Why Writers Who Use Pen Names are WEAK

[@dinosaurfilms7425]

Using a pen name is fine. What matters is the writing itself.

[@ggmagnusssx]

Recently my short story was accepted to be published but the point is that it was a horror story . I wrote just for fun , the thing is that I don’t want to be know as a “horror “ writer , so I am going to use a Pen name for this one . That’s a valid reason , I like , enjoy and want to get know for literature fiction , not horror

[@0andy1w]

I respectfully disagree. Our culture (American) is so fascinated with the mythos of the author rather than the art they produce. Using a pen name as a rejection of celebrity strikes me as valid.

[@dolfinn_fan4171]

Im right there with you! I publish under a pen name and I’m glad I am.

[@VixxKong2]

A lot of times it's just to have a name more convenient to be remembered. Or to blend in when your name is a bit too foreign for your region. Plenty of actors changed their names for those reasons.

[@lalalalalala739]

I'm confused. Cormac's name is not Cormac and he hid from everyone till his seventies. Mishima used a pen name to hide his work from his father. Don't you love those guys? Mark Twain is not weak, he was a public figure and spent years touring the country giving lectures. He risked his own reputation and finances to help president Grant publish his memoirs. Twain rules. And Rowling clearly doesn’t care about being canceled. Conrad, Novalis, Dinisen, Stendhal, Celan, Nerval, Voltaire, Morrison, and so on are all brilliant writers who didn't use their names. I doubt they're all just scared and weak, but even if they were, so what? They wrote better than anyone here...probably. Anyway, keep going on your stuff! I'm stoked for you that it's picking up steam. Congrats man.

[@Postmailer]

Love this video, but I had a thought… Cormac, Sax Rohmer, George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, Machiavelli… although I agree about the general philosophy of pen names, I’ve always liked the idea that your artistic name is the first point of creation. It allows you to have an artistic persona you can step into in order to avoid avoid self-confession.

[@maxwindom1200]

Ya def depends on intention. Today it’s mostly Cowardice

[@carrion-vj1yz]

Personally it doesn't feel like me writing what i do, it feels like a different person living in my head. I named him. That's basically it.

[@toddjacksonpoetry]

That's cool.

[@rae4487]

I'm sorry i don't exactly want my family want to know that i'm writing degenerate smut for money.

[@trickyplays240]

Right with u

[@conorblack]

This isn’t a hill worth dying on. Prince was one of the greatest musicians and artists who ever lived. The art is the point, not the ego behind it. The self is an illusion anyway. We are all the SAME awareness in individuated consciousness.

[@yusraaa4221]

I second this. This video is based on foundational assumptions about the purpose of art which are contestable

[@stephennootens916]

This is so stupid lots of authors use pen names. Either becauae they are writing for pay like Donald E Westlake did in the beginning or they are writing in a different style or genre. Nora Roberts has a whole mystery sort of sci-fi series under a pen name and Stephen King has published a handful of dark cynical novels under a pen name.

[@marcb718]

"Real men and women who stand behind their work" "I do support people changing their name and adopting a pen name, but only if they are going to stand behind it and be a public persona." - Prince stood ten toes on the ground for his work. No one championed their own work more than Prince. And he went to war with record companies over his art. The point of this video is people who hide behind their anonymous name for fear of entering the arena of life. Prince did not live in fear when it came to his art. And Prince is his real first name.

[@conorblack]

@@marcb718 "The point of this video is people who hide behind their anonymous name for fear of entering the arena of life." TITLE OF VIDEO: "Why Writers Who Use Pen Names are WEAK" 🙂 I'm too busy writing to comment anymore beyond this response, but I'll exit with this: Telling people how they should live, without an appreciation of their unique circumstances and wiring, isn't fair or intellectually honest (or all that productive in my experience). It's fine to have an opinion, sure. But since the stated goal of this channel is to promote a literary renaissance, I'm not sure how alienating certain people helps to further that aim? In fact, I'd argue the opposite. That's why I said this isn't a hill worth dying on--because there's a lot of value he's providing that would be a shame to detract from with this ill-informed view. Nobody's perfect. And there are plenty of counterexamples who did they best they could, with whatever personal limitations they had, which might've limited their desire to be a public persona: Thomas Pynchon, Emily Dickinson, Marcel Proust, J. D. Salinger, and Harper Lee, among others.

[@marcb718]

"I do support people changing their name and adopting a pen name, but only if they are going to stand behind it and be a public persona." - Write Conscious I'd recommend watching the video before you make a comment based off of eight words of the title.

[@MrSteveyz]

There are still legitimate reasons for pen names that after threats of unaliving. Also depending on the writer, if you look at bigger names who also use pen names such as stephen king and jk rowling, they did it in order to remove the human in them from the fame that surrounded a name.

[@Shulzybecketter]

Stendhal was in the military and had confirmed kills. Women loved him. With all due respect you need to take a day off. The claim that pen names are for weak people when for instance in france most writers seem to have pen names is bizarre. You're kinda jumping the shark.

[@LivioSegnini]

One's last name can't be worse than Schwarzenegger

[@perfectdarkmode]

Fellow Tucsonian here. I use a pen last name because my actual last name is a first name and it's also a very common combo.

[@dolfinn_fan4171]

Ian, sometimes you need to get off your high horse. I have friends who aren’t writers and they’re a friendly reminder to get out of my own head. Hope you have similar friends because this video was not. I will be proud writing under my pen AND STILL be part of the literary renaissance. Just you watch

[@TheHappeeSinnick]

I’m curious what you think of the Nobel Prize fiction winner and the National Book Award nominees.

[@nyxcole9879]

Yeah im not using my name cause i grew up with a psychopath father so...screw his name. But i will stand by my pen name.

[@Phoenixzs1012]

I don’t use a pen name but in my country a lot of people do. That's because people can be persecuted for the things they wrote especially if you are employing a government position. Think of an Iranian writer; would he be better of using a pen name while criticizing culture? Secondly if you use a pen name you would get less ad-hominem discussions. Then they have to hate the game not the player. The discussion then has to be on the work of art rather than the personality which it produced it. I have a Turkish name. My trade is short stories (science fiction mostly) and I have my stories translated to English many times. Do you think my name didn’t play a role when I was offered “why don’t you post this to our oriental section?”. I don’t want to be the “mystic of the far east” I just want to be a writer that publishes something. Funny enough I don't write with a pen name :) I love my name and I cannot support orientalism. I understand ideally it should not be used but there are practicalities to it. Otherwise I agree.

[@bleedingberryjuice]

I don't want the public to know about my legal identity due to being in foster care as a kid because my mom abandoned me I don't want the public to know that my dad drank himself to death I have an online stalker to knows my legal identity and has posted on his online journals in the past about his violent fantasies about me This video is so ignorant

[@yusraaa4221]

Very American-centric too. Many people live in circumstances where they could be jailed or killed for their opinion. Do these people not deserve to publish their work?

[@bleedingberryjuice]

@yusraaa4221 even in America risk of cancelation is just too great if you don't have a support system to make sure you aren't on the street All the other reasons aside I want to judge a work and have my own work judged by itself and on its own merit So the bit insulting art for arts sake is foolish too I've never seen so many bad writing takes rolled into one

[@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

Some people write in different genres. I do. I publish picture books under my real name and I am not sure what to do when it will be time to publish my poetry for adults. It would be annoying to have two separate websites and social media accounts so I will most likely not use a pen name and I will just split my website into two sections. My website is just my name, not a book title or something else and the majority of my poems are ok for young adults/older children, even though I don't write poems specifically FOR children. Using a pen name to be an online troll is something else, but there are valid points for using a pen name to publish under. Voicing opinions is a scary business now, freedom of speech is almost non-existent. For example, there is a youtube channel run by a literature professor who planned a series of videos analyzing Rupi Kaur's poetry. He did one good video and never posted any more. I suspect this is due to backlash from some commenters who called him a white Caucasian middle-aged patriarchal male who doesn't know what he's talking about. Not everyone is willing to deal with hate, even though his channel, just like yours, doesn't include his name. He was reasoning, just like you, that poems should be published because they are good, not because they are the works of a certain group. I see people calling you Ian and Jackson. In my last comment, I called you Jackson because that is the name that KZbin was showing under your video. We are confused because you don't publish videos under your own name. You are as guilty as those people you rant about.

[@sb5421]

Who else thinks Ian has the cutest smile? ✋

[@henrikibsen6258]

I'm sure glad I'm not anonymous online.

[@mjdeluxe]

George Eliot has entered chat

[@MrUndersolo]

Like Mishima Yukio? Saki? George Elliot? Orwell? Voltaire???

[@katlamb4606]

I really feel you, man. But as a pastor’s kid in Africa, I don’t want my family to be ostracized from the community they love just because I wrote the deepest, darkest truth in my soul. My family shouldn’t have to pay for my musings. I’ll be using pen names.

[@ArielleLavecchia]

In some cultures... you will get hunted down if you are writing under your real name. Especially when you are not allowed voice and agency and your writing is changing perception, but you will put your family in the crosshairs because you didn't protect yourself. You need more research. Reality is more dangerous than you imagine. Your video is a rant that is only you-sided this time.

[@toddjacksonpoetry]

If I had a pseudonym I'd just change my name to that. Like Amiri Baraka. And I've always liked that poem. Though there's a reason he's always best known as a Black revolutionary poet.

[@breakout4347]

Samuel Clemens turning from his grave.

[@Lilyofwords]

People have circumstances other than not liking their name why they can't use their real names. Aka probable likely personal life issues or it could get you killed due to said personal life issues. It's not about not wanting to get cancelled or a employer firing them or anything narcissistic like that. This rant your making is insensitive and could put others who want to or thinking of using pen names live physically and or psychologically at risk depending on their situation.

[@wheenishere]

The best authors tended to live under physical and psychological risk but ok bro

[@MrSteveyz]

@@wheenishere best is a subjective grade to give people. Some good writers, I agree.

[@ThatBoomerDude56]

Hopefully nobody has a real ambition to create a real utopia.

[@ahdhwjdue8362]

The world economic Forum does.

[@EmlynBoyle]

Are you seriously calling Mark Twain a weak writer, just because he used a pen name??? This is just a little less bonkers than you mocking one of Neil Gaiman’s alleged victims (via her appearance) a few weeks ago. As well as the other ridiculous views you aired in that video 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@ineffa8le00rt]

Cornell Woolrich would disagree

[@raymondou88]

Wrong and dumb

[@JackManhire]

Some of us use pen names because we have high-level positions with the federal government and we aren't allowed to publish under our own names. But go ahead and call us weak if it makes you feel better.

[@wheenishere]

Clearly not writing anything worth losing your job over, seems weak.

[@yusraaa4221]

@@wheenishere I'm assuming you live with your parents because no sane person who has to financially support themselves or others would say this lol.

[@stephennootens916]

There also the possibility your writing for pay. Donald E Westlake and Lawrence Block are two great American crime writers but they started by writing what passed for erotica novels in the early 60s late 50s under pen name. By doing that it gave them a chance to find their style.

[@wheenishere]

​@@yusraaa4221 More like financially supporting my parents. Only someone insecure about their own financial prospects would make such a reply. Did the big boy finally get his floor supervisor promotion at McDonald's? Atta boy, best go finance a 2018 Subaru Crosstrek to celebrate and make intrest payments on it till you retire. Buy some bonds with the scraps from all the subscription services, nothing but good financial decisions 😂😂

[@trickyplays240]

I use a pen name for several reasons, I write books that I’m not that impressed with but it pays the bills, I don’t want to be associated with that. This video isn’t the best, let’s do better

[@WriteConscious]

Your smutty fan fiction for depressed house wives needing dopamine isn't the best, let's do better

[@illsolveitblog]

No.

[@ITNEPress]

That thumbnail is ridiculous im sorry friend

[@elfbane5thecelt]

I disagree. You can stand up for all kinds of things and get your message out without using your real name. Everyone is entitled to their privacy. Pen names have been around for forever. Perfect example, you gave a public job, like teacher for instance, and you write racy, graphic mysteries or something. As a teacher, you wouldn’t want your real name out there, because someone might try to get you fired because they don’t like the content of your books, and that is btw a fireable offense. Not the writing part, but the bad press part. Who cares if you use your real name? Your “voice” and influence matter.

[@shavonreznikov1741]

Bro, you are like Peta from Cherry Orchards

[@MegaJackpinesavage]

Well, sir, it's extroverts like yourself (Write Conscious) who currently force a person to hide behind the sobriquet of "Metajackpinesavage" --- a literary tradition I might add that still survives to titillate readers after hundreds of years....

[@bradlygray1974]

*why*

[@chickenman7487]

Would you care to explain what you mean when mocking so called "logic-bros"? I wholeheartedly agree with the message of your video but do not understand that part

[@Angelicamuscaria]

Lol @ all you people getting butt hurt about pen names.. Ian is literally trying to explain what passion is and looks like, and the butt hurts when you do nothing but sit in the sidelines.

[@ydalir]

Lot of coping in the comments lmao