Using a Pen Name

[Addison]

Try a J.K Rowling approach. Instead of using her first and last name she used her first two initials and her last name. Same with C.S Lewis. J.R.R Tolkein. There's many ways you can make a pen name. The initials of the first and middle name followed by your last name. Use your middle name and your last name. Or use a name, or initial, of someone who you're thankful to for inspiration or support. The person who taught you almost everything about writing, whatever. Your pen name itself could be a dedication.

 

[Chilari]

JC: Yes, JC does seem to flow well, doesn't it? I wonder why that might be? :angel: My brother, whose initials really are JC, goes by that amongst his friends.

For my part, now I've bought a domain of my name and am using it to develop a reputation as a writer, I'm committed. I guess if I ever return to academia I can use my initials instead, though there's already an academic journal article (peer reviewed and everything) where I was a contributor that has my first and last name. Oh well. I probably won't return to academia anyway, if I'm honest.

I do have a pen name on standby though, if I decide to write in a different genre and want to keep things separate.

 

[Ireth]

@Addison: In J.K. Rowling's case, she doesn't actually have a middle name, so she used the name of one of her relatives (grandmother, I think). And C.S. Lewis... well, his first and middle name are just embarrassing. Clive Staples. Seriously.

I'm probably going to go with my initials as well. K.L. Bergen doesn't look too bad.

 

[Cinninamon]

If anything I write in the future ever gets published, I am using a different name, mostly because I don't like my actual name. And unless I can think of anything better in the future, said name is going to be my nickname and my mother's last name, because her last name seems more exotic and interesting than my father's last name.

 

[Arhenvir]

I'm not sure why, but I have loved the idea of a pen name ever since I've
come up with my own. I have no desire to use my real name. Go for it.

I'm with this 100%! I always imagined that if I saw something I wrote for sale in a bookstore, I'd balk at seeing my real name together with a dark, intriguing title/picture on the cover. Blehhh.

 

[Addison]

Personally I prefer a pen name. As with most of the recent posts, I don't like my real name. Besides, using a pen name makes the whole writing business more fun!

 

[Shadow]

I very much would prefer a pen name to my own name. Mostly due to my actual name being one of those unusual yet uninteresting ones. In the end, it's all about the letters. By my personal opinion, I think it's all about the letters. Certain letters have more charm than others.

 

[Addison]

I understand why J.K Rowling didn't use her first name. As said in her history it was suggested by her publisher or someone because they didn't think boy readers would want to read a story about a boy written by a girl or something like that.

That said, would it be better to use initials; AJ, JD, TK etc. Or a gender neutral name; Jamie, Taylor etc.