Are there frum women who write secular stuff under pen names

amother

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 2:59 am

No.

I'm too embarrassed because it's a story involving an accidental murder and a rock band and perhaps a romance

--TOTALLY not my type. It's so freaky the weird stuff we dream. It was a depressing story too, and part of the plot was foggy. But mainly I'm uncomfortable with the storyline. It's much darker than I am.

groisamomma

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 3:06 am

amother wrote:

No.

I'm too embarrassed because it's a story involving an accidental murder and a rock band and perhaps a romance

--TOTALLY not my type. It's so freaky the weird stuff we dream. It was a depressing story too, and part o f the plot was foggy. But mainly I'm uncomfortable with the storyline. It's much darker than I am.

How about you tell it to me and I'll write it? Then, when it becomes a best seller, we'll share the profits! LOL

groisamomma

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 3:16 am

amother wrote:

LOL, you wish. Why, are you that much darker than me?! Twisted Evil

Besides, it's only a short story, not a novel.

I may be...dark and dreary...scary... Twisted Evil

just kidding Very Happy

Why don't you submit the story line to Random House and see what they say? If they throw it out, you'll go back to dreaming. I'm dead serious now, btw.

amother

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 3:20 am

The idea scares me too much. I'll wait til I'm old and gray and not relying on my day job to support my family. I'll use writing as an alternative to sitting in a rocking chair knitting. Or as a response to a midlife crisis. Cool

amother

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 3:33 am

groisamomma wrote:

amother wrote:

LOL, you wish. Why, are you that much darker than me?! Twisted Evil

Besides, it's only a short story, not a novel.

I may be...dark and dreary...scary... Twisted Evil

just kidding Very Happy

Why don't you submit the story line to Random House and see what they say? If they throw it out, you'll go back to dreaming. I'm dead serious now, btw.

Besides what I just wrote about being scared, thanks for being serious about it! The support & advice of fellow Imamothers feels great! Thanks all for having confidence in me as a writer! I may actually prove you right someday...whether you recognize me or not! LOL

amother

Sun, Apr 22 2012, 3:35 am

OP, its so funny that you started this thread because just last night while I was lying in bed not sleeping, an idea for a book/story came into my head that I could have written happily under my own name. It was not a Jewish idea at all, but that would not have mattered to me at all, it was about friendship and life, but then when I actually started writing more things and ideas came out and I began writing partially from personal experiences so if I would end up actually writing this, I would go under a pen name just because of personal info, but other than that, I think any story is great, under one's own name.

Chavakaye

Wed, Aug 08 2012, 6:23 pm

There is no reason why a frum woman can't write for "secular" (I prefer the word 'mainstream') publications, especially nonfiction.
If our yeshivas did a better job at teaching writing and exposing girls to a wider range of reading, we would have more writers. In fact, we would have more and better frum writers who write Jewish-themed books.

Ask any writer for advice on learning how to write and you will hear this: "Read. Write. Repeat." Good writing comes from reading good writing and practicing and revising.

I am saddened by how many women I meet you are closet writers, who say they have no time, or do not really know where to start. The irony is, for frum women, writing can bring in extra money while still allowing them to be at home, as well as providing a creative outlet.

Chavakaye

Wed, Aug 08 2012, 6:29 pm

amother wrote:

groisamomma wrote:

amother wrote:

LOL, you wish. Why, are you that much darker than me?! Twisted Evil

Besides, it's only a short story, not a novel.

I may be...dark and dreary...scary... Twisted Evil

just kidding Very Happy

Why don't you submit the story line to Random House and see what they say? If they throw it out, you'll go back to dreaming. I'm dead serious now, btw.

Nice of you to encourage her, but it doesn't really work that way. Yes, Random House will reject it because she needs an agent and a query first. It would just go to a slush pile.
Best to start writing and see where it goes. Ideas are a dime a dozen, as the saying goes.

amother

Wed, Aug 08 2012, 9:36 pm

Chavakaye, you're right to a degree. It's really difficult to sell stuff without some language or *ex. Someone who wrote a frum bestseller bio said that he'd pitched it to secular houses - this is decades ago - and they insisted on his juicing it up in unacceptable ways.

September June

Thu, Dec 13 2012, 11:21 pm

enneamom wrote:

momfrombrooklyn wrote:

The author of the "cam jansen" books is frum. (a man)

No way! How do you know this?

He is. David Abraham Adler is a nice name for a Jewish boy, no?

Check out the pictures on his biography page here.

enneamom

Fri, Dec 14 2012, 12:09 am

September June wrote:

enneamom wrote:

momfrombrooklyn wrote:

The author of the "cam jansen" books is frum. (a man)

No way! How do you know this?

He is. David Abraham Adler is a nice name for a Jewish boy, no?

Check out the pictures on his biography page here.

Cute! Those books were a cornerstone in starting chapter books when I was a kid.

momfrombrooklyn

Sun, Dec 16 2012, 2:43 am

enneamom wrote:

momfrombrooklyn wrote:

The author of the "cam jansen" books is frum. (a man)

No way! How do you know this?

He's visited a few yeshivas in the ny area to talk about writing and being an author.

r_ch

Sun, Dec 16 2012, 8:51 am

Once I dreamed a detective story of such suspense, I didn't want to wake up and knew it in details for rather a long time afterwards! Thought I should write it down but I didn't and now I have no idea what it was. So do it at least:) Write it down for yourself, who knows what one can make out of it, seriously.

jeweled

Sun, Dec 16 2012, 10:54 am

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

My friend Dina Bucholz wrote this book under her real name; does that count? The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

She has a few more books that she is in the midst of writing, in a variety of genres!

Just curious how she got the rights to publish a book like that. It seems like Harry Potter would be completely patented?

Cookies n Cream

Sun, Dec 16 2012, 11:22 am

September June wrote:

enneamom wrote:

momfrombrooklyn wrote:

The author of the "cam jansen" books is frum. (a man)

No way! How do you know this?

He is. David Abraham Adler is a nice name for a Jewish boy, no?

Check out the pictures on his biography page here.

Isn't he Dr. Adler's brother?
At least that was the story when I was in elementary school.

alte mamme

Thu, Jul 18 2013, 12:09 am

September June wrote:

enneamom wrote:

momfrombrooklyn wrote:

The author of the "cam jansen" books is frum. (a man)

No way! How do you know this?

He is. David Abraham Adler is a nice name for a Jewish boy, no?

Check out the pictures on his biography page here.

He's not wearing a kippa in any of the pictures. Obviously he's Jewish, but what makes you say he's frum?