What's in a Pen Name?

As I've undertaken the task of writing my own story, I find myself paralyzed by fear at times.  What happens if I write the truth and it hurts someone's feelings?  What happens if I take poetic license and create a false impression in someone's mind?  What if I reveal something that wasn't mine to reveal in an effort to move the story forward?

All of these questions dance around in my mind and keep me from writing the story I truly want to write.  For years, people have told me I should write a book detailing some of the crazy things that have happened to my family over the years.  I've tried, a few times, to start such a novel, but have always fallen short because of what it may do to my relationships.

What would people think about the way I write their characters?  What would they see, through my eyes, that they have yet to see in themselves?  Is it worth it?  What if the story is too risque and it offends my conservative friends?  What if it's so conservative that it lacks any drama or passion?  Will all of these things follow me, forever, into my personal life?

I've never liked the idea of celebrity. I like to maintain control of my own life, my surroundings.  It makes the idea of a pen name, a false persona, extremely enticing.  I wonder if it would give me the freedom to write the stories I want to write.  Would it allow me to craft a narrative, choosing bits and pieces of truth and weaving them together with imaginitive story lines?  Would I avoid criticism and judgment?

The bigger question is: "Could I really keep it secret?"

What good is a pen name if everyone knows it's really me anyway?  In fact, I've just created this blog 15 minutes ago and have already sent the link to a friend.  Does the creation of a secondary persona remove me far enough from the story for people to believe it is fiction, a blending of my life experiences and imagination?

And, what would I choose if I could name myself?

I think all of these questions will have to be answered another day, but I am quickly approaching a crossroads.  I want to write.  I want to publish my work.  I must soon decide if I want to do that under my name or someone else's.

Life is full of choices, isn't it?