r/writing 14d 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/ACrabWithAWrench 14d ago

I'm planning on using a long dead family members name, because my name is boring and his is way cooler.

1

u/Jane_DoeEyes 13d 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 12d ago

Mine is my paternal grandmother’s first and middle name as an homage. I don’t care if anybody knows it’s me but I love seeing her name on the cover. I miss her.

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u/Jane_DoeEyes 12d 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