Monday, May 16, 2011

Pseudonyms

Why would a writer have a pseudonym?  First thing that comes to mind is to get away from some shady dealings or bad press.  But what if you had another reason, a reason that was less dubious.  A writers name should be easy to pronounce or remember right?  My dilemma stems from that ridiculous thought. 

I have a certain "writers" name in my head.  I don't know why I got it in my head other than "I should have a pen name!".  Half of me looks at the other half in that "you've lost your mind" expression.  Why do you want a pen name?  I can only explain it as this gut feeling. 

I wrestled with the thought until I figured out the reason.  My novels that I'm writing now are so completely different from each other they could have been written by different authors.  My voice is evolving, the narration is no longer third person and is now first person.  My genre changed.  But I'm proud of all my work. 

I've been told that when readers like the writing they follow the writer.  But readers expect a certain amount of continuity.  I don't have that continuity in my writing yet.  One book is medieval fantasy another urban something-or-other another I don't even know or have thought of it yet.  The genres are as diffenerent as a book about Giaraffe's in love to a book about Werewolf zombies.  WTH!  Find my genre, pft. 

Maybe I read too many genre to find my own.  I do gravitate to urban sci-fi though.  I'll probably write one of those too.  Actually the fantasy novel I talked about goes through the ages as each book progresses so it might wind up to be urban fantasy by the time I'm well into the series. 

Writing in different genre might be a reason to have a pen name, but by the time I find my writing continuity I might not need one.  What would you do?

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