From the H&J Series "How to Write Power Stories"
Part 3:Five Surprising Benefits of PseudonymsIt’s a wonderful feeling when something you always thought was bad for you turns out to be good for you. Take the use of pseudonyms in fundraising stories. There’s a widespread presumption that using made-up names for real people is a necessary evil. Many see it as a step away from the truth to hide the protagonist of your story behind a fake name. Actually though, there can be benefits to giving someone an alias, then adding a parenthetical phrase like “(I’m changing their names to protect their privacy).” Benefits that lead to higher response rates. For example: 1.Pseudonyms can actually make your story seem more true. When you tell readers you’re giving your character an alias, they lean in and become more attentive. There’s a sense that, if you have to disguise people’s identities, there must be something more tantalizing than usual in the story. 2.Readers believe people in your story feel free to speak more candidly because their real identities are “protected.”
- Italso convinces them that you’re telling a more uncensored and unvarnished story. Both these beliefs give your story added verisimilitude.
4.For the same reason, pseudonyms, reinforce the impression that you’re not exploiting the people in your story which, in turn, makes your organization seem more compassionate. 5.Having grown up in a media-saturated culture, readers attach different archetypal characteristics to different names. Thus, you can use carefully chosen names to add nuance to your characters. (Have you ever been introduced to someone and later said, “Funny, he doesn’t look like a George.). CAUTION: Obviously, you never, ever want to use names that evoke bias or negative stereotypes, but when you use good writerly judgement you can leave readers with a clearer mental picture of your subject. Admittedly, this is mostly uncharted territory, but it not only makes reasonable sense, it also makes a kind of counterintuitive direct mail sense. So don’t take my word for it. Test it. This will seem weird to some folks, no doubt, but as a copywriter, you get it. Try the test in low-cost e-appeals and if it seems promising try it in the mail. You might find it works better for your organization in acquisition than in appeals. Or vice-versa. Or both.