I am a woman of many names and the one name I don't publish under is my full legal name. I use my maiden name professionally and I did publish fanfic under my maiden name way back in the day. (It was the 70s: everyone did it!)
I've thought about adopting a pen name if I ever get my original fic finished but I'm working for a U that's become surprisingly fic friendly. One of my classics colleagues is on his third novel and gets a lot of support as well as promotion from the institution. And my kids are getting past the age where everything mom does is an embarrassment.
But there's another part of me that really doesn't want to cross the streams. . . . Plus, thinking up a pseudonym would be fun!
It would! All kinds of factors to weigh, down to whether or not I could comfortably sign it (there are letters that I *loathe* trying to write by hand in cursive).
Yes, that's a consideration - if you're going to sign it or respond to it, you need to think about how it flows on the page and in your ear.
My impulse is to adapt my mother's name for a pen name as a way to honour her support of my writing. My first version, though, was very close to the name of a famous prostitute's rights activist which is probably not what I'm looking for so I'll keep working on possibilities!
I've considered using a shortened form of my grandmother's maiden name, but I would have a hard time writing it, plus I'm not sure what first name would go well with "Neuen" (pronounced NEW-en).
I've thought about adopting a pen name if I ever get my original fic finished but I'm working for a U that's become surprisingly fic friendly. One of my classics colleagues is on his third novel and gets a lot of support as well as promotion from the institution. And my kids are getting past the age where everything mom does is an embarrassment.
But there's another part of me that really doesn't want to cross the streams. . . . Plus, thinking up a pseudonym would be fun!
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It would! All kinds of factors to weigh, down to whether or not I could comfortably sign it (there are letters that I *loathe* trying to write by hand in cursive).
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My impulse is to adapt my mother's name for a pen name as a way to honour her support of my writing. My first version, though, was very close to the name of a famous prostitute's rights activist which is probably not what I'm looking for so I'll keep working on possibilities!
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