why not? i mean if it protects you from people knowing your inner most feelings or protects you from a fan base then why not? i think i a lot of inner personality can come out in writing that many people might not want shared. even if that isn't the case, why not right? it's slightly frustrating, but i respect the author's right to choose
for me, i keep leaning more towards the importance of protecting my family and allowing them to maintain their privacy. for many people around my family name has a lot of political references and i don't want that to be a hinderance, judgement, or problem for those who happen to be related.
Sometimes they are needed. My last name has two vowels, a y, and 11 letters total. If I were to get considered for publishing, either it would have to be a time where European names are chic, or I would basically have to get a pen name.
Duckstoyaefsky? No, that's 14 letters and five vowels. There was a young lady named Fuchs, Who insisted her name rhymed with Lukes, It just wasn't her luck That her named rhymed with 'trucks', So she finally changed it to Fox.
would we have read books by eric arthur blair? samuel lutwidge dodgson? or samuel langhorne clemens? or even remembered them?? . their pen names were (in the order above) george orwell lewis carroll and mark twain. a name can make a big, big difference.
I don't think Orwell and Carroll are remarkable names, or Blair and Dodgson are hard to live with. Some might argue that my real name (David Brown) is boring and commonplace, but there have been David Browns out there as film producers and tractor manufacturers and hockey players that have done quite well. Your product is what sets you aside in the majority of cases. There are exceptions -- Hitler might not have made it as Schicklgruber, or Stalin ('steel') as Dzhughashvili, or Molotov ('hammer') as Scriabin. Trotsky (Lev Bronstein) used the name of an Odessa jail warden as his pseudonym when forging a passport in order to flee Siberia in 1902. Of course, if you're going to star in porn movies, you might want to call yourself Bambi Woods or Rod Long or something.
interesting post dirtydog. the point i was trying to make was that short sharp names are easier to remember, as you so rightly pointed out, even giving your own name as an example. and they fit on the spine of the book easier too. and to me, the names that i used as examples, are extrememly well known and respected authors and poet in the uk. and the relevance to 'porn stars' and porn movies? remember this is the writers section of the boards, not the sex threads here. (although i'm sure that some of these porn stars have indeed written books, but probably not of much literary merit)
That being the case, I should not have mentioned the political figures either, except Trotsky, who was an accomplished historian. I'm not aware of any current or recent writers of importance bothering to use pseudonyms, but then if they were I wouldn't necessarily know about it. The primary author of the book Alcoholics Anonymous (1937), Bill W., liked to go by last initial only, but his last name (Wilson) was no big secret.
I have to use them as a lot of my content is taken from my life and is often drug related. If i didn't use a pen name i'd be admitting to a crime. See Hunter S. Thompson/Raoul Duke/Yail Bloor
I suppose under the right situation, if the option is appealing to the writer and happens to be useful, it may be of benefit. Personally, in my own approach towards literature and writing I would think it quite cumbersome and unnecessary.
I think pen names are very useful. I would never do it because I thought that my name would be more memorable or snappy or whatever. The content of the book is what will be remembered and talked about and praised/criticized. Sometimes they are necessary. If one writes a book in opposition to the ruling party that is too close to the truth he will probably bring unwanted consequences upon himself and possibly upon those he cares about. Or to avoid all the bs that comes along with being famous. In my case I would write under a pen name because I wish to do many other things in life besides write and I do not want to be known as a writer. If you accomplish something great, but wrote a great book beforehand then you will be the author that achieved this greatness not the man that achieved it. Before I die I would, however, let it be known.
I think pen names are a great idea, not so much for disguising my identity or making it easier for people to remember but simply because I have a lot to say about a lot of different things and in different genres. My real name is (first and last) is uncommon and would be hard to remember but it sounds nice and.....it's me. So for social commentary and work that I am really passionate about and want to be associated with me I'll use my real name. For other writing that is more fun and lighthearted (or scary and unrealistic) I'll use a different name.
My pen name began as a joke, then became an artistic statement, and, I now realize, is going to be my shield of anonymity when what I write becomes outlawed. For that reason and the ease of connecting the dots between that published name, this username, and me, I'm not going to say what that pen name is, but I personally love using it. When we're born, we have no say in our names and are stuck with whatever our parents give us (although I love my name). A pen name gives you the chance to define yourself.
i think that they can be good for many reasons. hiding your real name, making a statement, expression purpoises, ect. all together i am for their use
