Sometimes you have to begin again.
I ditched my pen name “Zellie” and the old blog, and started this new blog under my name Michele Marie.
I think people often use pen names because they are artistic, creative, and can offer someone in a professional field much needed anonymity, especially in today’s social media world, where so much you do or say is recorded publicly.
I enjoyed my time using my pen name, but that time is over. It was a great friend for someone who needed the anonymity to begin a new journey until I could stand on my own, when beginning my writing journey. It is a crutch I no longer need, in fact it has become a hindrance.
I feel like a butterfly, emerging from my cocoon.
Obviously it is a mixed bag, but I can take no other route.
Michele Marie's Poetry By The Fireside... 
I took that step a few years ago–rebranded my blog as ‘Jacqui Murray’s Worddreams’. There–I told the world! The hardest part was–as you say–getting to that mental state that I didn’t care who knew I write.
It does feel good, doesn’t it?
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It does feel good! Also, I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who did this 🙂
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Hi Michele,
Those same thoughts crossed my mind. Thanks for sharing your view. Pen names don’t fit published work in science and technology. Promotions, tenure, things like that all require publication credits. There are those advantages to a pen name in fiction writing or poetry. some published authors have a different pen name for each genre in which they write. In other cases, it’s the same beer in different bottles. Folks fear fame and all the nonsense that goes with it. The pen name might protect them. In reality, some writers need never fear fame. I guess it’s best to write to please yourself. At least the author will read what the author writes and hopefully enjoy it too.
Thanks for haring your interesting thoughts1
God Bless,
Don
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Thanks Don. And you hit the key item, I want to write to please myself. That is, I want to be ‘true’ to myself~ (and ‘name’ too I guess 😉
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Ignore the mockers. They almost always comment out of envy. I commend you for your decision.
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Thank you Rbostroud. I guess ‘I’ had to be ready, and after these past few years, I’m more than comfortable with my own name 😉
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Pingback: Why I’m Ditching the Pen Name- From Zellie to Michele « Zellie M. Quinn
Best wishes for much success with your writing. I think Michele Marie is so much prettier and poetic than Zellie anyway. God bless :).
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Oh Thank you for that 🙂 !!!!
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