pen name Archives

Although my writing is fiction, much of it is reality. I was involved in a worrying clinical experience and a rapid shuffling out the door after I saw too much. I was ready for a change. I launched into a year of non-clinical research that made full use of my training as an anesthesiologist. During that year, I took time to decide my next steps and launched into a radically different career path.

A New Direction

My new direction was based on an independent anesthesia medical practice I established. My guiding principle was to use my knowledge, experience and compassion to help patients navigate their medical care journey while providing my best version of medical care. I have been fortunate to discover institutions and groups that allowed me to achieve my goals and make a living. I have met some truly amazing human beings in the process.

Write What You Know

I also wanted to tap into my creative nature with an additional, non-traditional career. I sought something I enjoyed which also allowed me to mine my experiences in the medical field. Writing fiction allows me to create something unique and in keeping with my values.

“Write what you know” is something writers hear, because it’s true. My career has provided fertile grounds to harvest both stories and characters. The virtues as well as vices that I have seen are universal. I want to share glimpses into my medical world by creating works of fiction based strongly in fact. To a degree, I want to demystify this world while I embark on a second career path as writer.

After all, we all need to grab a little corner, a piece of joy, and happiness in the midst of confusion and pain. If I can provide someone escapism through my writing along with entertainment and food for thought, I’ve accomplished something worthwhile.

A pen name, also called a nom de plume (French: [nɔ̃ də plym]) or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. Wikipedia

While the main facts of my bio (practicing anesthesiologist, Pacific Northwest resident) are true, D.J. Lee is indeed a pen name. So why the subterfuge? It would be easy for me to simply answer, “Why not?” but like a poorly written novel, that would leave you unsatisfied. In the spirit of full disclosure, I use a pen name because I also work as an anesthesiologist. Let me provide more information about myself here, or as I like to say, D.J. Lee on D.J. Lee.

When a Doctor Writes Thrillers

When I began to plot my medical thriller, I wanted my writing to be realistic. I gathered my ideas from my real life work situations. As you can imagine, people might get nervous if they discovered that their doctor writes about creepy medical situations. They would naturally wonder if these events occurred at the hospital they were about to go to for a procedure. They might be concerned that as their doctor I would be administering medicines to make them go to sleep. In short, how close does my anesthesia reality come to the imaginative one that I write?

Privacy over Fame

A pen name also gives me a bit of personal privacy in a profession that, despite the antics of Grey’s Anatomy and House, is very traditional, hierarchical, and even staid in nature. I’ve been an anesthesiologist for years, and I like doing my job. I wouldn’t want someone that I work with wondering if they were going to become my next fictitious villain. I usually wait a few years before the caricatures and parodies of people I work with end up in print (wink, wink). Also, nothing about the life of famous people makes me want to find myself in the news, easily recognized, or infamous.

The Best of Both Worlds

‘D.J. Lee’ gives me the freedom to explore another persona as a writer while continuing my regular career. I also enjoy having a different voice and viewpoint with D.J. than I express in real life. As I toyed with the idea of using my actual name, and all of the people who told me about the ego boost I’d get seeing my name in the proverbial bright lights, I realized that I would be happier behind the scenes. I value my privacy and my ‘day’ job. I want to serve me patients and my readers. Will I ever reveal? For now, like a good thriller or mystery, the ending is unknown.