Pen Names (Pseudonyms)

All right, I said I would help you come up with pen names, and I will. In this blog. And right now.

So as an author, where do you start? First, what genre are you writing in? I'll help you out with a list of the names you can use when writing a book:

• Your name (Jonathan Kyle)
• Your first and middle names (Jonathan Matthew[s])
• Your initials (J. M. Kyle)
• Your Full name (Jonathan Matthew Kyle)
• A Pseudonym

Okay, you can see that there are many options. I will go down each one and help you decide. But first, look up other authors of your preferred genre and see how they format their name.

First, your actual name, Jonathan Kyle. It does not sound like it would be an epic fantasy type book. Other than that, it could go for a lot of things. For some context, I would say Jonathan Kyle would be best for Science Fiction.

Second, your first and middle names, Jonathan Matthew. If you wanted to make your middle name more like a last name, add an "s" to make it Jonathan Matthews. This would probably go best under the genre of non-fiction. But it would go fine under others as well. Any name could potentially go under any genre, so this is just a suggestion.

Third, your initials, J. M. Kyle. This style works best for fiction, specifically fantasy (epic fantasy at that). This is probably the only one that can really be generalized by your name. If you're writing under the fantasy genre, your initials is probably the best way to go (unless, of course, your name sounds better). You could do it three ways: J. M. Kyle, J. Kyle, or M. Kyle. The first option is certainly the most common. Maybe not, but it is very common, especially with the more famous authors, such as George R. R. Martin, J. R. R. Tolkien, N. D. Wilson, J. K. Rowling and C. S. Lewis.

Fourth, your full name, Jonathan Matthew Kyle. This is probably the least common option. Only go for this if your full name is pretty short. If your name is long, like Jonathan Matthew Kyle, I recommend you avoid this. Imagine this scenario: your book becomes pretty famous, and someone recommends you to a friend. However, your name takes too long to type into the search bar on their phone. It sounds ridiculous, but it is completely true. People are lazy, and with phones, they will most likely not take the time to put in your name. Stick with something (relatively) short.

Finally, a pseudonym. This is my favorite option, because my actual name does not sound good in any of the above formats. If your name is the same way, a pseudonym is the best option. The options for a pseudonym are:

• Arrangement of your name
• Variation of your name
• Completely different name

For a different arrangement, try something like M. K. Jonathan, Kyle. M. Jonathan, Matthew J. Kyle or other variations. There are many, many combinations. Think of which one best suits your needs. 

A variation of your name works as well, such as Matthew Jones, Kyle Jones, Mark Johnson, and on and on. Alter your names slightly or replace them with similar sounding 

A pseudonym is the hardest to choose from. It can be anything. Make a list of your favorite, most awesome sounding last names, first names and, if you're that kind of person, middle names. Combine them to sound really cool, and make sure there isn't already an author under that name. But it's okay if one book has been written under that name in a different genre. You can use initials here, too.

For example, if you choose the pseudonym Kristof Williamson for a science fiction novel, look it up to make sure there are no authors with that name. But if another Kristof Williamson has written a book about the disadvantages of crop rotation, you can still use that name, as long as that is the only book he has written. People will certainly not confuse the two of you.

Make sure you do not choose the name of another author with a few semi-popular books, even if it's in another genre. For example, don't use the name Jonathan Swift even if you're writing legal thrillers. The name is too famous. If you don't know who he is, look him up.

So, if you chose a pseudonym and narrowed it down to the names that would be unique to your book, you have anywhere from two to seventeen names. I fell closer toward the second category. If you only have a few, it should be easy to pick. Ask a bunch of people you know which pen name they prefer. Or, if you prefer total anonymity, think about which one you want to be known by. Say it aloud several times to yourself, referring to an author. An example would be saying "You have to read the new book by Kristof Williamson!" to yourself many times. If it sounds good, keep it. If not, reconsider.

Also, sign the name over and over. If you become famous under the pen name, will you want to sign book after book with that name? Write out your options as signatures and see which one looks better.

If you have seventeen options, you might want to cut down simply based on awesomeness; that is, which ones you really, really like. Then use the signature method.

Another way you can cut down on names is to search to see if there are blogs/domains with that name. For example, if there is a www.kristofwilliamson.com, you wouldn't be able to use that as a name. You could use a dash, or add "author," but it would be best if the name you use can be used as a plain old, simple domain name.

And all of that advice I gave you about a domain name is if you even want a domain. If not, you could start a blog (like this one) and have that be your "domain." So you could start the "Kristof Williamson" blog at wherever. Blogspot, wordpress or wherever you like. If you go for the blog option, check to see if your pen name would be available as a blog.

If it gets down to two options and you just can't decide, there are three things you can do to help you decide:

1. Flip a coin. Not because it actually helps, but while it is in the air you know what you really want.
2. Do a simple book cover and put your name on it. Which looks better on your cover? If you can't tell, then maybe it's time to ask someone's opinion. If you've already done that and they can't decide, use the other helps.
3. Think about it in a different scenario: if you were to legally change your name, which would you change it to?

I hope this helped! Thank you for your time.

How to Write to Let Your Reader Use Imagination

When you watch a movie, how often do you have discussions with your family about the overall message of the underlying worldviews presented? Often? Fantastic.

And how often do you deeply reflect on the morality presented in the main character's decisions that outlined how the bad guy can be so evil? Not so often? Hmmm, better work on that.

And how often do you have a fight with your brother about the antagonist's hair color? What? Never? Seriously? Wouldn't that be ridiculously hard to discover? Oh, right. Forgot.

Movies put everything in front of you on a screen so there can be no argument. Your mind knows exactly what the characters are supposed to look like. In a sense, it "overwrites" your imagination. But with movies, you don't even have to use imagination. It's just there, without debate.

It's obvious what the difference is, but why should you care?

Because it should change the way you write your book. Or not, if you've already figured it out and write accordingly. But think about it this way: your book should have a lot of subtext. Meaning, you need to leave plenty to the imagination.

For example, I have a lot of characters in my book that I don't describe. I might eventually, but not in depth. Why? Because I don't need to. I'll put it in simple terms, and give an example: "he had blonde hair, that waved in the wind like so much wheat in a field on a windy, sunny day, and his blue eyes cut through the night with a radiance of dignity. His nose extended past the end of his face like a mountain, and his cheekbones were sharply contrasting upon the features that were visible in the shining moonlight."

Do I really need much more than just maybe a quick description of him? Like maybe this: "He was hoisted up to his feet and the Captain grabbed a fistful of his hair. 'Brown. Just like Tim.' One of the lads looked closer at him and noticed the scar running down his thin face." That is much better, because it leaves more to the imagination. But I could still potentially do better.

But you don't need some ridiculously poetic/serious description of every inch of his facial features. To the reader, it seems like you're just looking for filler. And here's the thing: if you describe their background and their personality, the reader will automatically assume a look to them.

People sometimes say "I don't judge a person at first glance." They're wrong. Everyone does, whether they like it or not. It's because what you look like is inexplicably tied to your personality. This is what separates the good actors from the great. The great actors know this. Sometimes unconsciously, but they know this. They know that a personality will always look a certain way, and behave a certain way. Good directors know this. The costumes and makeup the actors will wear will be linked to how they act, and what the character is like.

So when you write about how someone behaves, and what type of things they enjoy and think about, you've already given him a look.

For example, this right here would be a plenty fine description: "He was hearty and jolly, although sometimes mean-tempered. He had come from a poor family, but you would never guess from looking at him. Except that his natural face, the one that shone through on occasion and the one that was not quite so thin, had deep lines of sorrow written on it." That might be a little too poetic, but what kind of person do you envision? Do you really think that he needs more than that? Maybe hair color, hair style and MAYBE (I say this almost laughingly) eye color. Think about it this way.

What color are Iron Man's eyes? Loki's? The Hulk's? Sam Gamgee's?

If you know every single one of those, you are an exceptional "noticer." I can tell you how many of these people's eye colors I know: the same number as the amount of times I have walked up to someone and said "you know what, you look like the type of person I would punch in the face in the middle of a debate round." (That would be zero, just so we're on the same page here.)

Let's pick one. I pick Sam Gamgee. I hope you didn't remember his eye color. But how well do you have his image in your head? Pretty well, I imagine. And what color is his hair? Blonde, duh. Everyone knows that (if they've watched the movies). But that's not his defining aspect. If blonde hair is the only thing you remember him for, then you might as well have remembered Thor.

But what about his build? His body type? What he looks like below his head? How well do you think you could describe that part of his body? I'm not sure what your writing skills are like, but I can say that I can't really describe him very well. So I remember him from my memory and what his personality is. See that? His personality is important. Even more so for books.

To conclude, this doesn't just apply to characters; it applies to weapons, to gadgets, to buildings (unless a long description is absolutely necessary), and to pretty much any item. Leave things to the imagination. It will drastically increase the quality of your writing. I know, because I did it. I used to write horribly.

Use this to your advantage and slaughter the competition. Your characters can shine through, if only you don't care so much what they look like on the micro-scale.

Of course, some characters will need to be described physically. In fact, probably your main character does. And here's a little hint: some don't need to be described at all. They just need to appear, and you can cleverly work in bits and pieces of their personality and their physical appearance. That is, if you're good. And you probably are. I don't know many authors who couldn't do this.

Physical descriptions can add to the personality, and vice versa. Just don't spend too much time on the physical. Enough to identify, but not enough to picture as clearly as a person from a movie. Let their imagination do the work. That's one of the main benefits of books: they let you use your imagination! Don't deprive your reader of that joy. Think carefully about your character descriptions. If they're great, they will have the right amounts of both physical and personality descriptions. If they're not so great, they won't.

Make sure the character development focuses more on the personality. How you continue is equally important as how you start.

If you do your characters wrong, it could make your book just like too many other books: boring and unremarkable. You don't want that.

If you do your characters right, they will seem real. Your potential readers will love you for it.

Thank you for your time.