When my novella, “In His Corner,” is published by Lyrical Press, the book won’t carry my name but my pseudonym—Vina Arno. It’s going to be my first book-length work of fiction, so some people are asking: Why use a pen name? I’ll explain below. I also looked up other writers who used pseudonyms—from Agatha Christie to Stephen King—and came up with four good reasons for using a pen name.

It was a Thursday like any other—eight hours in the office, dinner with the family at home, and a treadmill workout, while I watched Brad Pitt’s “Killing Them Softly” on DVD. The movie was abysmal, but Brad looked good, and I burned some calories. What happened next, however, was what made April 10, 2014, one of the best days of my life.