I have only once posted a fanfic using my real first name, and that was because the site where I was posting has a strict policy against pseudonyms. Ironically, I'd been using the same pen name for so long by that time that using my real name gave me anonymity! It was far more like an alias than the pen name would have been.
I started out using a pen name in fandom because I was embarrassed to be writing fan fic. It was only over time that I realized it's really a Very Good Idea for a lot of reasons. I've met some wonderful people in fandom and made some true friends, but I've also encountered some people who were just plain nuts. And the scary thing is that sometimes it's a while before you can really tell which is which.
I will continue to use a pen name when writing fan fiction. I really *don't* want people IRL finding out what I do for a hobby, but even more importantly, I don't want my hobby to put my family at risk. I googled my real name and found absolutely nothing about me, and certainly nothing linking me to fan fiction, so I guess I'm not terribly worried
Caroline
