I'm planning on pursuing a health care career, but I'm concerned that if I put my face and real name to my murder mystery fiction, it could have a negative impact on my health care career if my patients recognize me as the author. Seeing that my fiction would feature crime, death, suffering, and evil, conniving characters inflicting pain, this would, IMO, create an unfavorable and negative perception of myself by my patients. In fact, they may feel nervous and apprehensive. Plus, I think there is especially a stigma associated with such fiction and working in the health care field at the same time. It could harm my reputation and image as a health care worker too. I could remain an anonymous author with a pen name, but that could cause a sense of distrust later on if my mysteries become popular and my fans discover my true identity, not to mention the negative impact it would have on my health care career from the stigma. What are your thoughts on this?
That's a good problem. It means regular people will recognize your work. Another very good problem. That would mean you're so popular that concealing your identity would be impossible. Do you think you might be putting the cart before the horse here? Are you established in the medical field and seeing patients yet (that would make you a doctor, I'm assuming)? Or have you published a popular novel yet? Until you've achieved both--or one to a strong degree--there doesn't seem to be much to worry about.
I would so too. If you ever become so popular that your patients recognise you it probably means you have a very good literary career. Wasn't Le Carré who was kept from using his real name because of his career, though he was retired, I think?
My literary career may blossom as a result of my patients recognizing me as the author, but wouldn't that also mean it could harm my reputation as a physician? I mean, seeing that my mysteries would feature crime, murder, and other nefarious activities committed by the culprits in my mysteries, my patients would most likely question or doubt my integrity to provide compassionate and effective care. I would feel the same if I were in their shoes. I know I'm prematurely thinking too far into the future, but it would help me decide whether or not to write mysteries in the first place.
