Pen Names

[Maeve]

In her post about pen names (http://www.dailywritingtips.com/pen-names/), Ali suggests further discussion on the Forum, so here goes.

Hearken to Ali, all of you who are considering adopting a pen name for your writing.

As my German granny used to say, "Think it Good Over."

I have a monumental pen name problem that has evolved unintentionally.

My birth name is Margaret Joan Maddox, but from infancy my family called me Peggy.

From high school until I married, I wrote as Peggy Maddox. Then I married a control freak who insisted that I use his last name when I published my first two books.

After the divorce I went back to Maddox, but the first name continues to fluctuate.

My academic writing tends to appear under the name Margaret Maddox, Margaret Joan Maddox, or M. J. Maddox. (Although my analysis of Luc Besson's film about Joan of Arc (http://www.usask.ca/relst/jrpc/art-joanofarc.html)appeared in the Journal of Religion and Popular Culture under Peggy Maddox.)

I applied to write for DailyWritingTips as "Maeve" because I was a little leery of using my real name on the internet. (It's a name only a few people call me.)

Now I'm sending out letters to market a mystery novel and I really can't decide what name to put on it.

I've played with the idea of being M.J. Maddox for mysteries, Margaret Maddox for historical novels, Peggy Maddox for children's fiction, and Maeve Maddox for articles on language.

But then I remember Isaac Asimov. He used the one name for everything, science, literary criticism, fiction, you name it. The man wrote about everything.

So, as of now I've resolved to use only one name on all future books, should I be so fortunate as to have any accepted for publication.

I just can't decide which name that will be! Suggestions anyone?

[Ladyrt23]

I think M.J. Maddox sounds mysterious. Are u trying to recreate yourself? If so, Maeve would be a great name to use as well. You'll have a new book and a new name.

[Falsafa]

How about a completely new name, like Sandra Lange - you know, to get a fresh start, what with all the experience you have now. :)

[tower_keeper]

Here's a website that I found that allows you to generate a pen name Pen Name Generator (http://www.poemofquotes.com/tools/pen-name.php)

The name I got was Monty Karl. I don't plan to use it as a Pen Name but will be using it as a character in one of stories.


As for you, Maeve, I would go with Maeve Maddox. It sounds original enough and creative too! Good Luck!!!

[Maeve]

I'm vacillating between M. J. Maddox and Maeve Maddox. The latter has the advantage of originality. When I google Peggy Maddox or Margaret Maddox I find gadzillions of people with that name. When I google Maeve Maddox, I just get me.

Something most writers understand, but I didn't soon enough, is that the writer's name is a product. Once one publishes with a name, it makes sense to stick with that name and add to its recognition quotient. I met a woman who writes under the name Crescent Dragonwagon. It's a name she chose during her hippie days. I think she may be a bit embarrassed by it now, but it has recognition value so she remains Crescent Dragonwagon.

[susabelle]

I have used a pen name from day one. I am using my legal last name but a fictitious first name that is actually a nickname a lot of people know me by. The name sounds more elegant and mysterious than my given name of "Susan." I'm so attached to the name, and use it so much, that I may at some point legally change my name to Susabelle. I write on blogs as Susabelle (I write for two tech blogs), my two published novels are written under the Susabelle name.

I do have one book that is published using a different name. There was a good reason for this, as the book is a collection of erotica for plus-sized women. It is a passion of mine to write them, but I don't want them mixing with the other stuff I write. It would be weird to see Susabelle on that book, as well as on the tech blogs, where I have developed a reputation for good solid reporting and opinion. So my erotica is written under the name Clarissa Rounds. Clarissa even has a whole website about her! LOL

[Ladyrt23]

I'm feeling the pen name "Maeve Maddox". It makes me want to get to know the author as well as reading the book.

[Ali]

I'm really glad my post has provoked such fascinating discussion!

I too like the name Maeve Maddox, it has a nice, satisfying ring to it, and sounds a little unusual.

It's interesting to hear your history of pen names ... perhaps the choice whether or not to separate your writing in different genres by using different names is partly determined by whether you feel you have a different "persona" for those?

For example, George Orwell wrote (excellent) essays, using the same pen name as for his novels, but they do discuss similar political and linguistic themes. Same with his non-fiction books such as the Road to Wigan Pier and Down and Out in Paris and London -- the social themes are ones that concerned him throughout his work.

(On the other hand, I suppose you could argue that Lewis Carroll's mathematical work (written as Charles Dodgson) informed his writing in Alice in Wonderland, though I suspect the connection between the mathematical books and the children's ones would be a little less obvious!)

Good luck choosing your next pen name; I'm putting in a vote for Maeve Maddox :-)

Ali

[Maeve]

Everyone,
Thanks for the great feedback.

But I didn't intend for this thread to be just about me. I just used my experience with multiple names to start it off. I hope that other readers will tell us about their pen names and what prompted them.

Again thanks. Looks like Maeve Maddox may be the one to win out.

[Falsafa]

So it's my turn. ;)

I am writing in English as a second language, and I feel that there are some foreign overtones in what I write. I mean, you can tell it's not my mother tongue. So why not play with that a little and get a really exotic sounding name, so that some people may try to figure out where I'm from. (I'm actually fro Poland.)

How about Zubaran Katanga - that sounds displaced, de-geographized. :P What do you think?

[DanielScocco]

I vote for M.J. Maddox :) .

[Maeve]

Zubaran Katanga -- Pretty cool. Sounds like middle European and African. But it might be a bit difficult for Americans to remember!

[Maeve]

I vote for M.J. Maddox :) .

Why? Because it's unisex? That has occurred to me. My own brother never read the two books I had published because he made it a rule never to read anything written by a woman.

[Silke]

I have another reason for a pen name.

Spellability.

If you have a non standard name, and people look at you with horror when they have to spell it... then you have a reason for a pen name.
My own surname falls in that category. No, it's not anything atrocious, but people can't pronounce it, or are scared to.

However, I'd like to keep my first name... (Silke)

My trouble is that I have a real problem coming up with something that "flows" if you know what I mean. I've looked at DiMarco and things like that, but so far nothing has grabbed me as "That's it!".
(I'm open to suggestions!)

I find it's dang hard to come up with a name when you want to keep your own first (or last) name, because you're used to it.

I honestly would love to hear some suggestions, because I'm about ready to give up and just make up a name, any name, as long as people can spell it!
(Would be kinda tricky though if someone called out "Mary!" and I didn't even twig they mean me, if I picked that as a first name -- which is why I want to keep my real one.)

Silke

[Falsafa]

How do you pronounce your name? Is it Silkee, Silk-eh, Silkay or Silk? And what about your last name? Do you want a common sounding one? Do you consider changing the spelling of your first name?

[Silke]

Well.

The name is German. It's pronounced Silk-eh (And I keep getting spelled with an A at the end. Argh.)

Most english speaking people pronounce it Silky, and I've got used to that now. I don't really mind either way.

As for a last name... Spellable. Pronouncable. That's the main criteria. And it has to flow with the first name.
For instance, Silke Smith (to me) sounds horrible. I don't seem to get any of the S surnames to flow with it, so I stayed away from them. It has no rhythm to it.
Short surnames seem to be out too, again, no rhythm. The reason why I looked at the "Di" names, was because they had a rhythm to it, sort of an ebb and flow.

I'm sure I'm not explaining this right lol.

[Falsafa]

For some reason those names sound pleasant to me:

Silke Way
Silke Dean
Silke D. Rain
Silke Rhodes
Silke D. Jackson
Silke DiFerro

Let me know of you like them.

[Silke]

The only one I would maybe consider is the last one. No way do I want an initial in it, because invariably everyone will ask what it stands for. And as I said, the short ones (to me) sound stilted and don't flow.
I'm picky, I know, but then I have to like the name if I am to make it mine.

Seriously I think I'm probably better to just make up the entire name, that's how frustrating it is to me.

Another thing... I look at them as domain names as well (You gotta consider it these days), so I write them as one word - and usually it's a definite "No thanks".

Rhodes, Way, stuff like that... no. It doesn't look right with a name like Silke lol. And yeah, I so want to be introduced as "Silky Way". Not. :P
It has not only chocolate bar connotations, but a lot of people tend to read my name as "Silk" and draw conclusions from that.
If I wrote Erotica... oh yah, I might go for it.
And yeah, "Silky Roads" would be on par with a "Isn't that how it's spelled?"

Sorry! Thanks for trying though. :)

Silke

[Maeve]

Wouldn't you hate to have to go into Witness Protection and have to give up your entire name? I would.

I think Silke is a beautiful word.

How about Silke DiAngelo?

[Falsafa]

That's okay, Silke. I tried, but there are as many tastes as there are people. :)

[Silke]

I had that one pegged as a possible, Maeve, but my paranormals have angels in them. (Fallen and otherwise)
I figured I should maybe stay away from any "Angelic" or "Demonic" sounding names lol.

Oh it's a pain, I tell ya. A royal PAIN in the whatsit!!

[Falsafa]

Maybe change your first name into a last name? This sounds like a feasible option.

Although the spelling could be confusing - just keep things nice and simple.

[Silke]

No, first name has to stay as a first name or go altogether.
It wouldn't help to change it to a last name. If I do that, I might as well ditch it completely.
The reason I want to keep it, is the fact that if someone calls out my first name, I might just react to it.
If someone yells "Mary!", then I'll just keep walking. :D

I wonder if others agonize over things as much as this lol.

Trust me, I feel like a total dimwit because I just can't seem to find anything I like. (Picky, I know!)

[Falsafa]

Maybe there are some things you like that could give you a clue. Like my friend, who likes pirates, uses Jack Sparrow as his nick etc. Anything like that with you? What hobbies have you got? What's your favourite movie/book/writer?

[Silke]

I've pretty much settled on Silke DiMarco now. :)

Trying it on for size for a couple weeks first though, in case I change my mind hehe.

[Falsafa]

Hey, that's great, Silke. Congrats. :):)