To pen, or not to pen... name

[Pockets]

So as the title of this thread may or may not have indicated, (it might be confusing but it makes sense to me)

What do you guys think of using pen names for writing? I have always written under my real and full name, even some bad evangelion and x-men evolution fanfics that i never finished are under Ryan T. Nelson. Now i can understand the idea of a pen name. Some people use them to distance themselves from the writing, so if they don't do well or if the do do well but don't want people knowing who they are they can hide behind the pen name. Stephen King released four books under a pen name before writing under his real name.

Others need the anonmity. I know one woman that is a pprofessional business person, but writes extremely adult erotica novels under a pen name to prevent anyone she works with from potentially linking them back to her in order to preserve her reputation.

What do you guys think?

[Christiefries]

I've been thinking about doing this too. I'll need to come up with a spiffy one though.

[Mike]

Three guesses as to what my pen name is.

[Pockets]

Three guesses as to what my pen name is.

Godzilla Mike, Ruler of All?

Or no, better guess, Ike?

[Mister Quin]

I don't think I'd ever publish under a pen name. Not if I'm getting any cash, at least. I don't understand how you wouldn't want to associate your name to finishing your very own work of art, getting it published, and most of all getting paid for it. That's incredibly difficult as it is. On the net, though, it's a different story. =X

[DarkGrey]

Depends on what you're writing. If it's a fanfiction or some angsty teenage poem, I'll write under a pen name more for the anonymity because 'screw all if I don't finish it, they don't know me.' However if I'm getting paid/published, then yeah I'd write under my full name so I get credit where credit is due, rather than having to waste time convincing my friends that that awesome book series was actually written by me.

[Draconis Nevyn]

The only reason I would write under a pen name would be because some people might get confused.

There is another, much more famous writer with the same name as myself but he''s also dead. This may confuse certain people XD

[Pockets]

The only reason I would write under a pen name would be because some people might get confused.

There is another, much more famous writer with the same name as myself but he''s also dead. This may confuse certain people XD

Dude that would be AWESOME!! If there was a dead famous writer that had the same name as me I would totally still use my real name, just for the chaos that would follow. rofl. I'm a bit twisted, don't mind me.

[guinness]

I can see why some people do it, but to me part of the fun of writing a book is that people know you wrote it. I'd want the recognition for what I wrote, having a pen name would strip that all away. I'm a braggart at heart though.

[Jorick]

I agree with what others have said: I'd only use a pen name if I'm writing something I don't really want associated with my name. I don't see that becoming an issue though, because I have no problem with my name being associated with smut and the like. The only scenario I could see requiring a pen name would be if I were for some reason commissioned to write something awful that I hate but I'm doing just for the money. I really doubt that would ever happen, though, so I'm good with using my own name.