John Hughes wrote several scripts as Edmund Dantes (of The Count of Monte Cristo).

Mike, that's absolutely right, several projects with that pseudonym: All the Beethoven movies, Maid in Manhattan, Drillbit Taylor.

Actor Wentworth Miller wrote two spec scripts (don't know if they sold) using the pseudonym Ted Foulke. He wanted his writing to stand on its own.

If I am ever lucky enough to sell anything, I plan on using a pseudonym. There's already someone famous with my name. Famous in the craft world, but I don't want ANY competition when I get Googled. :)

I wonder if using a pseudonym more in line with the genre you are writing would actually help the sale? An action script written by Max Powers sounds better than an action script written by Suzy Stewart.

I'll have to brainstorm some awesome pseudonyms, just in case.

John August used to be John Meise.

Here's his article on why he changed it. http://johnaugust.com/archives/2007/should-i-change-my-name

Not technically a pseudonym, his name change was for a lot of the reasons people decide to use a pseudonym.

I think pen names are great, especially in this world of intense marketing/blogs/tweeting/etc.. You need something that looks good in print, even if you are writing movies.

Funny how I forgot this, but I actually took my name off a movie I for which I received co-writing credit. Used a pseudonym. No, I won't tell you what it is.

Interesting note: There is a certain financial threshold in terms of salary whereby a writer can not take their name off a movie. I actually wanted to take my name off Trojan War, but couldn't.

"Rosie Claverton" is my pseudonym.

My current day job expects a certain kind of "company loyalty". If someone stuck my name into Google and saw that I might/hope to/will leave in the future, that would not work well for my finances.

Not exactly high drama or noble writer - just, unfortunately, practical.

Scott, love it.

I simply wanted to chime in out in the open that I'm happy the class is rolling. Good stuff!

I've given serious consideration to using a man's name, especially on thriller/action scripts. It was done in Science Fiction (most notably by ALice Sheldon who wrote as James Tiptree with great success, when no one wanted to publish SF adventures written by a woman) to get past the perception that boys didn't want to buy stories by a woman.

@Laura: I can't give you specifics because they don't jump to mind, but I do recall at least a few spec scripts that have gone around, some of which I believe have sold, where the writer, a woman, used either a male name or their initials (I.M. Psuedonym) to dissuade readers from thinking about them as a female who wrote the script -- pretty much the same rationale as you.