It’s Spooky Season at last! I’m so excited (can you tell?). Even though we don’t get fall here on the Mexican coast, we do get Día de Muertos, which has to be one of the most awesome traditions ever. I’ll be putting out my ghosts and fake pumpkins and pretending I feel a crisp breeze.

I’ll also be traveling to Tepoztlán, which is supposed to be one of the best places to celebrate Día de Muertos, with Batalá, my local chapter of the international drumming group. It’s a Batalá Mundo event, so there will be drummers from all over the world! And we’ll all be decked out like skeletons and drumming in parades. Definitely a different way of celebrating for me!

My work in progress, the second book in my new cozy mystery series, is titled Bread of the Dead, and will prominently feature all the traditions, food, and celebrations of Día de Muertos. This will be my first time writing about the season while living it. Should be fun.

This month’s question asks: Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it – do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that too?

I’m really glad this question isn’t actually about AI. I’m beyond sick of posts about AI, and of people losing their minds over it. Sigh.

Now, to the actual question. Many ghostwriters actually are credited. When you read a memoir or biography, and it says something like “Written by famous person and X,” X is the ghostwriter. But do I think they should always be credited?

I don’t think it would hurt. I’ve been a ghostwriter, though (still happy to be one if the right project materializes), and I’m glad my name isn’t attached to those projects. Not that there was anything ethically wrong with them–I just would never write anything like that if I was the one in control.

So I think it should be up to the ghostwriter. If they want the credit, then yes, they should be credited, at least as co-writer. But if they don’t, that should be respected too. One of the projects I worked on as a ghostwriter was conceptualized by a bunch of editors brainstorming the most ridiculous possible story, and hiring me and another writer to bring it to life. My co-writer had a bunch of other stuff going on, so she rarely communicated, and the end result is a hot mess. We had to go with the most contrived, cliche ending just to make the editors’ ideas work. So yeah, I’m glad my name is nowhere near that thing.

I’m sure you’ve already written about this for your own blog, so I’ll ask what you’re looking forward to most this month instead. What do you love about Spooky Season? Scary movies? Pumpkin spice lattes? Dressing up and handing out treats? Decorating the house? Inquiring minds want to know!

The purpose of the Insecure Writers’ Support Group is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts anIWd concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. To see a full list of IWSG authors, click here.

PS: If you’d like to see what I’m working on now, please hop on over to Patreon. It’s totally free to join, and I could really use a more vocal cheering section!