Writing Podcast Episode 690: Ian Scott explores the weird and wonderful world of literary 'Pen Names'
So You Want to be a WriterShow Notes
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.
More from So You Want to be a Writer
Glasses are a necessity for some, a curiosity for others, and even a status symbol in other contexts. So when Sydney-based academic Adam Geczy was tasked with writing about this ubiquitous item for the Object Lessons book series, how did he go about it (without making a spectacle of himself)? In this episode, Adam discusses the experience researching and writing Glasses, along with insights from an academic POV on the craft of writing in general. 00:00 Welcome 09:08 Writing tip: Make time to read 12:26 WIN: Garden of Lost Girls by A.L. Tait 13:46 Word of the week “Adsorb” 14:36 Interview with Adam Geczy 15:15 What Glasses Is about 17:49 Pitching for the Object Lessons series 22:11 Adam’s writing process and editing 28:38 Style and voice shifts 30:57 Staying adaptable 32:55 Writing without fear 35:40 Time discipline ‘hacks’ 38:34 Linear drafting method 41:59 Manual research workflow 43:09 Owning your craft 45:09 Publicity and marketing 46:25 What’s next? 49:52 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.
Some authors dream of writing when they’re young but leave it behind to focus on another career. But not Bridie Blake, who instead quit university and made her work fit around her publishing aspirations. After pivoting from YA to romance, she published her debut rom-com novel, The Boyfriend Clause, and in this episode, AWC grad Bridie shares the writing courses that changed her fortunes and her experience seeing her book on the shelves. 00:00 Welcome 10:23 Writing tip: Explore art 13:16 WIN: The Lady with the Dog by Carrie Tiffany 14:32 Word of the Week “Reify” 15:20 Interview with Bridie Blake 16:42 Explaining The Boyfriend Clause 17:49 Early writing dreams 20:12 Day jobs and persistence 22:09 AWC courses and getting feedback 25:36 Pivoting to adult rom-com 27:25 Romance course lessons 29:47 Bridie’s writing process 30:59 Morning writer mindset 33:15 Balancing humour and heart 34:12 Choosing Australian publishing 37:33 The “yes” email moment 39:45 Promoting her books 40:52 What’s next? 41:49 Her writing technique evolution 45:51 Bridie’s writing tip 47:15 Theme of the book 48:13 Book recommendations 49:57 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.
Imagine being married to one of literature’s most famous wordsmiths and having him describe your life as “a blank”. This is the reputation that Charles Dickens’ wife Kate of 22 years – with whom he had 10 children – has endured for 150 years. But in author Emily Howes’ new novel Mrs Dickens, she seeks to fill in those blanks. In this episode, Emily shares her inspirations for choosing this historical figure and the challenges of reimagining history. 00:00 Welcome 08:28 Writing Tip: Try something new 11:55 WIN: The German Ward by Pip Williams 13:16 Word of the Week: “Pertinacious” 14:14 Interview with Emily Howes 15:02 Why Mrs Dickens matters 16:50 Inspirations for the novel 22:23 Researching her life 24:01 Turning facts into fiction 25:35 What stayed and what was cut 30:02 Second POV character: Anne 35:57 Balancing work and writing 38:48 Emily’s writing breakthrough 43:22 What’s next? 45:48 Writing tip 47:31 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.
Scottish-Australian author and AWC grad Judith Katherine went from being crippled by fear about sharing her writing to publishing her debut novel, Simply Beside Herself. In this episode, Judith shares the lockdown routine that unlocked her new writing path, the courses that changed the game and some of the valuable lessons she learnt along the way. She also shares insights into her book’s theme of dissociation. 00:00 Welcome 13:30 Writing tip: Focus on the work 16:00 WIN: Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs by Bernadette Schwerdt 19:02 Word of the week: ‘Onomastic’ 19:44 Interview with: Judith Catherine 21:33 Describing Simply Beside Herself – themes and inspiration 23:55 Back story and finding writing 25:00 Discovering AWC courses 26:35 Judith’s writing breakthrough 30:30 The value of community and sharing work 32:28 Writing the novel – dissociation story hook 35:10 The timeline to publication 39:04 Editing lessons learned 42:16 Writing process chaos 44:35 Getting the book deal 47:04 Judith’s advice for writers 49:47 Reading recommendations 51:37 The book’s opening Rumi quote 54:03 What’s next? 55:23 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.
UK-based queer author Curtis Garner burst onto the scene a few years ago with his debut novel, Isaac. Now he’s back with Orange – a coming of age novel that explores two characters as they grapple with a sense of identity and place across a five-year span. In this episode, Curtis shares his inspirations for this novel, his writing process and tips, plus why sex scenes in books should have less fluff! 00:00 Welcome 09:09 Writing tip: Public transport 13:46 WIN: Last Night I Dreamt by Paul de Zulueta 15:32 Word of the week: ‘Ensorcell’ 16:26 Interview with: Curtis Garner 17:00 Describing Orange 19:15 Creating the characters 20:20 Themes and clichés of place 23:35 London as a setting 26:27 Two timeline structure 28:30 Writing sex scenes honestly 33:33 Deadlines and drafting 35:00 Rage behind the debut 40:03 Writing around a day job 42:25 Collecting notes daily 44:35 The perils of overplanning 46:15 Writing what you care about 48:53 What’s next? 50:25 Writing advice summary 51:33 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.