BellaOnline Forums Career Nonfiction Writing Pen name for non-fiction

Are we keeping it real if we use a pen name for our non-fiction project?

I think it is good to write about what we know and I find now that it is so easy, but a part of me hesitates when I think, do I want this out there...what will mom or auntie think? What if my children are a part of topic?

I never use a pen name for any of my writings, whether non fiction or fiction.

My thought is that I want my name to be connected to my style of writing so readers and publishers will become familiar with me.

I do not write much about my family or personal life except in rare cases, like the loss of a loved one.

I try to build a history of my writing style and want the connection to my real name.

I have a very dear friend who is an exceptional poet. His poems are loved by all. He has a pen name and also a pseudonym which he uses. So, his published works are under one name, his writing for the web is another name, and his blog is his true name. That would drive me nuts and cause myself a lot of confusion.

Thanks, I opened up in an honest fashion and started writing after seeing the plan for a book last night very clearly. I'm hoping my writing style comes through in a supportive and humorous/lite way on the topic of raising autistic kids. It is something my mom struggled with raising one of my brothers and now my family faces these challenges with our two youngest daughters. I'm sure I have time to think about all the challenges of getting the book out there after I get a blessing from mom and my brother maybe.

I think you will do just fine, Vi. If you feel in your heart it is ok, and you mom and brother have no problems with it, then go for it.

I wish you all the best. It is often hard to write about our own family, but if it is something that may help others, I see it as a blessing.

Thank you Phyllis for your wonderful comments and support to Vi. Like you Phyllis, I never use a pen name. I know there is a lot written and taught today that says you need to keep your different writing separate from each other. I prefer to have who I am, fully discovered by my readers.

My readers cannot truly connect with me or my writing if I have parts of me spread all over with different names. I will use separate blogs sometimes, but always my own name.

Have a wonderful day,

Bluedolphin

Very well said, Bluedolphin. I also have the desire for my readers to connect me to everything I write. There was a time when I wanted to have the pen name of 'Morgan le Fey' then thought I would never be able to separate my true self from a mythical character, although there are times I wish I was a magical, mythical character. I guess that is a childhood fantasy I never let go of.

By the way, I love your name and know it is your real name.

Hi again Vi,

I'm excited about your book project. Did you know that there are many different types of nonfiction books today? And the process of writing can begin as one type of book and finish up as another?

For example, many times we have close personal experiences we feel we need to write about. Sometimes they are happy experiences and sometimes difficult ones, and sometimes they are both.

Many writers, myself included have started books on personal aspects of our lives at different points in our lives. Some of these books turned out to be cathartic books for ourselves or a few close friends or family members. The writing was the same, and editing and love and sweat and tears as if it were a New York Times Best Seller. It's purpose though showed up after the book was written.

Other times we begin a book on a topic and find ourselves pulled into it emotionally and in the end after the writing is done, the book takes on one or two new lives. It can become a Memoir, or with editing and some rewriting, the emotional things taken out and turned into a Self-Help type of book for groups of people experiencing the same things.

Sometimes our nonfiction books turn into Narrative Nonfiction books that are popular today and come with their own rules of writing.

I've written a lot of books. I've had many published when I wrote for others. I've had a few of my nonfiction How to Books self-published and many of my articles taken from my books published in all kinds of journals.

Sometimes we write books that are close to our hearts and they don't seem to go anywhere at first. Then years later after we have grown emotionally, personally, and spiritually from the experiences and have some hindsight we find that what we thought was one book, is actually several in different nonfiction genres. I've had this experience and am now in various stages of completing quite a few books that all started out as personal books.

These books have been huge blessings to me. Even though it has been years since I wrote them and only now am I ready to bring them to light. I was not ready before. I am now. Many of the people and situations have changed and that helps as well.

So, embrace this time of writing fully! Enjoy it. Feel it. And don't worry right now about what it will be when it is done. Allow yourself the freedom to let it all come out. Put it all on paper. Then take a step back, a little time away from it and then when you return, the true path of the book will show itself to you.

Then all the little details of who is in it who is not, etc., can be handled after the book is out on paper and you are editing it. Many times it is in the editing process that true place of the book shows up.

Whether your family will want you using their names or not is not something that has to be thought of now. Depending on the type of nonfiction book this becomes will guide you in how to deal with this. There are a lot of ways to write without causing issues with our families.

Enjoy this time!! Let me know if you have any other questions and keep me posted!! Thank you for opening this up in the forum.

Enjoy your week,

Bluedolphin

Thank you Phyllis,

I have many times in the past thought of using a pen name and it was usually a name of one of my characters. I'm with you, I'm still a kid at times and my imagination runs wild. Now I use that as part of my writing process. It's fun and helps me get the real characters out.

I was taught a long time ago to write to someone. See them and know them and your writing will engage your readers more. Well, I've taken that to a new art form : - )

I create a character or two even for my nonfiction books and write to them. This gives my imagination time to run and roam and then I use my real name when I come back to reality and get ready to publish or self-publish the book.

I believe we are each truly unique creations full of different experiences, thoughts and talents. It saddens me when I read an author I like and then find out they have other works under other names. I feel I've missed out on getting to know their depth as a person. I personally hope more and more writers will write under their own names so we can truly get to know them.

I also think marketing is easier if you have all your work under your real name as many of your readers have varied interests as well and may very well like several of the different types of writing you do.

Thanks again for your kind words : - )

You are most welcome, Bluedolphin. I appreciate your knowledge and wisdom on writing and the tips you give out. Excellent! Thank you.

I started a brand new blog just yesterday and woke up today thinking about it. I was thinking about what I wanted to write next, what I could tweet about, finding new blogs to follow, setting it up with adsense, etc.

The fact that I woke up thinking about it is a good sign!

The other blogs I started and later shut down, I maintained (if you want to call it that) only because I felt like I *had* to so I could market my writing online. This new blog is actually on a topic I *want* to write about. Also I think what is helping is that I am using a pen name so there is no pressure.