Writing Podcast Episode 690: Ian Scott explores the weird and wonderful world of literary 'Pen Names'

When Ian Scott and Kirsty McHugh – curators at the National Library of Scotland – created an exhibition on pen names, they never imagined it would become a book. But that’s exactly what happened, and in this episode, Ian joins to discuss some of the curious motivations and stories behind some of the world’s most famous and infamous pseudonyms in their book Pen Names – including examples of authors who fully immersed themselves in their imaginary personas! 00:00 Welcome 00:18 Rewriting your personal narrative 07:06 Writing tip: Tracking your time 10:05 WIN!: The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell 13:33 Word of the week: ‘Edentulous’ 14:14 The world of words: Short forms of ‘until’ 16:10 Writer in residence: Ian Scott 16:57 The inspiration for the book Pen Names 18:42 An exhibition on pen names 23:00 The stories behind the stories 27:00 Common reasons for pen names 27:58 Gender bias in literature 31:55 Other reasons for not using your own name 32:10 Famous examples 34:55 Authors wanting to be judged independently 38:47 Deceptive use of a pen name: Fiona Macleod 40:55 Modern pen names and marketability 43:19 Collaborative writing under one name 45:01 Authors like Lee Child and book cover real estate 46:49 Would Ian choose a pen name for himself? 48:45 Wait – is his co-writer Kirsty McHugh even real? 50:30 Is his book in his own library? 53:02 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.