Novel Ideas What’s in a name?

What you’re called can matter when it comes to writing, says Lynne Hackles

‘Why do some writers use pen names?’ is a question I was once asked in an ‘ask the author’ event. I thought back to when I first used one. ‘When you murder your in-laws,’ I said. It sounded flippant but it really isn’t a good idea to have your mother-in-law open a magazine and read about how you murdered her.

Then I remembered a friend who wrote under two names and explained how if you were writing erotic novels but also books for young children it makes sense to have two names. If a child enjoys a book and their parent searches the author’s name to see what else they’ve written they could be shocked to discover that the author of Sammy The Sea-lion also wrote Kinky Sex by The Sea.

If you need a pseudonym for some reason then how do you choose one? I used my middle name and the maiden name of my paternal grandmother when I murdered anyone who might see their demise in Fiction Feast, hence I became Liz Wilden. Coming up with that name wasn’t easy. I was spoiled for choice for a first name. There are lists, even books, filled with names for baby girls. The surname was more difficult. I’d noticed some writers had placenames as surnames, maybe where they were born, but Kidderminster didn’t do it for me. And choosing a family name didn’t help either. Butcher and Crump were quickly disposed of. It took a while to get to Liz Wilden.

Wilden is okay for short stories in magazines but not recommended for a novelist. I read somewhere that you don’t want to be bending down to peruse the bottom shelves where the Ws are. Best to opt for something between H and L. They’ll be higher up. So, next May, Hackles it will be.