Our Masterpieces...Err, Our Novels

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

RTW: What's in a Name?

Writing Song of the Day: "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child

Woo hoo! Once again it's Wednesday, which means once again we get to join the lovely ladies of YA Highway for their Road Trip Wednesday question. This week they want to know:


If you couldn't use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?


Okay, is it weird that I thought of this answer before...like, A LOT? I would love to write in more than one genre, so I assumed that while I establish myself as Pamela Harris, I may want to try something else out under a new name. I have two choices: Nadine Hunter or Nadine Shelton. Nadine because, well, it's my middle name (I know--ugh). I chose Hunter because my mom's maiden name is "Hunt," and I chose Shelton because that's my dad's first name.


Quita used the same formula to pick a penname (sorry, I got too lazy to spell the other word again). She would use either Sherie Hunt or Sherie Levitt. Sherie is her middle name (pronounced like the French word cherie--her mother just tried to get all creative). She chose Hunt because, again, that's her mother's maiden name (our moms are sisters--get it?), and she chose Levitt because of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She said, and I quote, "Out of all my celebrity boyfriends, his last name sounds the best with my middle name."


Don't worry--me and the rest of the fam are already fitting her for a straitjacket.


What about you all, peeps? Have a name you'd like to use? Which name do you think we should use if given the option?

13 comments:

Amy Renske said...

I love Nadine Shelton. Something about that name makes me want to buy a book! I wanted to use a pen name, and couldn't use my maiden name due to the fact that I share it with a famous person. I spent a lot of time coming up with my pseudonym, but I never really considered a combination of my parents' or other relatives' names. That's a nice way to create a new identity while paying homage to someone important in your life.

Alicia Gregoire said...

Great choices and reasonings on the names, ladies!

Unknown said...

I love Hunter as a last name. It's so FIERCE!

Christa Desir said...

Genre-hopping??? I'm intrigued...are you possibly considering romance? And I like both your pen names, but since I met you in LA, you will always be Pam and KeeKee to me:)

KatOwens: Insect Collector said...

LOVE the names Nadine and Sherie (though I'll still think of you as Pam and Quita).
Obviously the BEST way to get Levitt as a last name is to marry JGL.

Unknown said...

Oh Quita, picking a last name based on a celeberty boyfriend is a fabulout idea. Why didn't I think of that.

Jaime Morrow said...

Hmm...by Quita's reasoning I should go with Jaime McAvoy or Jaime Reynolds or, or, or... That definitely has a certain appeal to it =) I like the idea of picking your mothers' maiden name (except my mom's is 'Kirkey'--eek!). Any and all of your choices sound good. =)

Rebecca B said...

JGL as the reason = best ever!

Megan said...

Ha! Celebrity boyfriend! Love it. :)

I'd be a one-name wonder: Kennedy. Like that MTV vee-jay. My stepdad's family are Kennedy's and I love the name.

Jessica Love said...

Hmm...Jessica Segel does have a certain ring to it...

Mrs. Silverstein said...

Oh MAN, I have so many celebrity boyfriends...that is a great way to do it. But would I go with Jessica Harris (the picture of me and NPH from when I saw him in Assassins and stalked him stayed on my mom's fridge for like two years into my relationship with my husband) or Jessica Scott (I'm watching this BF on Parks and Rec as I type this) or maybe Jessica Glover (as in Donald, from Community.) So many possbilities.

Marquita Hockaday said...

Oooh, Megan--Kennedy is an awesome pen name!

Yes, ladies--the celebrity route is an awesome one to take. And some of our names sound amazeballs mixed with our celeb boyfriends.

Isn't Hunter cool as shiz? And Nadine Shelton does sound like quite a sophisticated name. I'd pick that
up :D

Thanks for commenting, all!

Racquel Henry said...

Hmmm...I've never thought about that! In high school I was nicknamed "Roxanne"....and my celebrity boyfriend is Dwight Howard...so how about Roxanne Howard. Lol...I quite like that name. :)