Evening lovely readers 🙂
I have to ask; what’s in a pen name? It seems such an archaic term given writers mainly use computers now. I will however say that I do still whip out the old pen and note pad should a creative spark strike.
As you’ll see from the title of this page I tend to go by A K Hinchey. I have however had work published under Andrea Hinchey. So what’s the big deal I hear you cry; they’re both your name. Well yes they are but how do you decide which version to use? Being published under one then the other, will readers link you to all your work? Should you use one for your main (perhaps most loved) genre while using another to try something new? Do you see where my confusion lies? I have yet to have a book published and am unsure which version to use should Hell freeze over and some unsuspecting publishers pick my novel over others 🙂
I will say one of the most creative pen names I’ve seen is that of one of my friends and a fantastic author. Helena Hann-Basquiat is a dynamic and multi-faceted person with creativity literally oozing from every pore. The writing is layered in excellence coupled with a decadent style few can hope to achieve, myself included. BUT the persona of Helena can act to distance the author from themselves. Given I know the reason I can completely see why Helena did this. Doing this also gives you a sense of freedom to create what you will unencumbered by past attempts and circumstance. It must be very liberating. I still cannot decide however if I would want to stick to one name for everything so people can see my diversity…
Ah well, I’m sure I’ll get there one day 😉
Thank you 🙂
The Torn Page - A K Hinchey's Writing Blog 