When we pick up a memoir or a book written by a famous figure, we often imagine the personal connection between the author and their ghostwriter, the long hours spent discussing deep thoughts, emotions, and life experiences. But for Mark McCrum, who ghostwrote Walking With the Wounded in 2011, the reality of writing Prince Harry’s story was far less intimate than many would expect. In fact, Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that he never even met the Duke of Sussex during the entire writing process.
McCrum, a seasoned ghostwriter, was tasked with telling Harry’s story for Walking With the Wounded, a book chronicling Harry’s experience helping wounded soldiers on an expedition. However, what could have been a deeply personal and moving project turned out to be more complicated, thanks to a lack of direct contact with Harry. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals how a simple video from Harry, recorded while he was in Tromsø, Norway, became the cornerstone of McCrum’s work.
Prince Harry’s Former Ghostwriter Reveals Explosive Details
Rather than sitting down face-to-face with Harry or engaging in in-depth interviews, McCrum’s main source of information came from a video message Harry sent him while preparing for the expedition. McCrum recalls receiving the video and finding it “hardly illuminating.” In the video, Harry expressed excitement about the stunning landscape and his companions on the trip, but there was little in terms of meaningful reflection or insight into his deeper thoughts and experiences. The word “amazing” was used repeatedly, but beyond that, there was little substance to work with.
Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that this limited material made the writing process challenging. McCrum had to rely not only on the video, but also on his own research and public information about Harry’s life to fill in the gaps. As a ghostwriter, McCrum’s job was to capture the essence of the subject’s voice and tell their story in a compelling way. However, without Harry’s personal involvement, McCrum felt his task became much harder.
The Absence of Personal Interaction
What made the process even more frustrating was the complete absence of personal interaction with Harry. McCrum never had the chance to meet or speak with Harry in person, which is an essential part of the ghostwriting process for many professionals. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that not having that face-to-face connection meant that McCrum couldn’t delve into Harry’s thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences in the way he typically would when writing for a subject. It’s a far cry from the collaborative process that most ghostwriters experience when they have the opportunity to sit down and converse with the person whose story they’re telling.
McCrum’s only other form of communication with Harry was through official channels, which involved Clarence House overseeing the approval process of the chapters. McCrum had to submit his drafts and wait for feedback, but he wasn’t even sure if Harry ever read the final version. This lack of engagement left McCrum feeling uncertain about how much of Harry’s true voice had made its way into the book. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that without Harry’s personal touch, McCrum often felt disconnected from the project, wondering if he was truly capturing the essence of the Duke.
The Challenge of Writing Without Depth
Writing Walking With the Wounded without a deep connection to Harry posed many challenges for McCrum. A ghostwriter typically spends a lot of time with their subject to understand their personality, experiences, and perspective, allowing them to write a book that feels authentic and true to the individual’s life. However, Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that in McCrum’s case, much of the writing was based on second-hand information and his own interpretation of Harry’s words from the video and other sources.
The lack of personal depth also meant that McCrum struggled to create a more engaging and insightful narrative. The video Harry provided offered a glimpse into his expedition, but it didn’t offer much beyond surface-level observations. For McCrum, this lack of substance made it difficult to bring the story to life in a meaningful way. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that while the landscape and companions on the trip were mentioned, there was little exploration of Harry’s emotions or internal experiences during the expedition. As a result, McCrum felt the book lacked the emotional depth that he had hoped to convey.
The Approval Process and Its Complications
Another layer of complexity came with the approval process. After McCrum completed each chapter, he had to submit it to Clarence House for approval. This added another layer of bureaucracy to the project, and McCrum felt like he was constantly working under constraints. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that he wasn’t sure how much input Harry himself had in approving the final product. This sense of distance between McCrum and Harry made it hard for McCrum to feel like he was truly capturing Harry’s essence in the book.
Despite these challenges, McCrum was committed to doing his best with the limited resources and access he had. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that he worked diligently to craft a story from the video and public information, but the process never felt fully satisfying. Without the ability to directly communicate with Harry, McCrum was left with only a small piece of the puzzle, making the final product feel less personal and less connected to Harry’s true story.
Comparing to J.R. Moehringer’s Experience
McCrum’s experience contrasts sharply with that of J.R. Moehringer, who ghostwrote Harry’s more recent memoir Spare. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that while McCrum faced frustrations and distance from his subject, Moehringer had a much more involved and direct relationship with Harry. Moehringer’s experience was marked by face-to-face meetings and long hours of conversation, allowing him to gain deeper insights into Harry’s life and thoughts. This level of personal interaction led to a much richer, more complex narrative in Spare.
The Truth Behind the Writing Process
Ultimately, Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals that working on Walking With the Wounded was a challenging and somewhat disconnected experience. McCrum’s inability to connect with Harry on a personal level left him uncertain about whether the final product truly captured the Duke’s voice and personality. For anyone expecting a deeply intimate portrayal of Prince Harry’s journey, McCrum’s behind-the-scenes account offers a glimpse into the realities of ghostwriting when personal engagement is limited.
In the end, the process was more about navigating official channels and working with the limited material at hand than about forming a close, personal connection with the subject. Prince Harry’s former ghostwriter reveals just how much the writing process can differ from what readers might imagine, and how challenging it can be when the author isn’t directly involved.
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