I m happy to have the exposure here, obviously, but I want to get right into the discussion. (Which is what I love most about this group.) I thought about talking today about the ages of characters in romance novels, because it is a theme in RR, but I started thinking about a different topic earlier this week. I decided to use a pseudonym when I write romance novels (Mariana Gabrielle), as opposed to mainstream historical (Mari Christie), because I want readers to know what kind of book of mine they will be reading. But there is a long history of pseudonyms by female writers, mostly to be “taken seriously” by publishing professionals and readers. Even today, J.K. Rowling (Robert Galbraith) was told young boys wouldn’t take Harry Potter seriously if written by a woman. Nora Roberts writes mysteries as J.D. Robb. Harlequin wants writers to take on pen names. So, we have gone from a time when Louisa May Alcott took on a male pseudonym to write about the war, unveiling herself when she started writing “in the women’s sphere,” to the opposite, where women—and, in fact, men—take on a “persona” to write fiction for women. What do you think the value of the persona is today? (Outside any used for safety/security concerns.) As an author, why do you use or not use one? As a reader, does it color your opinion of an author?
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 19:01:48 +0000
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