Darn I enjoyed reading this one! I’ve shared before that I’ve also used pseudonyms and the highlighted passage is my biggest reason, too! I’m not planning to write out-there stuff, most probably more psych-spiritual ideas and life stories, but I still don’t want people to associate my parents with what I write. My dad used to use his dad’s given name as family name but when I became an adult he took another ancestor’s given name as his last name and shifted the old last name into middle name. Confusing move for my siblings and I! So I took the actual family name from my grandpa’s last name. My dad’s old last name is still in my birth certificate :)

What I’ve been pondering about publishing using my real name is to reach a wider audience. People tend to listen to Who than What, the messenger not the message. While I don’t like that attitude, I can understand that most people want to know the author’s personal profile in order to enjoy the works. During my Harry Potter reading days, fellow readers were also looking for inspirations from JK Rowling’s life. It’s my writer’s dilemma because I want my ideas to reach a wider audience but I don’t want people buy my ideas because of my name instead of the quality of the idea itself.

Thanks for sharing your story! I learned from how you expressed understanding toward your parents.