Why I (Still) Write Under a Pen Name

Well, why not?

Photo by Kyaw Tun on Unsplash

A year ago, I wrote a story about why I use a pen name. It’s my most popular piece, although I never would’ve predicted it would be. Clearly, it resonated with a lot of people.

Why I Write Under a Pen Name

I often think about stopping and using my real name, but the pen name is so convenient. I have a backlog under it, and momentum. It’s basically my real name at this point.

In fact, I always wanted “Ellie” to be my name as a kid. My real name is common, but for some reason, people mispronounce it a lot.

I gave some good reasons for using a pen name in the past, but one year out, I realized I’ve kept using the name for different reasons.

It’s what I’ve always done.

Way back when I was a teenager, I used to post short stories to web sites under a screen name. That was back in the days when it was considered terrifying to post your real name online. Someone would show up at your house and murder you, or something. People simply used a screen name. Your persona was based on your…