning.

And now you're PUBLISHED. That's not just passing—that's contributing to your field. You should be so proud.