How to Create Client Intake Questionnaires That Capture Voice and Vision Perfectly

You land a ghostwriting client. They're excited, you're excited, you start writing. Three weeks in, you realize you don't actually understand what they want. The voice feels off. You're missing key stories. You're making assumptions about their message that turn out to be wrong. Now you're three weeks behind and facing major rewrites.

This happens when ghostwriters skip intake—or when they do intake poorly. They jump straight to writing without fully understanding the client's vision, voice, and story. Then they spend twice as long fixing problems that could have been caught upfront.

A great intake questionnaire solves this. It extracts the client's authentic voice, uncovers the stories that matter, clarifies expectations, and builds the foundation for smooth collaboration. This guide walks through how to design questionnaires that capture everything you need before writing a single word.

Why Most Intake Questionnaires Fail

Most ghostwriters' intake process is a quick call and maybe a few email questions: "Tell me about your book. What's the main message? When's your deadline?" Then they start writing and wonder why the client keeps saying "this doesn't sound like me."

Here's what goes wrong:

Questions are too vague. "Tell me about yourself" gets you a generic bio. "Describe the moment you realized you needed to change careers—where were you, who were you with, what did you say out loud?" gets you a scene you can write.

No voice analysis. You assume you'll "figure out their voice" as you go. But voice isn't something you figure out during drafting—it's something you capture during intake through writing samples, conversation patterns, and specific prompts.

No story mining. You ask about the big moments but miss the details that make those moments come alive. You know they started a company, but you don't know what their office smelled like or what song was playing when they signed the lease or what their co-founder said that almost made them quit.

No trust-building. A questionnaire that's just business misses the opportunity to build rapport. The best intake questionnaires make clients feel heard and understood—which makes them open up more during the actual project.

Good intake isn't just information gathering. It's voice capturing, story mining, expectation setting, and relationship building. All before you write word one.

The Structure of a Great Intake Questionnaire

A comprehensive intake questionnaire has six sections. Not all projects need every section, but most benefit from all six.

Section 1: Project Vision (The Why and What)

Start with the big picture. Before you can write their book, you need to understand why it exists.

Key questions:

• What do you want readers to feel after reading this?
• What action do you want them to take?
• Why write this book NOW?
• What would make this project a success for you?
• Who is your ideal reader? Describe them specifically.
• What problem does this book solve for them?

These questions clarify purpose. A memoir written to process grief is different from one written to inspire others. A business book meant to land consulting clients is structured differently from one establishing thought leadership. Knowing the purpose guides every decision you make.

Section 2: Voice and Style (The How)

This is where most ghostwriters wing it, and it shows. Don't guess at voice—capture it systematically.

Voice analysis questions:

• Share 3-5 examples of your writing (any format: emails, blogs, speeches)
• Name 3 books whose writing style you love. What do you love about them?
• Name 3 books whose style you want to avoid. What bothers you?
• How would your best friend describe the way you talk?
• Are you more storyteller or straight-facts presenter?
• Formal or conversational? Serious or humorous? Bold or cautious?
• What phrases do you use often?
• What words feel distinctly "you"?
• What jargon or industry terms should we include or avoid?

The writing samples are crucial. You can see their actual voice: sentence length, vocabulary, rhythm, personality. Compare three samples and you'll spot patterns: Do they start sentences with "And" or "But"? Do they use metaphors or stick to literal language? Are they verbose or concise?

Their answers about what they love and hate reveal preferences they might not be able to articulate otherwise. "I love Malcolm Gladwell but hate academic writing" tells you they want accessibility and storytelling but backed by research.

Section 3: Story and Content Mining (The Material)

This is the largest section—40-60 questions for a book-length project. You're digging for the raw material you'll shape into narrative.

The key is specificity. Don't ask "What was your childhood like?" Ask:

• Describe your childhood home. What color was the front door? What did it smell like when you walked in?
• What's your earliest memory?
• What song reminds you of high school?
• Who was the teacher that changed everything? What did they say?
• What was the worst day of your teenage years? Walk me through it hour by hour.
• What family story gets told at every gathering?

Notice: These aren't therapy questions ("How did your childhood affect you?"). They're scene-gathering questions. You're collecting the sensory details and specific moments that make stories vivid.

For business books, story mining looks different but follows the same principle:

• Describe your first client success. What was their exact problem?
• What did their "before" look like concretely?
• Walk me through your process step by step.
• What mistake do people always make?
• What's the "aha moment" that changed how you think about this?
• What question do you get asked most?
• What misconception drives you crazy?

You're not just gathering facts—you're gathering stories, examples, metaphors, and the raw material for teaching.

Section 4: Structure and Flow (The Organization)

Before you write, understand how they envision the structure:

• Chronological or thematic organization?
• How many main sections?
• What chapters are non-negotiable?
• How should we open? (story, statistic, bold claim, question)
• How should we end?
• Should there be exercises, worksheets, or resources?

Some clients have strong opinions about structure. Others need you to guide them. Either way, discussing it during intake prevents you from outlining one thing while they're imagining another.

Section 5: Practical Matters (The Logistics)

Don't overlook logistics:

• Target word count?
• Timeline?
• Content that's off-limits?
• Names that need changing for privacy?
• Legal sensitivities?
• Who approves drafts?
• What existing content can we adapt?
• What materials will you provide?

These questions prevent surprises. You need to know upfront if the client's spouse will be reviewing every chapter, or if there's a lawsuit that makes certain topics legally risky, or if they have 50 blog posts you can mine for material.

Section 6: Collaboration Style (The Process)

Finally, understand how they work:

• Preferred communication style? (email, calls, video)
• How often should we check in?
• How involved do you want to be?
• What's your review process?
• How many people will weigh in on drafts?
• What would frustrate you about this process?
• What would make you thrilled with the result?

This sets expectations. If they want daily updates and you work in two-week sprints, you'll clash. If they expect detailed line edits but you're hoping for high-level feedback, you'll miscommunicate. Clarify process upfront.

Question Design: The Art of Extracting Authentic Voice

Not all questions are equal. The way you ask determines the depth and authenticity of answers.

Open-Ended, Not Leading

Bad: "You must have been devastated when you lost the business, right?"

Good: "What was going through your mind when you realized the business wasn't going to survive?"

The first one tells them how to feel. The second lets them tell you what they actually felt—which might be relief, or anger, or numbness, or something you'd never guess.

Specific, Not Vague

Bad: "Tell me about your career change."

Good: "Describe the moment you decided to quit your corporate job. Where were you? Who did you tell first? What did you say? What did they say back?"

The specific question gets you a scene. The vague question gets you a summary.

Scene-Building, Not Summarizing

Bad: "How did you feel when you got the diagnosis?"

Good: "Walk me through the appointment where you got the diagnosis. What was the doctor wearing? What was on the walls? What exactly did they say? What happened in your body when they said it?"

Feelings are abstract. Scenes are concrete. Ask for the scene and the feelings will be embedded in it.

Permission-Giving for Difficult Topics

Some questions require vulnerability. Make space for it:

"This might be difficult to answer, and there's no pressure, but: What's the mistake you're most ashamed of?"

"If you're comfortable sharing: What belief about yourself turned out to be wrong?"

The permission-giving language tells them they can go deep if they want, but they're not obligated. Paradoxically, this often makes people more willing to open up.

Follow-Up Prompts

For key questions, include follow-ups:

Question: "What was the turning point in your journey?"

Follow-ups:

• What happened next?
• How did that change things?
• What would have happened if you'd made a different choice?
• Who helped you through it?
• What did you learn?

Follow-ups push past the surface answer into the details that make stories compelling.

Administering the Questionnaire: Timing and Format

You've designed the perfect questionnaire. Now: how do you actually use it?

Pre-Call vs. During Interviews

Option 1: Send questionnaire before first interview. Client completes on their own time. You review responses and use them to guide interviews.

Pros: Client has time to think. You can prepare targeted follow-up questions. You have written record.

Cons: Some clients procrastinate or give surface answers. You miss the spontaneity of conversation.

Option 2: Use questionnaire as interview guide. You ask questions during video calls, take notes or record.

Pros: More natural conversation flow. You can read body language and ask immediate follow-ups. Stories emerge more organically.

Cons: Time-consuming. Requires transcription. Client might be less prepared.

Option 3: Hybrid approach. Send shorter version (20-30 questions) before first call. Use full questionnaire as interview guide across multiple sessions.

This is what most successful ghostwriters do. The pre-call questionnaire primes the client's thinking and gives you context. The interviews go deeper using the full questionnaire as a roadmap.

Breaking It Into Sessions

Don't try to cover 100+ questions in one sitting. Break into 3-5 sessions:

Session 1: Project vision, audience, goals (30-60 minutes)

Session 2: Voice, style, and tone preferences (30-45 minutes)

Sessions 3-4: Deep story/content mining (60-90 minutes each)

Session 5: Structure, logistics, and process (45-60 minutes)

This keeps each session focused and prevents overwhelm. Clients stay engaged when sessions have clear purpose.

Analyzing Responses: What to Look For

You've gathered responses. Now you need to analyze them for patterns, voice, and material.

Voice Pattern Analysis

Read their writing samples and written responses looking for:

Sentence length and structure: Do they write short, punchy sentences? Long, flowing ones? Mix of both?

Vocabulary level: Simple everyday words? Industry jargon? Sophisticated vocabulary?

Metaphor use: Do they naturally use metaphors and analogies? Or are they literal and direct?

Personality markers: Humor? Sarcasm? Self-deprecation? Confidence? Vulnerability?

Rhythm and cadence: Read it aloud. Is there a natural rhythm? Do they use rhetorical devices?

Create a voice profile: "Client voice: Conversational but authoritative. Uses business jargon naturally but explains it. Moderate sentence length with occasional short sentences for punch. Dry humor. Rarely uses metaphors—prefers concrete examples. Vocabulary is sophisticated but accessible."

This profile guides every sentence you write.

Theme and Throughline Identification

As you review their story responses, look for:

• Repeated themes ("independence" comes up in childhood, career, and relationships)
• Central conflict ("belonging vs. authenticity" runs through their life)
• Character arc (how have they changed?)
• Unexpected connections (their business philosophy mirrors their parenting philosophy)
• The story they don't realize they're telling (they think it's about success, but it's really about recovery)

The best ghostwriters identify the throughline the client hasn't articulated yet. Your intake responses often reveal it.

Red Flag Detection

Sometimes intake reveals problems:

• Unclear vision: They can't articulate who the book is for or why it exists
• Unrealistic expectations: They expect the book to solve all their problems or make them instantly famous
• Unavailable: They can't commit to regular interviews or timely feedback
• Overly sensitive: Everything is off-limits or requires legal review
• Too many decision-makers: Five people need to approve everything

Catch these during intake and you can address them (or walk away) before investing weeks of work.

Common Intake Mistakes

Skipping voice analysis. You can't capture voice during drafting if you didn't analyze it during intake. Always get writing samples and specific voice questions upfront.

Asking only about big moments. Big moments without details are just summaries. Ask for the sensory details, the dialogue, the small actions that make scenes real.

Making it feel like homework. If your questionnaire reads like a tax form, clients will give tax-form answers. Make it conversational and curious.

Not building trust first. The deepest, best answers come after rapport is established. Start with easier questions before asking vulnerable ones.

Accepting surface answers. "It was a difficult time" isn't good enough. Follow up: "What made it difficult specifically? What was the worst moment? What kept you going?"

Not recording or taking detailed notes. You think you'll remember. You won't. Record interviews (with permission) or take extensive notes. The details you need will show up six weeks into drafting.

Real Examples: Questionnaires That Transformed Projects

The CEO Who Wasn't a CEO

Ghostwriter was hired to write an executive's business book. Standard intake: "Tell me about your career. What's your business philosophy?" Surface answers, generic content.

Then she asked: "What's a belief you held early in your career that turned out to be completely wrong?" The CEO's answer revealed he'd spent 15 years chasing the wrong definition of success. That became the book's throughline—and made it distinctive in a crowded market.

The lesson: One great question can unlock the real story.

The Memoir That Came Alive

Ghostwriter was stuck. The memoir read flat despite dramatic life events. In follow-up intake, she asked different questions: "What was your mother wearing the day she left? What did the kitchen smell like? What song was on the radio? What was the last thing she said?"

Those sensory details transformed abstract summary ("My mother left when I was ten") into visceral scene. The rewrite landed the memoir a major publisher.

The lesson: Specific sensory questions extract the details that make stories cinematic.

Key Takeaways

Great ghostwriting starts with great intake. The time you invest understanding your client's voice, vision, and story pays off in smoother drafting, fewer revisions, and better final products.

Design questionnaires with six sections: project vision, voice analysis, story/content mining, structure, logistics, and collaboration style. Each serves a specific purpose in setting up successful projects.

Ask specific, scene-building questions instead of vague, summarizing ones. Get sensory details, dialogue, and concrete moments—not abstractions and generalizations. Follow up until you understand not just what happened, but how it felt and looked and sounded.

Analyze responses systematically for voice patterns, thematic throughlines, and red flags. Create voice profiles that guide every sentence you write. Identify the central question or conflict that will organize the entire project.

The best intake questionnaires don't feel like forms—they feel like curious, deep conversations. They make clients feel heard, build trust, and extract the authentic material that makes ghostwriting work sing.