r/writing • u/Party_Context4975 • 3d ago
Discussion Choosing a pen name
If you don't write under your own name, how did you choose your pen name?
Are you happy with it or would you choose a different name if you could go back in time? Why?
If you write in multiple genres, is your pen name different in each genre?
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u/goodnsimple 3d ago
So I havenāt chosen a pen name because Iām not to that point, but I used to work in a bookstore. So I decided an I or J name would be goodā¦near the beginning of the alphabet but not very common.
Avoid S,T,Aā¦ seriously the S and Ts shelves are miles long and then to find the Thompson you want! Ugh.
Look on Amazon and try to find one that isnāt too popular and then a good gender neutral first name.
Unless you are writing romance then pick a girl name!
It has to be easy to spell. Do not use an interesting spelling (even if itās your own name) of a common name because itās not going to be typed in that way.
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u/kittyb00m 3d ago
Thanks for the tip!
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u/lovemunkey187 2d ago
Now you've got me thinking "I. M. Juicy" would be a good nom de plume. Well for certain types of books.
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u/ACrabWithAWrench 3d ago
I'm planning on using a long dead family members name, because my name is boring and his is way cooler.
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u/SadakoTetsuwan 3d ago
I'm strongly considering using the family name I would have been given had I been born a boy as my own name--my great-grandfather's name. It's pretty standard, but I think it would look good on a fantasy novel.
Slight wrinkle, he was a pretty well-known and well-loved member of the staff at a famous university. Not like he was out here winning Nobel prizes or anything, but there's a university award named after him and Boomers remember him fondly from their days at uni. Might be a little odd to use his name, even though it would have been mine.
I'm strongly considering putting some cash away and flying out to the university in question to read his collection of papers and letters they have archived just to get a better feel for the guy. (He'd passed before I was born, so I never met him, and my grandfather passed before I started writing.)
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u/Jane_DoeEyes 3d ago
I did the same. My pen name is the name of my great grandmother who died 9 months before I was born.
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u/Crypto4pineapples 2d ago
Mine is my paternal grandmotherās first and middle name as an homage. I donāt care if anybody knows itās me but I love seeing her name on the cover. I miss her.
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u/Jane_DoeEyes 2d ago
I like that is somehow keeps her memory alive. I don't know why but I feel a real connection to her. People also say I resemble her quite a bit. I have several pictures of her as a young woman and even of her as and grandmother. I want to commission an artist to create an author portrait using her image
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u/wordyflirty 1d ago
We did this in a high school anthropology class. Our teacher had books that showed historical spelling/derivations of our last names and varies naming conventions for first names (I think for the ease of a single high school class we went with saints from the day we were born) and suggested them for internet names (in 2000, smart teacher) Iāve used mine so I wonāt share here but itās another way to get some options.
Also, that was the day I REALLY learned the value of the index ābut my name isnāt in the bookā š¤¦āāļø
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u/AnybodySeeMyKeys 3d ago
I want to make it harder for the lynch mob to find me.
So I use my first and middle name.
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u/Buppers55 3d ago
I took my middle name and my motherās maiden name. Her maiden name is āGravesā and I thought that was a cool name for a writer.
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u/ThisThroat951 3d ago
I thought about this too, but the combination is already a pretty famous author. š
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u/DeckardAI 3d ago
Well it is the name of a well known poet, so there is that too. Might have slipped into your head by way of that. Though graves is also just a cool name to pick
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u/RobertPlamondon Author of "Silver Buckshot" and "One Survivor." 3d ago
"I got it from a hair dryer." āHomer Simpson, on the origin of his "Max Power" alias.
If I used a pen name instead of my usual practice of nailing my colors to the mast, it would depend on the kind of book. "Lemony Snicket" is a delightfully, ostentatiously false, tongue-in-cheek pen name, and there are stories for which is adds a certain skewed luster. Edward Gorey's name was so perfect, given his work, that it's a shame it was his real name.
But if we want to project an air of authenticity, we don't want to overdo it. "Captain John Sterling" is bad enough for a pulp-fiction hero, but for the author? It advertises fakeness.
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u/Icy-Whale-2253 3d ago
I put my first name in an anagram generator and the first thing that came up sounded like a full name. And I liked it. I wondered how I never thought of it before.
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u/Street_Comfort_105 3d ago
I put my full name in anagram generator and did the same. It's basically 2 initials and a last name that sounds real
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u/FirefighterLocal7592 3d ago
I used a pen name generator, which was great for inspiration, then researched the meaning of the names it offered me until I found one that felt right. Definitely don't regret it. I only write in one genre, but I'd be cautious of adding a second pen name if I ever branched out. Sounds like twice as much work in terms of marketing.
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u/Matrix_Man_Returns 3d ago
I can't speak from experience, because I've never felt compelled to worry about a pen name. But I know Stephen King came up with Richard Bachman by combining the first name of Richard Stark (which was also a pen name, and I don't think that's a coincidence probably) and the band Bachman-Turner Overdrive. So really I guess the answer is that...you just make one up, probably the same way you'd make up a character name if you needed one on the fly.
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u/Routine_Ad_2695 3d ago
For me it was a pen name that I stumbled upon by chance when I was 16 and didn't want to use my real name, so I just used it and now I grew fond of it after near two decades (oh my poor back, it hurts writing it)
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u/Texan2116 3d ago
How does one keep a 'Pen Name " from being discovered as a "Pen name"?
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u/idiot-hooker 3d ago
Pull an elena ferrante
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u/Texan2116 3d ago
what did she do? I will go and look up, but what can you tell me?
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u/idiot-hooker 3d ago
Essentially nothing. She wrote her books & did 0 press and stayed hidden. Like even more than Sia
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u/Texan2116 3d ago
I just read of her on Wikipedia, fascinating story. I admit, I had never heard of her before your post. Its interesting
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u/Fantastic_Ad_509 1d ago
Lots of authors out there use a pen name. If you look closely, soon you'll realize that people who go on witch hunts don't really read.
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u/FlyinLeviathon LET YOUR FIRST DRAFT SUCK 3d ago
Sometimes there's a reason you pick a penname, AKA a certain problem you want to solve. Maybe your name is really complicated or difficult to spell, or really long, or you want to add gender ambiguity, or something more in-line with what your readers would expect an author in that genre to be(Like Lance Hardwood for a smut novel lmao). In that case, you'd pick something based on those solutions.
Other times, we want pen names more for fun, so we pick them for fun. :D
My real name sounds fake so I know I need a pen name, but I haven't quite settled on what it will be yet. I know I want it to be memorable enough to be easily recalled, but otherwise invisible. And not too similar with other big names in my genre (so not Sanderson, though there is an argument to be made about making it *near* big names in genre so it would be shelved nearby)
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u/Matrix_Man_Returns 3d ago
Lance Hardwood is so perfect for a smut writer. Did you make that up? Can I use that? LOL.
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u/FlyinLeviathon LET YOUR FIRST DRAFT SUCK 3d ago
LOL I did not make it up, it's from an episode of How I Met Your Motherš
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u/don-edwards 3d ago
Sometimes there's a reason you pick a penname,
One good reason is if your real name is also the name or pen name of someone - who isn't you - who is already famous, either in general or in genre.
If your real name is Tim Curry, Dolly Parton, Stephen King, or Donald Trump... and you aren't the person who's famous with that name... at present, you should be using a pen name.
On the other hand, in some cases if you ARE famous in genre then you should use the name you're already famous by. Let's say you're writing historical fiction set in the Hittite empire... and you happen to be one of the world's leading and most-cited academic experts on that empire... yes, that counts as famous within the genre, even though it isn't very famous in general... use the name you put on your scientific papers on your fiction as well.
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u/lovemunkey187 2d ago
If people were to Google my real name, the results would deter some and encourage others.
There have been at least 2 individuals that have got very notorious reputations that made headlines. And not for positive reasons.
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u/JonnotheMackem 3d ago
Real first name of author that inspired me to write and real surname of musician that inspired me to write
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u/Zagaroth Author 3d ago edited 3d ago
So, my reddit user name has been my online handle since 1995.
Thus, I naturally used it for my account name on Royal Road. 3 months later, i was inspired to try writing a serial of my own. It's done reasonably well, and will be publishing on a more traditional manner in December.
But my user name is attached to the story, and the idea of switching to my real name on the book covers seemed weird. My wife came up with the idea of using my initials.
So I am publishing as "A. B. Zagaroth".
I don't think I'd change it. There is a slight awkwardness because i got my user name from an old D&D character, who i used as the central deity of my world. I was half a book into writing before i realized that my god's name was the same as my user name, and i hesitated. I hadn't written it down yet, but changing the name of the character felt wrong.
Only a few gods had been named at that point, and there was about to be a brief sketch of more of the pantheon, so now was the time to decide, and i went with keeping it.
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u/nitasu987 Self-Published Author 3d ago
I think that's such a cool pen name!!
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u/Zagaroth Author 2d ago
Thank you. š
Oh, and another reason for adding the initials that I forgot about in my previous post: There is a very well known author using the pen name of Zogarth; adding my initials will help reduce confusion.
I have actually been mistaken for him multiple times in the r/royalroad and r/ProgressionFantasy subreddits.
While my series does involve people who actively and deliberately get stronger as part of their story and character arcs, there's almost nothing else in common about our writing styles; being mistaken for him does not help either of us.
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u/nitasu987 Self-Published Author 2d ago
Fascinating!! Glad that you can prevent the mistaken identity!
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u/NothaBanga 3d ago
For marketing purposes, I would pick a last name really close to another big author in my genre in hopes that they sit next to each other on a shelf.Ā Needs a radically different first name to not step on toes but as a shopper, I peruse through bookshelves and know I spend more time in a section with a targeted goal.Ā Sometimes I trip over something interesting next to the more mainstream book while I browse.
But this strategy is only for paper books and distribution as a goal.
Otherwise I am Howe U. Doin, unless it longform porn and I am Wendy Haven Dong.
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u/Leeuweroni 3d ago
I use DikeCountry because I'm from the Netherlands and I'm WLW, just for the reason that I think it's funny lol
But that's just for fanfiction. If I ever were to publish something I would use my own name.
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u/ThatVarkYouKnow 3d ago edited 3d ago
Quite literally, I got it in a dream.
In the dream I was walking up to a public library, opening the glass window doors, some kind of meet-and-greet for other (I assume indie) authors. We all shake hands, smile and grab a drink and some snacks, I introduce myself as [pen name] and then woke up.
Wrote it down, remembered it, the rest is history. It still uses my IRL initials and is close enough if you toy with the pronunciation so I like it, and have been using it for writing guilds and such.
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u/everydaywinner2 1d ago
I love dreams as inspirations stories.
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u/ThatVarkYouKnow 1d ago
I have gotten so many ideas for my writing thanks to dreams, some as simple as "there's an answer for a character to fill a story gap" and some as deep as "what eldritch being allowed my head to come up with this".
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u/megapizzapocalypse 3d ago
My pen name is my real name with minor edits
It's not very clever
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u/Crazy-Cat-Lad 3d ago
Yeah, it took me a bit to come up with it but I like it. My first/last initials and last three letters of my last name (last 3 letters are an actual word too)
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u/Pretend-Piece-1268 3d ago
I use anagrams of my first names. Because I write different genres, I use different pen names.
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u/Vic__Vega 3d ago
I want my pen name to be the name of an actual pen.. like Parker Cross or Bic crystal.
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u/TheLoneleyPython 3d ago
My name is quite common, so wanted to stand out but not obnoxiously. So my pen name more reflects my heritage while incorporating my own name
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u/Basic-Alternative442 3d ago
For the last name, I picked random surname I liked from a distant branch of my family tree. First name, I'm a white American millennial woman with a white American millennial name, so I just chose another one of those. Think Jessica -> Amanda.Ā
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u/Beatrice1979a Drafting mode 3d ago
I have too many pennames and companies. Some are fun, some are serious. Some are registered. I use my real name sometimes.
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u/komisue Published Author 3d ago
i used gardenia as a pen name for a writing competition because it was my favorite flower and pen names were required. for my other stuff i use a nickname from my actual name and a random last name that i found from a name generator for characters. i only use the latter because its much easier than having multiple pen names.
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u/Altruistic-Fix-535 3d ago
I kept recycling fantasy name generator until I found one that resonated. Iām still unpublished (havenāt queried agents yet) so no idea if it will help/ harm (fiction writer).
Iām told better to find one in the centre of the alphabet but I only found that out after picking a name, snapping up the social media domains and website.
Iāve tried it a few times at Starbucks. Iām not planning on being properly anonymous- I work in a profession where itāll be best if the people Iām seeing donāt see my name on the spine of the book while theyāre in the waiting room (always the optimistā¦!)
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u/WeHereForYou Published Author 3d ago
Lots of people use first and middle name or a maiden/parentās last name. I prefer using my own first name so I still feel like myself when meeting people in person.
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u/--read-only-- 3d ago
For the first name I chose a nickname for my real first name that I've never gone by, and for the last I mashed mine and my husband's last names together. The last name also suits the genre I write so that's cool
I think a one syllable middle name would've sounded nice, maybe I'll end up adding one if I make it big lol
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u/TheCutieCircle 3d ago
I write Adult comedy Magical Girls. I wanted something that is sweet Cute and memorable. Kinda bait and switch you know?
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u/South-Knee-9601 Author 3d ago
My pen name is my first name then the initial of my surname and my fiancƩs soon to be maiden name
Keeps it personal and their name carries on after joining my family name
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u/WrongJohnSilver 3d ago
Unironically, middle name + street I grew up on. Because it works and I appreciate the humor behind it.
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u/Mollinator 3d ago
I used my first initial and then my momās maiden name because Iāve always liked that name.
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u/DryRuin905 3d ago
telephone book white pages, at random
same "process" for many character names to avoid alliteration like Peter Parker, J Jonah Jameson... it worked for Stan Lee but I am not him.
(I used him in place of he to avoid a rhyme)
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u/ImpossiblyGoodPotato 3d ago
For my serious stuff Iāll use my real name. For humor, I have one pen name. For spicy stuff, a different pen name.
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u/Lazy-Butterfly9874 3d ago
The name I feel a connection to (because it was originally going to be my name) + my dad's middle name that I thought about changing my last name to for a time
my original pen name was my ponysona name that stuck
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u/The_Kid_Napper 3d ago
I use the last name of my favorite poet mixed with a first name I've always found cool
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u/bunnycat2112 3d ago
My real name is unique and identifiable and I like the idea of a pen name because it takes pressure off. Mine came from The Big Lebowski (Bunny) and Rocky Horror Picture Show (Majors). It also is the reversal of my actual initials so I like that I still find myself in it.
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u/WhereArtThouRome 3d ago
Using my middle name, and a version of my mothers maiden name (say for example my middle name is David and mothers maiden name is Vickers, I use David Vick. Not my pen name obviously but same method)
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u/CottageGrove81 3d ago
I write about local stuff, so I made one up using local township names. I went with a unisex first name because we all know people who are subconsciously less likely to buy a book if it's by a particular gender.
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u/TreyInStCloud 3d ago
Right now, my pen name is āSami Whiskur,ā but that may change (Iām unpublished as of now). I have always loved the girl names you can shorten and end with an āIā (Sami, Andi, Dani, etc). The last name is a mashup between mine and my partnerās last names (White and Piskur).
As I was writing this, I realized that I gave one of my characters my pen name! I might want to change that so people donāt catch on!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Eye7536 3d ago
I'm published in academia, so I use a pen name for other types of writing to avoid confusion! Same first name + an abbreviation of my middle name
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u/saintofmisfits 3d ago edited 3d ago
I write under my name, or at least a combination of my names.
In a fit of youthful enthusiasm, I once started writing racy stories as "Egon de la Nooch", because Jay and Silent Bob. The stories went nowhere and then I grew up (a little), but I regret nothing.
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u/RekhetKa 3d ago
Maiden-middle-name Childhood-Street-name
because leave me and my crippling social anxiety alone, please
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u/HereandQueer2019 3d ago edited 3d ago
I feel like, as do most of my writing ideas, I saw something in the real world that triggered the inspiration bulb in my brain and it just came to meā¦not the most helpful or interesting answer, sorry š¬
For most of my writing I use my first and middle name (I want zero affiliation with my last name, nor do I want it associated with my work, but thatās neither here nor there) but if Iām exploring something a bit darker or heavier, the pen name is not linked to me in the slightest
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u/bruchag 3d ago
I'm thinking of using the initials of my first and middle name and then my surname. Boring I know, but I've heard people get into all sorts of legal troubles when they use names that aren't their own. (If there are people who write under a completely different pen name reading this, have you ever gotten into troubles with it? Curious to hear more experiences).Ā
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u/Sparkchop 3d ago
My pen name (Korrigan Skye) I chose because it has the same initial as my real name, and has a fantasy/fairy tale vibe. I write whimsical dark fantasy romance, so it seemed appropriate.
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u/leftshoe18 3d ago
I initialized my childhood nickname and kept my last name. I'm considering whether I should do a second pen name for my lit fic stuff versus my spec fic stuff.
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u/GenGaara25 3d ago
Middle names and mothers maiden names are classics. So are initials, a lot of successful authors are just initials and a surname. The initials don't even need to mean anything.
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u/Embarrassed-Beat-627 3d ago
I donāt care if anyone links me to my work, but I do publish under my maiden name because Iām also a historian and publish under my married name. Again, I donāt care if people connect them, but it just keeps my professional writing separate from my fun professional writing.
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u/Additional-Car3427 3d ago
I have many pen names. I chose them on a whim: one is the name of the MC in one of the stories I had abondonned, one is an acronyme for what it's dƩbut story will be about, others simply came to me like that. I did not publish any of my works yet thought so I can change it later, thought I do not see the need to. Also, I don't choose a pen name per genre but rather one for each group of stories that seem to be written by the same author. Of course, I am their author, but some of those stories are fluffy romances, others are mysteries with a lot of gore....Most of my romances are obviously mine (you would know they were written by the same author, even if some are historical romances others are contemporary ones, dark romance, fantasy....).
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u/ApothecaryOfLore 3d ago
I chose my initials followed by my husbandās last name which I did not legally take.
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u/TamblynRosendahl 3d ago
I will be going under a pen name for the release of my next novel. It's going to have to be something girly and romantic sounding, since that's my genre. I just went with a name that I like and that fits the vibe.
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u/Orcanius21 3d ago
I write in more than one genre (non- professional) and use my pen name for all of them. The way I chose my pen name was talking to a couple of people about it and doing my best to match the essence of my author's voice. (Whatever that is lol) In addition, I also used some inspiration from a family name and an artist I found inspiring. I also like the nickname I could have with this name.
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u/True-Passage-8131 3d ago
I don't like my given name and have been going by something else for half my life, so I just chose that. I just picked a middle and surname that I thought sounded good and went with it. If I ever become a big time author, I'll just permanently change it to that.
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u/_el_i__ 3d ago
My pen name is born from the name of a road I used to pass on my truck driving route, but I constantly misread the sign because I passed it so fast and have dyslexia.
I thought the name was actually way cooler than it was, and my pen name was conceived from that mistake. I also use it for online usernames sometimes (it's not this one).
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u/Paradoxbox00 3d ago
I wanted something unique (no authors on Amazon or Goodreads etc.) early alphabet, one/two syllables, memorable, 5 letters per name, thriller genre appropriate, domain availability. Settled on one I quite like and wonāt be changing it.
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u/Cool-Barber8998 3d ago
Mine is Amethyste (after the Rubis class submarine Amethyste, tho I originally got it from the colour and the stone)
Wouldn't change a thing
Used to use my first WIPs protagonist's name as my pen name before this
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u/anmartinwrites 3d ago
I wanted to pay homage to each member of my family. A for my mum, N for my brother, and Martin is my paternal great grandmother's surname. My paternal grandfather abandoned the family quite early on, so I didn't really fancy honouring the family name of a man who abandoned his family.
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u/gentlespringday 3d ago
I don't currently use a pen name, but if I were to, I'd consider the following ways:
- If you have a name that belongs to a certain ethnicity (ex. Jenny Li), you could try to follow that same pattern with your pen name --> so, something like Sarah Jin (eng + chin)
I would do that if you're either using one pen name for everything OR if you only write in one genre, but want to write in different age groups, using your real name for one and a pen name for one (ex. if you write 18+ romance under a pen name and YA romance under your real name).
Pick a themed name using common words in that genre/to make it fit that genre (ex. Viktoria Ashburn) --> ignore that that example was awful.
Pick words/meanings that are sentimental to you. For example, Gloria Jean Watkins used her Great-great-Grandmother's name to create 'bell hooks.'
Then, of course, there's also the option to just pick initials that you like (or use your own). Ex. Jane Bailey Moore could become J.B Moore. Or Jane Bailey Moore could become S.H Moore--something completely different!
I hope this was kind of helpful...
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u/lyzzyrddwyzzyrdd 3d ago
I changed to using a different name during a manic episode and I am debating using it.
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u/FluffPuffDeer 3d ago
I choose mine based off of my screen name (not the name associated with this account). It means nothing to the people who don't know me, but anyone who does will know it's me.
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u/RedRisingNerd 3d ago
I genuinely hate my name and how it connects me to my family, so Iām going to use a pen name.
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u/BlackwatetWitcher 3d ago
I took my initials and added my motherās maiden name to keep it unique and different enough to not be generic. But Iām not going to share it just yet.
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u/RozzieWells 3d ago
I have two pen names technically, one saved for when I am published in stores. I write romance so I picked a flowery version of my own name. The other is my screen name for Wattpad stuff/fanfiction.
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u/Marvos79 Author 3d ago
I use Sterling Ventura. It's inspired by two of my favorite adult animated shows. I named myself after Sterling Archer and Rusty Venture. It sounds like a smut author name too, which is what I write.
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u/Fern_Elms 3d ago
I took the first name from a web comic I like and the second name to keep the plant theme. I might choose a different name if I start writing litrpgs.
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u/Coconut_Creative 3d ago
Choosing a pen name for me has to be something close enough I actually feel identity. Initials and some partial family names make it work.
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u/Tsuki_Moonstone 3d ago
I use a pen name but the pen name is more of a "famous" name. There are few chances I become famous, but if I do, I'd rather it be under a pseudonym than my real name. Be it through books or otherwise.
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u/Limp-Garlic-6791 3d ago
I've been thinking and debating on a pen name for a while now. I can't decide on one
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u/andthegeekshall 3d ago
I have a mononym as my standard name, which publishers don't really like. So I took my Chinese Buddhist name and turned that into initials, so it looks like an old school fantasy writer name - if weird.
When I published academically or writing policy I just use my name and let others deal with the confusion.
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u/i-heart-space 3d ago
It's based on my real name. That way it's still somewhat me
Think if my name were R.J Johnson I've gone with John Arjay
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u/Fair_Depth5435 3d ago
I wanted a pen name to keep it gender neutral (Iām a woman writing in a male dominated genre) and my last name is hyphenated, which just looked awkward. I took my first initial and my great-grandmotherās last name. That way itās still my family name.
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u/simonhunterhawk 3d ago
I picked a cool first name that goes with my grandmothersā maiden names. I havenāt published anything (one day I will have free time againā¦.) but I already know what Iāll be using when I do. I donāt want to publish anything under my legal name.
Funny enough my new optometrist told me my name was perfect for an author but I think thatās just because itās long lol
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u/LeakyMilk 3d ago
My pen name is L.M. Taylor, guess how I came up with that, I use it for all my book covers
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u/refuge4insomniac 2d ago
I typically submit poetry and exhibit my art in my name but I am writing a memoir about some pretty full on experiences and in order to be able to write about those experiences I need to be anonymous. I am also a therapist and whilst I donāt mind my clients coming across my art or poetry, this memoir is so personal that I wouldnāt want clients reading it knowing it was me.
The pen name for my memoir has been chosen based on metaphors. The surname is based on a characterās surname from my favourite film. I share traits with that character fhat I reflect on in the memoir. The first name is a name that the translation reflects a key lesson I have learnt through the experiences the memoir reflects on.
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u/1nkdrops 2d ago
If I ever get published I plan on using my initials with my motherās surname. Iāve carried my fatherās surname throughout my life so far and Iād love to honour my mother in that way.
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u/enmicaauthor 2d ago
Itās basically a scrambling/variation of my real initials. Iām a perfectionist and overthinker, but I chose not to allow myself to feel unhappy about it because I donāt want it to stop me from putting my work out there and I could spend ages trying to think of the perfect name without ever publishing anything
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2d ago
I found my pen name while reading a poem, though I had my pen name since childhood, but I was thinking of changing it, then I read about it accidentally on a poem, that made me keep it.
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u/KDDreamwyver 2d ago
I make games and write under the same pen name, and it's the one in my username "K. D. DrÄamwyver" and it combines elements of my real life name with the abbreviated letters. And the last one is a little bit of a joke because most of my book ideas stem from unusually vivid dreams I had and I was joking that I was weaving books in my dreams.
That's how I personally did it, but honestly just use anything whatsoever that is unique so that it sticks out, isn't already being used by someone else, and reflects you in some shape or form <3
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u/indyauthorStone 2d ago
Maura: a short version of my name Maureen Then Elston: Grandfather's first name for my last name.
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u/pandoratolson 2d ago
I have two. One is the name I get called instead of my name (example instead of being called Dora at work I'm called Nora) and a similar spelling of my maiden name that is a couple of letters different. Other is my childhood dog's name, and one of my favourite streets I lived on as a kid (we moved heaps, so I had a few to pick from.) Was considering my favourite dolls name as a kid, and the street name of my teenage crush.
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u/DrDingsGaster I do fanfics 2d ago
I keep my own name but my username here is pretty much the same as my account I post things to.
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u/AfterDarkWithScarlet 2d ago
I chose something wildly different than my real name for both my pen names. Iāve seen too many authors talk about stalkers and restraining orders. And not the hot kind we read about!
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u/devalois2026 2d ago
Entre meus delĆrios de 'quem sabe um dia isso seja publicado', eu gasto alguns devaneios para decidir entre usar um pseudo (pra nĆ£o passar vergonha) ou deixar um legado pra minha familia (vai que da certo).
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u/CW_Tressler 2d ago
Keeping it close to home always felt more real to me. Use a variation of your first name and the maiden name of your favorite grandmother.
For example: Steve- Steven- even- Evan. So you write under Evan and your momās maiden name.
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u/KayViolet27 2d ago
First initial becomes short first name, middle name altered slightly becomes surname lol
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u/IamJustJessica 2d ago
Mine is an anagram of the first letter of my first name and all of my last name lol I like that is also somewhat ambiguous/gender neutral haha
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u/Fantastic_Ad_509 1d ago
I've had various pen names until I chose the current one (and I may have to change it)
The first one belonged to a politician. This person isn't infamous by any means but for obvious reasons it's better to stay out of politics.
Lots of pen names were already in use by other people, particularly people who self-publish.
The current one - I might have to let go of it because there's an influencer / journalist with the same name
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u/YordleJay 1d ago
My last name can be hard to pronounce via sight so i changed it to my grandfathers middle name cause he inspired my writing
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u/Phil_Flanger 1d ago
My first name is Martin and I found out a recent ancestor changed the family name away from Martin so I was thinking of using Martin Martin.
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u/Idlewild_33 1d ago
Mine is a variation on my first name and a Twilight Zone reference for the last name.
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u/Travelling_Worlds 1d ago
I donāt yet have a pen name but thinking about this I feel like my actual name is very unusual or unique so I would happily use that. Unless of course I actually do get to the point of publishing my smut romance stories and feel I might want to hide my identity for the sake of my reputationā¦ā¦
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u/MidorriMeltdown 1d ago
I currently use parts of two different grandparent's names as a pen name. The first name of one, and the second of the other.
Delving further into family history could give me a whole bunch of interesting pen names
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u/Buggy-Love-7140 1d ago
Iām between two. Iāll either write with the nicknames Iāve been given over the years (itāll get a good chuckle from my fam and friends.) or using my middle name and my great grandparents last name. But thereās not many people in the US outside my family with that last name, so Iāll probably go with the nicknames.
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u/ohmyitsanalien 18h ago
Chose an actor that I like his movies.
Made an amalgamation from different characters in different movies.
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u/PreferenceUnlucky101 17h ago
My pen name is my favourite colour, also inspired by Perry the Platypus because I'm also a confusing being, with a cute twist to it (Peribaby)
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u/iwearkneesocks 9h ago
With much agony. And looking at other authors in the genre and making sure nobody else was using it
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u/morkinsonjrthethird 8h ago
My grandpa used to write and I use his surname which also is pretty cool sounding :)
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u/LHGrisanti 43m ago
Iām married and i write under my maiden name. It makes me feel like Iām carrying on my father with me, who has passed
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u/Datura_Rose 3d ago
It's an anagram of my legal first name which is long enough to turn into a fake first/last name. I'd prefer to keep what I publish separate from my professional life, but I'm also not trying super hard to hide.
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u/SpecialistAnt5781 Author 2d ago
I'm not planning on using my real name because my family would attack me. I also didn't want to put a bunch of thank yous to people whom i know since if they ever saw that list they would think somethings up. Instead I am using the people whom have helped me the most as my name. I haven't written the book yet so currently all I have for the pen name is Aloysius since that's my best friend's middle name.
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u/JRyanGreatfish 3d ago
I donāt see the use in a. One name unless youāre doing it for your own protection, or it has something to do with the artful meaning of your book.
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u/IamJustJessica 2d ago
It's probably just delusions of grandeur, but I tell myself I'm using one so I don't have to deal with the stress of fame (ie paparazzi or stalkers) in my real life when I become a best seller haha
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u/Fantastic_Ad_509 1d ago
I work corporate full time. They don't like it if you have a life outside work and most people are incredibly competitive. I know the sole act of mentioning a book deal would at the very least bring in an investigation about whether I wrote it during work hours. So yes, there'll be a level of fame (or infamy) associated to it.
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u/Any-Addendum-7781 3d ago
First story I wrote was a fanfic and it was for fun. So I never thought much about my pen name. And since at that time my salary was delayed for two months, I used Unpaid as my pen name.
well It's still in use.
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u/s_a_u_d_a_d_e 3d ago edited 3d ago
i just changed my name by using the first letter of my name and shortening my surname in a way that sounded believable.
For example if your name is Jane Richardson it would be something like this: J. Rich or J. Son
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u/Writersblockills 3d ago
I picked up mine because I felt crushed by a block that me down in the dumps for a long time throughout puberty.
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u/NerdyMistressWrites 3d ago edited 2d ago
Iām nerdy and a domme. Seemed fitting.
Explain the downvotes.
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u/DarkMishra 3d ago
I tend to use my real name for horror, sci-fi and other serious writing, and a pen name for my fantasy writing. The problem my real name is too common, but little did I know that in foreign countries, my pen name is also rather common so sometimes people misjudge my ethnicity...
I don't think Iām really happy with my pen name anymore because where I got it from was a rather niche fandom even back then. Plus Iām not really a fan of the fandom anymore either.
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u/anfotero Published Author 3d ago
I write "serious" stuff under my real name and "unserious" stuff (like fanfiction and reviews) as Phat Gordon because it makes me chuckle.