What’s in a Name? When to Use a Pen Name: Guest Post by Sarah Rexman
May 24, 2012 by Lillie
Many famous authors have used pen names. Some even used more than one: Samuel Clemens wrote under his own name, as well as Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Louis de Conte, and his most famous pseudonym of all, Mark Twain.
Authors may choose to write under an alias for personal reasons or business reasons, and those decisions are often influenced by cultural and marketing dynamics. If you are thinking of using a pen name, consider some of the most common reasons that other authors have chosen to write under a different moniker:
Your Real Name is Too Weird or Common
Is your real name John Smith or something else that is equally common? If you publish under your real name, it may be difficult to stand out and develop your brand. Choosing a pen name will help readers distinguish you from all the other John Smiths, whether they are working as writers or accountants.
Or, on the other hand, is your real name Aparicio Poppocropoulous? If your name is too strange, hard to pronounce, or hard to understand, it will be difficult for readers to remember your name or to find it when they search for your work online.
Your Real Name is Famous
Through some twist of fate or happy coincidence, do you share a name with Angelina Jolie? Or Leonardo DiCaprio? Maybe your parents were big fans of Brad Pitt or George Clooney and decided to name you after them.
If you share a name with a famous person, a pen name can help you to distinguish yourself. That way, when someone sees a book written by “Brad Pitt,” they will make the proper assumption that it is written by THE Brad Pitt instead of becoming disappointed when they find out it is you instead. Don’t let your name get in the way of enjoying your book.
You Want to Protect Your Identity
Even if you start publishing novels or other books, you may not be able to quit your day job. Using a pen name to publish your work can help you to keep your professional endeavors separate – either because you don’t want your boss to think you’ll leave your job once a book sells well, or because you are writing about topics that could be controversial or present a conflict of interest for your job.
On the other hand, you may become wildly successful once you start publishing, quickly earning fame and fortune. If you worry that you won’t be able to handle the scrutiny of fame well, a pen name can help you protect your real identity so that you can fly under the radar when you are out buying groceries or having a meal with your family.
You Write in Multiple Genres
If you write young adult fiction under your real name, it might be advisable to adopt a pen name when you decide to start writing erotica. Or if you write romance stories under your real name, you might decide to choose a pen name when you try your hand at war thrillers.
Your name becomes your brand, and if you want to change your brand significantly by writing in a new genre that differs dramatically from the one in which you are known, using a pen name can help you to distinguish those brands and to ensure that you don’t alienate or confuse readers.
The decision to use a pen name is often a personal one, but it can have ramifications for your brand and your success. Have you used a pen name for your writing? Tell us your reasons in the comments!
About the Author:
Sarah Rexman is the main researcher and writer for BedBugs.org. Her most recent accomplishment includes graduating from Florida State, with a master’s degree in environmental science. Her main focus for the bedbugs site involves answering many questions such as, “what do bed bugs look like?”.
Writers Worth Week 2012
May 15, 2012 by Lillie
Lori Widmer at Words on the Page started Writers Worth Day five years ago to encourage writers to recognize their own worth. Since then the day has expanded into a week, and this year will be two weeks or more. Lori is posting Writers Worth guest posts for writers to encourage and motivate others to value their own worth as professionals. I highly recommend you stop by every day and read all the posts and that you seriously evaluate your own worth as a writer. If you don’t value your own work, how can you expect clients to appreciate the value of your expertise?
A Bad Conference Experience
May 8, 2012 by Lillie
Attending writing conferences can be an excellent way for writers, both new and experienced, to learn new skills and improve their craft.
Recently a writer friend asked on Facebook if anyone had ever been to a bad or unprofessional conference, and, if so, what made it bad or unprofessional. I responded with an experience I had at a national conference I attended not long after I started to write.
The content of the conference was fabulous and very professionally presented. However, it was held in a luxury hotel in New York City, and the meeting rooms were on three floors connected by escalators. Unfortunately, at the time I was on a motorized scooter and at least four other attendees were in wheelchairs or scooters. Obviously we couldn’t use the escalators, but the two upper floors of the conference levels had no other means of access.
Workshops were held on all three floors with only a few minutes between each session. I wasn’t able to attend the specific workshops I wanted because I had no way to get to the right floor, so I had to pick workshops that were held on the one floor I could reach. I still learned an incredible amount, even if it wasn’t exactly what I had planned to learn.
At the end of the final conference day, I was so exhausted I could barely sit upright on the scooter. The elevators were so crowded I couldn’t get the scooter in. Although others had to wait a while, eventually everyone else got on the elevators, leaving me alone on the second floor.
I sat there for almost an hour before I finally got the attention of a hotel employee setting up for an event and told him I had to have help or I would collapse. He said he would send help but no one came. Finally I went back where he was working and asked for help again. He called security, and after what seemed like an eternity, a security guard finally arrived and led me through the kitchens to the service elevator and got me back to my room.
The registration form for the conference even asked about special needs, and I had plainly indicated that I required handicap access. So it wasn’t like someone shouldn’t have been prepared for those of us who couldn’t handle the escalator/elevator situation.
No matter how wonderful the workshops are, a conference isn’t very useful to attendees who have no access to the meeting rooms.
The Pattern of a Story
April 20, 2012 by Lillie
Recently, I gave some advice to an author whose manuscript I am editing. I thought other writers might find it helpful, so I’m posting the message here (modified slightly to change references to his story).
The hero’s journey, or monomyth, is a basic pattern of stories from around the world through history, identified by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces 
There are several other variations of the monomyth developed by other writers.
What follows is my own simple adaptation of the stages of the journey that can be applied to most genres of writing:
- The protagonist begins in her normal world,. A young woman teaches school, but her real passion is running marathons—the only thing that makes her feel competent and complete.
- Something dramatic happens that propels her on her journey. Her best friend and running partner dies unexpectedly. Although the death is officially deemed to be due to natural causes, the teacher suspects something more sinister has happened.
- The protagonist resists the calling. Busy with her teaching and preparing for an upcoming marathon, she doesn’t have time to investigate her friend’s death. Taking time away from training to find out what happened to her friend might result in her losing the marathon she’s set her heart on winning. Besides, she’s not qualified—she has no experience or training as an investigator. In addition, she is afraid for her own safety.
- Finally, she realizes she is the only one who can fulfill her destiny. She accepts her calling and begins her journey. The teacher realizes that everyone else believes the official version of her friend’s death as a heart attack while running in the heat. She is the only one who suspects murder, and thus is the only one who can bring the killer to justice. If she doesn’t take action, her friend’s murderer will go free, possibly to kill again.
- Along the way, the protagonist encounters obstacles and a lot of conflict—physical, mental, and/or emotional. She has some setbacks and failures—the teacher goes down many blind alleys trying to find what really killed her friend. Medical professionals and law enforcement personnel won’t cooperate in providing evidence. Her friend didn’t seem to have any enemies who would have wanted her dead. Leads that seemed promising fizzle out.
- Then there is “Black Moment” when it seems that all is lost. There does not appear to be any way out, and she is destined for failure. A doctor produces a medical record that shows the friend had a heart condition that would make running dangerous, but she kept it secret so she could participate in marathons.
- The protagonist finds a solution to the crisis and achieves victory. The teacher finds that the medical record is a forgery, and discovering why the record was forged reveals the motive for murder. Finding out who created the forged record leads to the solution of the crime—proof that her friend’s death was murder and arrest of the killer.
- At the end of the journey, the protagonist has changed. She is no longer the person she was back in her normal world before he received her calling. The teacher realizes that doing the right thing is more important than winning marathons. She has gained a new-found confidence in her abilities other than running. She has developed a passion for friendship and justice equal to her passion for running.
A good story includes conflict and change. If everything goes smoothly and the hero encounters no obstacles, the story will bore the reader. If the hero is exactly the same person at the end, the story will not satisfy the reader. So, for a story that keeps readers’ attention and satisfies them at the end, make your hero’s life difficult and challenging, and in the process help him to grow and develop character.
Guest Post: Four Tips for Making the Most of Writing Workshops by Lauren Bailey
December 13, 2011 by Lillie
For fiction and nonfiction writers alike, going it completely alone is a difficult process that takes much longer without the encouragement and support from a group. Of course, enrolling in a writing workshop is by no means a necessary step in becoming a published author, but I feel that every writer can stand to benefit from the experience of learning and honing writing techniques in a group setting, even if you try it only once. It’s certainly an experience that can expand your writing horizons, especially if you approach workshops the right way. While there are various different types of writing workshops, the most useful in my experience has been the critique workshop, in which each writer writes at least one piece, and everyone in the group works together in critiquing the piece constructively. To make the most out of these types of workshops, here are a few tips:
1. Always come prepared.
Most of the work done while participating in a writing workshop is usually completed outside the group meeting itself. There are three main components that most writing workshops share—reading material written by published authors, reading and critiquing participants’ work, and writing one or more pieces to share with the rest of the group. Many first-time workshop participants spend too much time drafting their piece, effectively missing out on developing skills that are just as important like editing and reading published work analytically.
2. When your piece is being critiqued, listen attentively, take notes, and ask questions.
Perhaps the strangest part about attending writing workshops, the one that takes the most getting used to, is being “judged” by a panel of your peers. In most workshops, the group will discuss your writing aloud, but they will not refer to you by name, only “the writer.” Although it may initially seem like an intimidating process, keep yourself busy by taking extensive notes. Remember that a writing workshop is an incredible opportunity to get feedback from other writers, so respect the time everyone put into critiquing your work by honestly considering what everyone has to say.
3. Learn to take good advice and discard bad advice.
Many writers criticize workshops because you are essentially learning from others who are amateurs themselves. Too much conflicting criticism from a diverse group of writers may cause you to change your work so much that it’s no longer uniquely yours. The best way to avoid this scenario is to consider all criticism first. Analyze each person’s critiques carefully, noting which writers share your vision, and which are more prone to pushing their sense of style onto others. It’s also advisable to keep track of the number of comments that you receive criticizing the same problem. If many people see a problem with a particular scene or aspect of a particular character, then you should seriously consider reworking these specific parts with which many have taken issue.
4. Put time and effort into critiquing others’ work. It’ll make you a stronger editor and writer.
When I first attended a writing workshop, I spent the least amount of time critiquing others’ work because I was so engrossed in writing my own short story drafts. What I didn’t know at the time was that this practice eventually backfires in a workshop setting. For one, if you don’t put much effort into critiquing others’ work, your peers won’t put much effort into your work—workshops are definitely a two-way street. What’s more, carefully reading other participants work helps you to develop your eye for common writing mistakes. Since it’s so much easier to find fault in others work than our own, practicing editing others’ work will make you a better editor of your writing eventually.
If you haven’t yet joined a writing workshop, I highly recommend trying it out. Even if you don’t find the experience very helpful, you will have at least met a group of writers that share with you the joys and frustrations of artistic creation.
If you aren’t sure where to find a workshop or critique group, ask your local library, community college, or arts organization. For writer’s conferences and retreats, which involve participants spending several days in a specific setting with writers from around the country, check out this comprehensive listing. If you need guidance on forming your own critique group, be sure to read Lillie Amman’s previous advice here. Good luck!
By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99@gmail.com.
I Love to Write Day 2011
November 15, 2011 by Lillie
Today marks the tenth observance of I Love to Write Day. The official website lists a number of suggested activities for the day.
I can think of no better activity for I Love to Write Day than simply to write! Start your novel, meet your quota for NaNoWriMo, compile a blog post, pen a letter, compose a poem or essay or short story, write something from your heart.
It is said that an individual has to write a million words before he or she is a skilled writer. Today is a great day to write a few of those million words.
photo credit: juliejordanscott
November is Lifewriting Month
November 4, 2011 by Lillie
In addition to being National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), November is National Lifewriting Month. Although you aren’t likely to find lifewriting in the dictionary, you can probably guess its meaning–writing about life, specifically memoir and family history.
I encourage everyone to write their own or their family’s life stories. In my ebook, Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History, I say:
After my father died, my mother became very depressed and withdrawn. I convinced her to attend a writing conference with me by telling her I didn’t want to stay in the hotel alone. She attended one conference session — a seminar on writing essays. She wanted to try her hand at an essay but couldn’t decide on a topic, so I suggested she write about our trip. After that successful attempt, my siblings and I encouraged her to write about her own life.
She wrote what she called her “stories” in longhand on notebook paper. I transcribed them, making only minor corrections in her spelling, punctuation, and grammar. I scanned family photos and added them in appropriate places. We printed the stories on my computer printer and inserted the pages in loose-leaf binders so she could give a book to each of her adult children for Christmas; each year after that, she wrote more stories to add to the book.
These stories quickly became cherished family treasures. Teenaged grandchildren put aside video games to read their parents’ copies of their grandmother’s memoirs. Siblings pointed to stories and asked each other, “Did you know that?” Family members shared laughter and tears when the stories were given as gifts, and now, years after my mother died, those loose-leaf binders filled with family stories have become treasured legacies, possibly even more valued than money or property.
The same can be true for you. Your personal memoirs or your family history can be the greatest treasure you can leave your family because you’re sharing your life and yourself.
A memoir or family history doesn’t have to be a published book to be meaningful. It can be typed in a word processor, recorded on a tape recorder, captured in a video, or assembled in a scrapbook.
Denis Ledoux, author of Turning Memories Into Memoirs: A Handbook for Writing Lifestories
A memoir or family history may seem like an overwhelming project, but Preserving Memories helps you break it down into manageable tasks so you, too, can leave your loved ones a precious legacy: your life story or the story of your family.
Have you done any lifewriting? If not, why not give it a try during National Lifewriting Month?
NaNoWriMo: Overcoming First Draft Paralysis
October 28, 2011 by Lillie
November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). According to the website:
National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.
Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.
Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It’s all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.
Many writers have first draft paralysis—just the thought of starting terrifies them and paralyzes their ability or willingness to write.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned early in my writing career is that the first draft is supposed to be “pure green dreck.” The only writers I know of who can write a great first draft are published authors who have written dozens of novels over many years. If you haven’t done that, chances are pretty good—in fact, close to 100%—that your first draft is going to be terrible. But until you have that “pure green dreck” as a starting point, you have nothing to polish into a masterpiece.
I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo, but I’ve always been an advocate of the writing method used: sit down and write … something. Give yourself permission to write badly. Tell yourself it’s okay if you cringe repeatedly when you re-read what you’ve written. Expect to have to revise, rewrite, and edit over and over again.
Do you know someone—maybe even you—who has been working on the first chapter of a novel for months, even years? They—or you—never finish anything because they—or you—want to produce a finished product. The only way they—or you—will ever produce that finished product, though, is to produce an unfinished product first, then finish it later.
Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Have you done so in the past? What has been your experience in writing a first draft that is “pure green dreck”?
Should Authors be Salespeople? Guest Post by Joel Friedlander
October 14, 2011 by Lillie
I talk to writers every day who are thinking about publishing their own books. Some have friends who have self-published, so they know it can be done. Or they’ve read the blogs of writers who are doing well in the Kindle store. Or they are just tired of waiting for the agent, the editor, the publisher to get back to them.
Whatever the reason, there’s one objection I hear more than any other from these writers:
“I just want to write, I’m not a salesman.”
And that’s too bad. I think this attitude represents a real misunderstanding on the part of authors. Here’s why.
It’s About Marketing, Not Sales
Think about the difference between marketing and sales.
Marketing means promoting your book to people who are likely to be interested in it. The main activity of marketing is communicating to these likely purchasers.
Sales, on the other hand, is completely different. It’s the process of making transactions, the exchange of money for books, in this example.
You can’t sell a book to someone who’s not interested in it or who doesn’t want to buy it.
Marketing your book, on the other hand, is something similar to what you are probably doing already when you talk about your book to friends, family, or other writers.
You are communicating the passion you have for your subject, your fascination with your characters, your total involvement in the subjects of your writing.
In its simplest form, that’s what marketing is. Going where people who might be interested in your book hang out and communicating with them about the subject of your book.
It’s not asking people to buy your book, and it’s certainly not trying to “sell” them your book.
It’s like when you start blogging. You don’t want to blog about your book, you want to blog about the subject of your book, its themes, lessons, or news, events, or developments that touch on your subject.
Same with marketing your book. If you communicate your feelings for your subject, if you let people know just why you wrote the book and how it can help people, if you show your enthusiasm and expertise in the area, you are doing some pretty powerful book marketing.
And what author doesn’t want to talk about their book or the subject that moved them to write it?
What I suggest to these authors is that they learn to market their books, with everything that implies. If you can do that well enough, and widely enough, and often enough, the sales part of the equation will take care of itself.
So go out and connect with people. Find the places where people are talking about your subject, whatever it is. Participating in those conversations will lead you to interesting places and opportunities to tell even more people about you and what makes you tick. That, in itself, will likely interest people in your books.
Congratulations, you are now a marketer.
Joel Friedlander is the proprietor of Marin Bookworks in San Rafael, California, a publishing services company where he’s helped launch many self-published authors. He blogs about book design, writing and self-publishing at www.TheBookDesigner.com. Joel is also the author of the recently published A Self-Publisher’s Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish.
Read Lillie’s review of A Self-Publisher’s Companion.
International Freelancers Day is Today
September 23, 2011 by Lillie
I hope you’re already registered for the free online conference from the International Freelancers Academy, today, International Freelancers Day.
Check out the presentation schedule and attend the sessions that interest you.
