Sunday, March 21, 2010

Picking a Pen Name

In honor of my partner in crime picking a pen name I've decided to explain how I came up with mine. Also a lot of people like my pen name, and I'm asked about it a lot.

One of my main concerns was that I wanted it to be pretty. I also wanted it to stick out. I wanted people to think "That's a pretty name." or "How the heck do you pronounce that?" So maybe they'd be more likely to remember it.

While my real name Miranda Elizabeth is a beautiful name, but 'Miranda' is fairly common, as is 'Elizabeth', and so is my last name.

Since I love Gilmore Girls, and love the name Lorelai, I thought about that. Then I saw a lot of pen names that were either the same, or similar so I decided not to use it. I still love the name, and if I have a daughter that will probably be her name, but its just too wide spread for my pen name.

While I wanted it to be unique, I didn't want it to be so far out there that it sounded like something out of science fiction, or a preservative in a Twinkie.

I also wanted my pen name to be mysterious and sexy, without being stripper sounding ( please welcome our guest blogger, Trixie McBimbo), and I needed it to be flexible enough that if I decided to branch out of the romance genre, it would still fit.

I first heard Honoria on M.A.S.H. and I thought it was gorgeous. I'd never heard it anywhere else. Ravena comes from my favorite character in the YA paranormal, Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (I'm still in love with Nikolas). This is the novel that inspired me to write when I was twelve. I still re-read it if I have writer's block. So Ravena seemed like a fitting tribute to it.

Now, after all this thought, I still wasn't sure if I wanted a pen name. I mean, wasn't the whole point to see MY name on the cover? But the first time I saw it on the cover of Fear of Darkness I knew it was perfect (which is a damned good thing considering it was already on the cover). I get the same perfect feeling every time I look at one of my covers. I think I've made the right choice.

5 comments:

Debra Kayn said...

It is a great pen name...memorable, and different from the norm. You did good! Although, I'm partial to the name Miranda too. ;-)

My real first name is Debra, middle name is Kay, and my last name starts with a N, so I smooched them together and came up with Debra Kayn. I figured if I ever sign autographs, I'd remember to add the N at the end. lol

Megan D. Martin said...

The first time I saw your pen name, Honoria, I thought exactly what you put in this blog. 'How do you pronounce that?' lol. I came up with all different crazy ways until I asked you in Mr. Hell Hole's class how you pronounced it. I have to admit that I fell in love with it at once. It is different, sexy and memorable. To me it screams, 'Do me now, you dirty boy!' in a thick hungarian accent. Irresistible ;) lol.

Debra, I like the way you picked your pen name! Very clever. :)

Unknown said...

Lol, yeah, everytime I see your daughter's name in a post I stop and go "Huh? Me?". I love Miranda, but its not quite strange enough for me to use it as part of my pen name.

Lol, I hope you can remember to put the N at the end. I imagine if I ever sign autographs I'll have to remember not to sign my real name.

Unknown said...

Naomi - Ugh. Mr. Hell Hole's class is on Tuesday. Kill me now. Lol "Do me now..." in a Hungarian accent. Lol, interesting thoughts are rolling around in your brain.

Megan D. Martin said...

Yes, I am having an interesting thought kind of day. :) Love days like these.
Yes, unfortunately we do have to visit Mr. Hell Hole's class Tuesday. How depressing. I think I'm still going to make him a character in a book one day and then kill him off. A very slow and painful death. In fact, I think I may go write the scene now to make myself feel better about having to see him Tuesday.
At least we have each other in there. I would be even more miserable if I was in there alone.
And HEY we're having a writing day tomorrow! The week doesn't look so dreary after all. :)