Pen Name

Hi All,

I got this email from Mark Medley, a reporter/writer with the National Post and a good fellow all-around, asking about why people may choose to write under a pseudonym. I don't know why others do it, but I could tell him why I wrote some horror stuff under one:

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/afterword/archive/2009/03/11/peter-abrahams-secret-life-as-spencer-quinn.aspx

... I didn't say that I never properly distinguished, at first, that I was, in fact, Craig. That is, I set up an email account as Patrick Lestewka and submitted as that. I didn't know what else to do! So then I'd start getting checks made out to Patrick and trying to cash them was tricky. So eventually I told everyone who I was and this was a pen name---it was a financial choice, though honestly I never made a heck of a lot of scratch writing horror. Some places I got work accepted to paid 1/4-cent per word. So I'd get checks for, like, $5.18 and 1/4 cents. I was thinking: You cheap screw! Round that bastard up! Anyway. Cashing checks for five dollars seemed a little silly, but of course I'd worked hard on those stories so the idea of some recompense felt right. Of couse, if I'd bothered to work it out to an hourly wage I was probably earning, like, 10 cents an hour. Maybe a quarter? But that way madness lies! I shall ponder on it no longer!

I don't really remember if Dad ordered the grilled snapper. I must admit I added that bit to establish my father as somewhat of a gourmand.

All best, Craig.
Craig Davidson on 03.13.09 @ 12:31 PM EST [link]