“Obviously in a ghost writing sphere, you’re tasked with asking questions — but, still, you have to be really aware of how those questions are going to land.” ~ Laura Zigman

Some time ago, I was prepping for a conversation about optimism with the polymath Kevin Kelly. In a different interview he said something about ghost writers being among the most curious people he’d ever met: How else to get to the essence of something?

In the scope of the discussion a hand, this was barely a blip — a nothing line — but it lodged in my brain.

How does a ghost writer get to the juiciest heart of their subject?

Laura Zigman is the author of six novels and has ghostwritten and/or collaborated on multiple memoirs and non-fiction books. We have fun talking about writing with someone — not about them — and getting their voice right; the line between curiosity and nosiness; compassion, empathy, trust and asking questions with kindness; respecting boundaries; and the honor of hearing another’s stories.

When you’re interviewing or trying to get the[ir] story out…the best thing you can do is just not say anything. The more you just let the silence be…the more will come. Ask a question, and then just listen.

Listen to Ep. #289: Getting to the Heart: Curiosity & Ghost Writing, with Laura Zigman

Laura Zigman is the author of six novels, including Small World, Separation Anxiety (which was optioned by Julianne Nicholson and the production company Wiip (Mare of Easttown) for a limited television series); Animal Husbandry (which was made into the movie Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd), Dating Big Bird, Her, and Piece of Work. She has ghostwritten/collaborated on several works of non-fiction, including Eddie Izzard’s New York Times bestseller, Believe Me.

I found my way to Laura through Jennifer Mendelsohn, journalist and co-founder at The Holocaust Reunion Project. Jen helped my family figure out what became of my mother-in-law’s father, and shared her wisdom in Curiosity & Genealogy: The Stories We Tell.

Learn more about Todd Kashdan’s work in these C2BC Classics: Capturing the Bandwidth of Curiosity (2018), The Art of Insubordination (2022) and Rethinking Curiosity (2024).

Theme music by Sean Balick; “Step In, Step Out” by Crab Shack, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Photograph of Laura Zigman by Adrianne Mathiowetz, used with permission.

You can subscribe to Choose to Be Curious on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.