Having read, "On Writing", for the second time, I would appreciate Mr. King's further insights regarding the use of a pen name. I struggle to reconcile writing courageously and truthfully about characters, topics and observations stemming from personal experience and history, with the desire to protect my children and family from the inevitable fallout of such material. Please advise. Thank you.
On writing courageously: the use of a pen name
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Stephen doesn't personally respond to questions posted here but we do have several published authors who might be able to weigh in with their thoughts about the pros and cons of using a pseudonym.
Hi. Welcome to the board.
As one of the writers on here (yes, published; no, you won't have heard of me. I almost guarantee it.
or should that be 
), I'd say that using a pseudonym might not be enough. The last thing you want is for people to read something and be able to easily recognise themselves and, worse, you, either through your descriptions and characterisations or because the prose simply 'sounds' like you. You could deny it all, of course...but the suspicion would still be there, and it'd probably all come out in the long run in any case.
At the same time, I wouldn't advise writing fictionalised versions of these people and events under your own name: it'd be too easy to see who or what had provided the spark.
So, IMO, you need to use a pen-name and fictionalise the material, telling the truth of a situation or about a person without telling the whole truth (the others in the know would recognise a situation or character and draw the conclusion that this apparently fictional account was still rather too close to X or Y). Just be aware you're tiptoeing through a minefield, and no matter how cautious you think you're being, it still might not be cautious enough.
But with that, let me wish you luck and happy writing.
As one of the writers on here (yes, published; no, you won't have heard of me. I almost guarantee it.
or should that be ), I'd say that using a pseudonym might not be enough. The last thing you want is for people to read something and be able to easily recognise themselves and, worse, you, either through your descriptions and characterisations or because the prose simply 'sounds' like you. You could deny it all, of course...but the suspicion would still be there, and it'd probably all come out in the long run in any case.At the same time, I wouldn't advise writing fictionalised versions of these people and events under your own name: it'd be too easy to see who or what had provided the spark.
So, IMO, you need to use a pen-name and fictionalise the material, telling the truth of a situation or about a person without telling the whole truth (the others in the know would recognise a situation or character and draw the conclusion that this apparently fictional account was still rather too close to X or Y). Just be aware you're tiptoeing through a minefield, and no matter how cautious you think you're being, it still might not be cautious enough.
But with that, let me wish you luck and happy writing.
Thank you for your response. Is there a place on this web site that Stephen does view/reply to posted questions? I thought I read responses posted from him directly to certain questions.And welcome to the Board!
No, he does not do that on any site but on occasion I have forwarded a question to him and then relayed his response here.
Pen names are a PIA, unless you're using one to differentiate between different genres in which you write (i.e.,it's not supposed to be a secret). Like Mr Nobody , I am published as a teeny fish in the ocean Before I was print published, I had established a presence online, and in that capacity had gotten into a few tussles with a pack of Goodreads trolls--rabid fans of a writer whose actions were questionable, and I questioned them. As my own name is (as far as I can tell) absolutely unique and at the time easily Googleable (is that even a word? ), and those fans were at that time posting the home addresses of people with whom they were upset, along with encouragement to harass those people, I decided that it was only fair to my family to use a pseudonym.
Fast forward: Name is still unique, but not so easily Googleable (I've dropped some activities that had published phone number and address in their newsletters), and I wish I'd just ridden the storm out and published under my own name.
Here's a hard truth: Personal narratives can be interesting, but often aren't as compelling as the writer thinks they will be because the writer's judgment is clouded with emotional baggage that most readers will not share. Those that do share those feelings usually demand absolute honesty--they want to feel connected in every way with the writer, and if there is a hint that the writer has been coy they will figuratively eviscerate that person. Examples of this are numerous. "Write from life" is curious advice, and should be handled with care. Most lives are banal, to be honest, and reading is what one does to escape them for a little while. Look, most everyone will use bits and pieces of real life in their writing; that's a given. The trick is to pick what would resonate with someone outside of your own experience. Most of the time that means fictionalizing the personal to make it more universal. A writer of fiction walks a delicate line: you want to create a unique character/story, but you have to leave room for the reader to slide into the story and feel like they are in the driver's seat, experiencing the events of the story first hand.
If you are set on keeping the personal VERY personal (i.e., easily identifiable), be brave enough to use your own name--after all, at that point it is YOUR story, not one that could reasonably belong to a reader.
Just my 2 cents
Before I was print published, I had established a presence online, and in that capacity had gotten into a few tussles with a pack of Goodreads trolls--rabid fans of a writer whose actions were questionable, and I questioned them. As my own name is (as far as I can tell) absolutely unique and at the time easily Googleable (is that even a word? ), and those fans were at that time posting the home addresses of people with whom they were upset, along with encouragement to harass those people, I decided that it was only fair to my family to use a pseudonym. Fast forward: Name is still unique, but not so easily Googleable (I've dropped some activities that had published phone number and address in their newsletters), and I wish I'd just ridden the storm out and published under my own name.
Here's a hard truth: Personal narratives can be interesting, but often aren't as compelling as the writer thinks they will be because the writer's judgment is clouded with emotional baggage that most readers will not share. Those that do share those feelings usually demand absolute honesty--they want to feel connected in every way with the writer, and if there is a hint that the writer has been coy they will figuratively eviscerate that person. Examples of this are numerous. "Write from life" is curious advice, and should be handled with care. Most lives are banal, to be honest, and reading is what one does to escape them for a little while. Look, most everyone will use bits and pieces of real life in their writing; that's a given. The trick is to pick what would resonate with someone outside of your own experience. Most of the time that means fictionalizing the personal to make it more universal. A writer of fiction walks a delicate line: you want to create a unique character/story, but you have to leave room for the reader to slide into the story and feel like they are in the driver's seat, experiencing the events of the story first hand.
If you are set on keeping the personal VERY personal (i.e., easily identifiable), be brave enough to use your own name--after all, at that point it is YOUR story, not one that could reasonably belong to a reader.
Just my 2 cents
Sometimes when I have a question about writing I sort of meditate on it, then I turn to a random page of whatever SK book I have handy (for my purposes, On Writing is readily available) and the answer is right there in front of me. That might just be me but it does work.
There I go again, giving away secrets. I know it's not the same as getting an actual direct response but I don't think he would get anything else accomplished if he had to directly reply to all of us.
There I go again, giving away secrets. I know it's not the same as getting an actual direct response but I don't think he would get anything else accomplished if he had to directly reply to all of us.Pen names are a PIA, unless you're using one to differentiate between different genres in which you write (i.e.,it's not supposed to be a secret). Like Mr Nobody , I am published as a teeny fish in the ocean
Fast forward: Name is still unique, but not so easily Googleable (I've dropped some activities that had published phone number and address in their newsletters), and I wish I'd just ridden the storm out and published under my own name.
Here's a hard truth: Personal narratives can be interesting, but often aren't as compelling as the writer thinks they will be because the writer's judgment is clouded with emotional baggage that most readers will not share. Those that do share those feelings usually demand absolute honesty--they want to feel connected in every way with the writer, and if there is a hint that the writer has been coy they will figuratively eviscerate that person. Examples of this are numerous. "Write from life" is curious advice, and should be handled with care. Most lives are banal, to be honest, and reading is what one does to escape them for a little while. Look, most everyone will use bits and pieces of real life in their writing; that's a given. The trick is to pick what would resonate with someone outside of your own experience. Most of the time that means fictionalizing the personal to make it more universal. A writer of fiction walks a delicate line: you want to create a unique character/story, but you have to leave room for the reader to slide into the story and feel like they are in the driver's seat, experiencing the events of the story first hand.
If you are set on keeping the personal VERY personal (i.e., easily identifiable), be brave enough to use your own name--after all, at that point it is YOUR story, not one that could reasonably belong to a reader.
Just my 2 cents
I am writing a fictional piece. Thanks for the advice! Now I need to rethink my main character to make him more identifiable.
( I think that's a babel fish)
( I think that's a babel fish)
I use a pen name for my word books because 1) it's a pseudonym with some history behind it and 2) it leaves me open to write other genres without getting pigeonholed.
Exactly, like Nora Roberts writing romance under that name and mystery under J.D. Robb. It's no big secret, but it allows a reader devoted to either genre to just get the books she writes in their chosen genre.