It's actually not that naughty.You may or may not have noticed my newly included "you must be 18 years or older..." warning that pops up when you try to access my blog. My boss asked me to include it as a nod to decency. I understood the concern and complied graciously.
I teach middle school. On the off-chance (actually, pretty decent chance) that a student should Google my name, he/she could come upon my blog. I write historical romance that is R rated. I blog about the writing process. Sometimes that includes discourse, often somewhat mocking, about R rated things. Parents might object. I would object. Then again, I wouldn't give my 11 year old free reign on the computer.
Of course, if the parent is not supervising and there are no parental controls/filter on their computer, the 18+ thing will just make my blog that much more enticing.
Sigh.
The only real solution is to blog under a pseudonym -- but part of the purpose of the blog is to establish a web presence under my name. As much as I sort of love the idea of publishing under Vixen De La Coeur, I am proud of my writing and want to stamp it with my real name in spite of the sci-fi/family medicine feel of it. So, no fake name.
For now the problem is temporarily solved. The next step will be when a parent complains that I am posting inappropriate content online and aiding the corruption of the minor. At that point I will argue my right to have a life outside of school and the parent's role to monitor what their child views online. I mean, it's a crazy world out there, full of things inappropriate for young children, like Austen Powers, Britney Spears, and pedophiles.
To my fellow writers -- Do you write under a pseudonym? Why did you choose to or not to? How did you choose your name?
8 comments:
I can't believe the warning is necessary, but some people can be a bit prudish. My kids watch True Blood for crying out loud.
I don't write under a pen name, but I'm considering it still since I'm not published yet. It's not that I don't like my name or that I want to hide my identity. It's that my name just feels too long for a book cover even though I notice authors who have names just as long. Maybe it's all the syllables. I wouldn't have a clue what name to pick. Maybe I'll have a name-picking contest in the future ;)
Not really a pseudo, but good enough. I don't write much "adult" content only stuff so I don't really need one ( I guess), lol.
Angela McAllister is not too long for a book. Now maybe Angela Sengchanthelangnsky-McAllister might be too long. Your name is very feminine and balanced out well.
There is one author I really enjoy whose real last name is Bushyhead -- in her case, I can understand the inclination to use a pseudonym.
Candyland -- Google yourself. You're listed tons. I stopped shy of clicking on the links because it seemed cyber-stalking-ish.
Honestly, I hate that I'm classified as 'adult' because that makes me feel people think the writing is only about sex. Yes, sex is part of the story, but the story is the main thing, you know? Oh well.
Of course, I think that due to your commitment to molding young minds and not in any way "corrupting" them, it's a good idea to have a warning. I really don't think it will keep out ladies who will think it XXX and not even give you a chance. After all, the hottest trend in romance novels is "erotic" fiction. As for the other topic....I think an author's name should be easy to pronounce for marketing purposes...Thus names like "Dan Brown" or "Nora Roberts." There's a reason that most people can't remember anything Dostoyevsky wrote other than "Crime and Punishment!" Final comment: True Blood+Kids=No Way!
You know, this year I debated even mentioning to my classes that I write because I write romance. Then again, I think the fact that I write for fun helps students rethink what writing is all about.
So, I have mentioned that I like to write, I just haven't mentioned what I write or that I'm trying to get published. Even in the past when I did talk about it, I stressed the historical aspect.
I have not seen True Blood, but it's been heavily recommended, along with the books. My kids still like Dora the Explorer, so it's probably too soon to introduce them to the sexy undead. :)
The problem with parents nowadays is that they dont want to parent.
And just like you, I aint writting under no nicknames!
I almost picked a pseudonym for my action suspense books because someone at a conference told me that men (my demographic) will not buy a book about adventure and shooting and generally butt-kicking if its written by a woman...What!?
I sent out queries with Ry Byrnes as the name and tried to be vague...but in the end I decided that if a 35 year old white dude can convincingly write about the memoirs of a geisha...then I can write whatever I want and use my REAL name. So there.
I hope that no parent complains about you because you have the right to your own life outside of school AND you put the warning on your blog. After that, its really in their hands whether or not their kid can read your blog unobstructed.
Edge of Your Seat Romance
I don't think a pseudonym is necessary. You are who you are and no one has the right to require anything else. As a parent of two of your middle school students, I feel it is my responsibility to see that they are reading appropriate content, not yours. As a matter of fact I don't read anything on this blog that is worse than what they can hear about or see on their internet home page, which is set on a news page. I do think the warning is a good idea because then if some parent decides to complain you can let them know that you have done your job and now they should do theirs.
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