I was simply wondering, do any of you have names you would love to use for a nom de plume (or perhaps already do). And as to why you would consider using one.
Would you change your gender, as the [name]Bronte[/name] sisters did ([name]Acton[/name], Currer and [name]Ellis[/name] [name]Bell[/name])? Would you choose a more dramatic name as did [name]Alisa[/name] Rosenbaum ([name]Ayn[/name] [name]Rand[/name])? A singular name as did [name]Ramona[/name] Lofton ([name]Sapphire[/name])? A humourous name as did [name]Daniel[/name] Handler (Lemony Snicket)? Would you choose something meaningful? Something that reflected the genre?
I’m just interested in knowing what you think…
[ Nom de plume definition: A pen name or literary double, is adopted by an author to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her writings, or for any of a number of reasons related to the marketing or aesthetic presentation of the work. ]
I have three that I use, depending on what I’m writing (not counting my given name in real life). Sometimes I find it’s easier to identify with my pen name for a specific genre, sometimes I just don’t feel like putting my own name on something and I’d rather use a fictitious name. It’s also helps prevent association across genres. A reader who really dislikes my fiction may really love my non-fiction, and if I had used the same name on both then I’d have lost a reader to all my works because of one genre. Most of my pen names tend to be fairly normal first and last names. I don’t go for the one-name by-line, or children’s literature names, things of that nature.
I’m by no means a proffesional writer. I’ve never published anything, but I have several on going stories that I write on my computer and have toyed with the idea of trying to publish. However my situation is such that I think I would have to use a pen name. I couldn’t use my real name if I wanted to. Thus, while toying with the idea of trying to get something published, I’ve also toyed with the pen names. I’m rather introverted and shy about showing my work, and I realize that most of the pen names i have come up with reflect that. They tend to be rather bland and soft. An example is [name]Paige[/name] [name]Carter[/name].
I’m going to use [name]Olivia[/name] Weatherby.
I decided to use a fake last name because my real last name tends to be difficult for people to figure out how to pronounce. However, I decided to keep my first name, but rather than using the name I typically go by ([name]Liv[/name]), I’m sticking with the whole thing. I just think [name]Olivia[/name] sounds more professional than [name]Liv[/name], even if it doesn’t suit my personality at all. And I chose Weatherby because I’m a massive [name]Harry[/name] [name]Potter[/name] fan, but I couldn’t use Weasley, obviously. I figured, if Crouch can call [name]Percy[/name] ‘Weatherby’, I could use it as a subtle homage to JK Rowling and my favorite ginger family. 
I’m Charcoal [name]Athene[/name] and [name]Athena[/name] [name]Noel[/name].
I have Charcoal because I’m a camp counselor and they make you have a name easy for the youngin’s, and it kind of stuck. I love having the nn [name]Char[/name], I really do enjoy this name. I picked [name]Athene[/name] because my real name is [name]Eros[/name] so I wanted to keep the greek theme, and I love the greek mythos especially [name]Athene[/name]. I have two because there are times when I need for people to not actually know who I am and there are a lot of people who know I will go by Charcoal so I came up with it to get around that. I’m not sure where [name]Noel[/name] came from, it just sort of happened even though I’m not a fan of the name and I used [name]Athena[/name] instead of [name]Athene[/name] because [name]Athene[/name] [name]Noel[/name] sounds terrible haha.
Mine is E. [name]Claire[/name]. My first name starts with E, middle is [name]Claire[/name] and I hope to own a bakery when I grow up. I’m thinking about changing it to a whole new name like [name]Eloise[/name] [name]Amabel[/name] [name]Fleur[/name], but for now that’s it.
I would choose something meaningful and dramatic!
I usually call myself [name]Diana[/name] Fourall. There’s a long, convoluted story behind it. [name]Ah[/name], you’re not busy? Thanks, why don’t you sit down and listen? (Ha-ha)
When I was much younger (well, not incredibly that much younger, but younger), my friend and I were toying with pen names. She decided she wanted to be “[name]Justice[/name] For-all”. Yeah, ha-ha-ha. But somehow it stuck, and I decided I wanted to be her sister. But I changed the spelling to “Fourall.” Still blatantly obvious, but a little subtler. And I went with [name]Diana[/name] because my grandma’s name was [name]Diane[/name], and we were picking these out right after she died.
And then it stuck. I’ve been using it around the internet as a sort of “secret identity.” It works, though I doubt I’ll ever publish under it.