Renaming Myself

General Name Discussion
1

So this is a question of a pen name. I wasn’t sure if I should put it here or in the Writier’s Corner, but since this isn’t about character names and it’s about giving myself a name, I decided to put it here.

So, I’ve been thinking that I should pick out a pen name. I would use it when writing historical fiction. I know a lot of authors use pen names when they are going between genres so that people don’t read their, say, fantasy book and then come into their mystery book with expectation. So, it would be something I used for historical fiction.

Here’s my picture. I don’t usually keep my bangs like that. They’re usually very long, the front bits of hair usually go down to my shoulders and the back is usually very short. My hair is generally kept black and sometimes with weird colors in there (I’m doing lime green next). I have 2 ear piercings and 5 tattoos, if that matters.

For those who don’t know, I gravitate towards mythological, historical, and literary names. Thanks!

2

One thing I always think about when I imagine my books on a shelf, is where they’d be in the bookstore. I’d take a trip down to your local bookstore and peruse the historical fiction section and see who you’d like to be by, which last names there are too many of, stuff like that. I know we’re supposed to be creative and fairy dust and muses and whee, but you are marketing yourself, so using some boring common sense stuff is a good idea.

For historical fiction, I gravitate toward authors that have sort of British sounding names. Maybe [name_f]Jemima[/name_f]. [name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]. [name_f]Gemma[/name_f]. [name_f]Faustine[/name_f] might be cool.

3

[name_f]Faustine[/name_f]/[name_f]Faustina[/name_f] is a name I love. [name_u]Cody[/name_u] won’t let me use it on a baby -_- So that’s a good suggestion and I should probably use some boring common sense stuff too :stuck_out_tongue: I’m just never thought about pen names before so I never considered that approach.

But dang, [name_f]Fey[/name_f], I did expect you to give me some magical fairy dust, muses, whee names. angry fist shaking :stuck_out_tongue:

EDIT – I will go look around the shelves for the sake of avoiding overused names, but shelf looking is a lot to do with last names and placement, so looking for overused names aside, I still want some first name suggestions.

4

I’m going to suggest [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] [name_u]Mason[/name_u]. I think alliteration is memorable, and [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] seems sassy yet intelligent, and someone our age might actually have that name. I wouldn’t even bother to pick up an historical fiction by author with an obviously made-up or overly fanciful name. I just wouldn’t take them seriously.

I agree with @redwoodfey, it’s a lot of marketing so it’s good sense to go see who is out there and what names are already overused.

5

Well… I think it should be Practical [name_u]Magic[/name_u], as Sessha would say. Something fun and memorable, but sensible as well. I agree with [name_f]Sara[/name_f] about alliteration. [name_f]Love[/name_f] alliterative author names. You could ask [name_f]Nephele[/name_f] for some fun anagrams, too. If I branch into different genres, I think that’s the route I’d go with.

6

Another vote for alliteration.

[name_f]Carmella[/name_f] Cope
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] Harries
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f] [name_u]Dean[/name_u]
[name_f]Portia[/name_f] [name_m]Price[/name_m]

Although now Im thinking these sound more like mills & boon “authors”. Hmmmmm

7

I like the alliterative idea, but if you use it, try for something a little bit subdued ([name_f]Marguerite[/name_f] [name_u]Mason[/name_u] was a great suggestion). Sometimes it can sound too much like an overt pen name, y’know?

Names (alliterative and non) that sprung to mind for you:

[name_f]Anthea[/name_f] [name_m]Allard[/name_m]
[name_f]Bronwen[/name_f] [name_f]Betts[/name_f]
[name_f]Erin[/name_f] Yates (see what I did there? :P)
[name_f]Iris[/name_f] Holcombe

8

[name_f]Lark[/name_f]. It’s easy to remember… spunky… cool… but still earthy and kinda pagan sounding to my [name_m]Christian[/name_m] ears. Instead of alliteration I would choose a surname that is also a common first name. Examples:

[name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_m]Richards[/name_m]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_u]Ryan[/name_u]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_m]Simon[/name_m]
[name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_u]Morgan[/name_u]

With [name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_u]Ryan[/name_u] or [name_f]Lark[/name_f] [name_u]Morgan[/name_u] being my faves.

9

I say go for a magical first name and a boring, practical last name to ground it. [name_f]Atalanta[/name_f] [name_u]Parker[/name_u] rather than [name_f]Atalanta[/name_f] Scherbatsky, as it were. I like the alliteration idea, too.

10

Yes, I want something magical (but not too out there) that will set me apart but with a perfectly normal last name. I was thinking Hawkins or Paxson (It’s a family name on [name_u]Cody[/name_u]'s side).

11

Awww! I’ve coined a phrase! :slight_smile: ::feels loved::

I have no idea if this is helpful, as historical fiction is usually not my genre, but the female author names I tend to remember pair classical, elegant, and romantic first names with more unusual, evocative, even fanciful last names. For example, the name [name_f]Juliet[/name_f] Dark will haunt me forever, partly because it’s a fabulous pseudonym, and partly because of her evocative prose - I will always smell honeysuckle and the sea when I hear the author’s name because of the way she writes about those scents.

Less fancifully:
[name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_m]Chadwick[/name_m] (I just love that “wick” syllable. Anything “wick” manages to spark my curiousity: [name_m]Chadwick[/name_m], Fairwick, the Spiderwick chronicles…I don’t know, it just makes the think of candles, quills, and flickering faerie lights)
[name_u]Tracy[/name_u] [name_m]Chevalier[/name_m] ([name_u]Tracy[/name_u] is very blah to me, but I [name_f]LOVE[/name_f] [name_m]Chevalier[/name_m]! It’s so dashing and romantic, probably because I’m a Blood+ fan)
[name_f]Georgette[/name_f] Heyer (Her books are just like her name - feminine, with even a bit of frill, and whole lot of spunkiness and strength underneath. I love [name_f]Georgette[/name_f] more than Heyer.)
[name_f]Rosemary[/name_f] [name_m]Sutcliff[/name_m] (I love the sounds of [name_m]Sutcliff[/name_m], crisp and arching, and I’m a fan of [name_f]Rosemary[/name_f]'s classical herbaceous whimsy)
And of course there’s people like [name_f]Jane[/name_f] [name_u]Austen[/name_u] and [name_f]Philippa[/name_f] [name_m]Gregory[/name_m] whose names are inseparable from their works.

So let’s see…if I were to create some pseudonyms along the lines of what intrigues me in particular:

[name_f]Victoria[/name_f] Fairwick - I would pick up this book in a heartbeat. Not only do I love Fairwick, for all reasons previously mentioned, but [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] is the quintessential British name (next to [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f], but [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] Fairwick is far too similar to [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_m]Chadwick[/name_m]). She manages to be simultaneously feminine, gentle, powerful, and…well, victorious! A dominant but gracious presence.

[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] [name_m]Black[/name_m] - [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] has the perfect combination of Victorian romance, gothic cred (a la [name_f]Mina[/name_f] Harker), feminine flow, and vintage clunk. [name_m]Black[/name_m] creates a rather startling effect, a moody contrast, while still being a perfectly normal last name.

[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] Windemere - [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] is stable, no-nonsense, someone who would tell a perfectly reliable story. She’s trustworthy without sacrificing her sweetness and femininity. Windemere is romantic, windswept, mysterious, with a touch of whimsy. The perfect surname for a dependable first.

[name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] [name_m]Radcliffe[/name_m] - [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] is romantic, poetic, and mysterious. [name_m]Radcliffe[/name_m] is much like [name_m]Sutcliff[/name_m] to me, with the wild moorish feeling of “cliff” and the gentleman-devlishness of “[name_m]Rad[/name_m]”

[name_f]Diana[/name_f] [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u] - [name_f]Diana[/name_f] is quite the powerful name - a goddess, an iconic princess, an [name_f]Amazonian[/name_f] superhero…why not an ink warrior, wielding pen instead of sword? As for the surname, -fax is another suffix that I’ve always found appealing. I also considered [name_m]Halifax[/name_m], since I’d already used Fairwick, but the rhythm was off with [name_f]Diana[/name_f]. I also like the “delicate but strong” feeling one gets from [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u].

[name_f]Magdalene[/name_f] [name_u]March[/name_u] - Since alliteration seems to be getting quite the positive response. [name_f]Magdalene[/name_f] is grand, elegant, and old-world; I love it paired with the fiery [name_u]March[/name_u], a rallying point for strong female characters everywhere. I also considered [name_f]Magdalen[/name_f] or [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], but I found the former too modern and the latter too feminissima.

I had also thought of [name_f]Josephine[/name_f] and Pemberly, but I didn’t like them together, and I ran out of brain for a good last name for [name_u]Jo[/name_u] and a first name for Pemberly (you can blame the 5-hour BBC version of Pride and Prejudice for that last suggestion, as I watched it a tea party yesterday!)

12

I think Hawkins is more familiar to people.

[name_u]Wren[/name_u] Hawkins
[name_f]Ivy[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Delphi[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Kate[/name_f] Hawkins (okay a lil boring but so easy to remember)
[name_f]Anne[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Helena[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Sabrina[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_u]Winter[/name_u] Hawkins

13

[name_m]Ah[/name_m] Sessha! You get what I want. I particularly liked:

[name_f]Victoria[/name_f] – but not with Fairwick. [name_f]Victoria[/name_f] Hawkins?
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] [name_m]Black[/name_m] – oh I love the description there and I love [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] (partially for [name_f]Mina[/name_f] Harker).
Windemere – as a last name obviously but I don’t like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f].
[name_f]Diana[/name_f] [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u] – I liked this whole thing. And the description.
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] [name_u]March[/name_u] – yep I added the a. I like it. It’s feminine but I still get strength form it.

And [name_u]Rainy[/name_u], I liked [name_f]Ivy[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], and [name_u]Winter[/name_u] from yours. :slight_smile:

For what it’s worth, my historical fiction would be set in Greece and I have one in mind for [name_u]Egypt[/name_u] involving [name_f]Cleopatra[/name_f] and a guard (I’ll be working on this when I’m done with current projects). There will be romance and I’ve considered historical fiction with a twinge of magic.

14

[name_u]Winter[/name_u] Paxson is fabulous :slight_smile:

15

Oh, well if we already have surnames to work with, let’s see. I like Paxson a lot, that XS combo is memorable to me. Hawkins is appealing except that it reminds me of [name_m]Stephen[/name_m] Hawking…so definitely at least stay away from S names with that one. Some ideas using these surnames:

[name_u]Bellamy[/name_u] Paxson
[name_f]Adriana[/name_f] Paxson
[name_f]Ondine[/name_f] Paxson

[name_f]Cassandra[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_f]Alessandra[/name_f] Hawkins
[name_u]Halle[/name_u] Hawkins
[name_f]Sylvia[/name_f] Hawkins

From your other suggestions, I really like [name_f]Diana[/name_f] [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u]. [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u] is memorable. I can see people going to the bookstore asking for the latest [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u] book.

16

mkay So right now my list consists of:

[name_f]Faustine[/name_f]
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]
[name_f]Victoria[/name_f]
[name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
Dantea – I use this everywhere so I thought I’d throw it in there

And for last names:

Hawkins
Paxson
Windemere
[name_m]Black[/name_m]
[name_u]Fairfax[/name_u]
Renwick/Warwick

17

I’ll be SUPER obvious and suggest Dantea. Why not your own username? It fits your description, imo.

18

I hadn’t refresh the page and we post at the same time. Vote for Dantea Windemere.

19

There’s something pleasing about initial names for authors.

H.D.
T.S. [name_u]Eliot[/name_u]
P.G. Wodehouse
D.H. [name_u]Lawrence[/name_u]
A.A. Milne
H.P. Lovecraft
J.R.R. Tolkien…

Q is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful letters, visually.
P.Q. Hawkins
N.A. Zabat
[name_f]Faustina[/name_f] Floros
S. Agathangelos

20

Oooh, so many lovely choices…

I like [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] for you, but Dantea is so lovely and a natural choice, so I think that’s my pick - Surnames I like with Dantea are Windemere, [name_m]Black[/name_m], and [name_u]Fairfax[/name_u]