Pen Name Protocol

I think it's the same as novels or any other discipline, you would always want to identify yourself to agents, contests, prodcos, etc. by your real name, but say your script is "by Real Name writing as Ron Maiden"

-Derek

for legal reasons you should use your real name
if you can cash a check with your pen name then go ahead and use that one
if you want someone to be able to track you down then make sure you answer to either your real name or your pen name.
will they be able to find you if you only go by your pen name? make sure you can answer, yes to this question if you want to use it.

btw - i've only seen this done with novelists but who knows... screenwriter's might do it too. especially those who write soft porn

You could always go the route of pretending you think you actually are Ron Maiden.

I have a pen name and yet I can't use it when I sign release forms nor when I register my script with WGA and the US Copyright office. Legalling I must use my real name on any legal docuents I sign. So a pen name is between you and the publisher/studio.

Ron Maiden said:

AS you may've gathered, Ron Maiden's a pen name. are there any rules/protocols about what you put on the script, or what you use when writing to agents, or entering competitions etc etc, as regarding using your real name or pseudonym?

cheers.

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Okay, let's try this again, I think I may actually have posted that reply without completing it.

I think that what you're supposed to do is to write the pseudonym under the title, like so:


HI, THERE, I'M A TITLE

Written By

A. Pseudonym


And down below, at the bottom, you write your real name, and contact information, and the copyright info, under your *real* name.

And, of course, all of the contact info, documents, etc. are signed with your real name.

Sometimes, if you're entering a contest, there will be a place to indicate that you're using a pseudonym. If not, it might be a good idea to indicate that somewhere on the form, just to make it clear.

NMS

What NMS said ...

An additional personal note -I've worked professionally (and personally) under the technically-fake first name 'Mac' for at least a decade, and it hasn't caused any non-trivial problems. Sure it isn't my the name on my birth certificate but nobody particularly cares. It is simply the name that everyone (apart from my mother) uses.

On legal type documents, I've simply used Firstname ("Mac") Lastname, and it's been fine.

I don't know about the US, but it is reasonably common here for people with non-English names (So: 'Chui Tsui Luoik' might simply list his name on everything as 'Eric Lee'.)

Heck, even Baz Luhrmann's firstname isn't really 'Baz'.

Even if it isn't advisable, technically you can sign any name you use to a legal document (as long as it isn't for the purpose of deception) - for example, you won't get out of a debt by pointing out the money is owed by 'Ron Midden', and that legally your name is 'Ron Maiden'!

However if there is a chance it will confuse people or give them an excuse not to pay you money, you probably wouldn't want to do it. Part of your job is always to make OTHER people's jobs easier.

One time to be careful is when someone else books your flights and accomodation for a meeting - if they book the plane ticket in the name 'Ron' you may have a bit of red tape to untangle ... not something you want to attempt at an airport ten minutes before your plane leaves, when you don't have photo ID matching the name on the ticket!

The only thing I'd do differently to NMS is in the contact info, include (Realname, writing as 'Pseudonym'). That makes it just a bit clearer - it is then obvious that they aren't dealing with two different people.

Mac
(PS: The US Writer's Guild has their own rules about what they consider acceptable in a nom-de-guerre. I believe they have quite a few limitations)

but why Ron Maiden? are you a girl

Are you planning on being successful at screenwriting?

Perhaps choosing a name that is a tribute to a 1980s music act might seem a little quaint in a few years .. like an ill-chosen tattoo of Duran Duran.

Since it is an industry that seems to be after youth ... why choose the name of bunch of 50 year olds?

Unless you are trying to give the impression that you are a middle-aged guy, of course ...

Mac

Hey - that's stealing my strategy !

I'm a strong believer in realism when setting goals ...

(Insert winky icon)

Mac

Mac H. said:

(Insert winky icon)

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Insert it yourself. It's the second smiley in the drop down. Really. Very easy.