Saturday, September 17, 2005

I NEED A PEN NAME

Hey, bloglit! Any thoughts on a good pen name? Here are a few I've been kicking around....

Polly Debrill (found that one on a map of, I think, Nebraska)

Polly Squires (an ancestral name)

Polly Talbot (another ancestral name)

Polly Maddox (just sounded cool)

Polly Effie (might sound too much like "effing"...which might generate juvenile name-calling from the not-so-sophistocated among us)

Polly Purdue (university...chicken... no good)

Polly Gohn (hehe)

Polly Mehr (hehe, again)

Polly Anna (I kill me)

Polly Tweezerski (getting bored...looking around for ideas)

Polly Cellphonson (time to stop)

23 comments:

Trillian said...

Polly Wannacracker?

Anonymous said...

How about Sherlock Polly or Polly Holmes? Or even Polly Holliday or Polly O'Hara?

Anonymous said...

I've got to go with either Polly Debrill or Polly Squires. They just have a certain ring to them.

serena said...

Who will you be next to on the bookshelf with those names? Also, you might want to pick a last name that is will place you close to a NY bestseller. Just a thought. Make it easy to spell and be sure you can get the url. Good luck. I vote for Polly Ester. hehe

PollyME said...

Brilliant, Savvychick!

Polly Clancydon
Polly Rowlington
Polly Evonovichski

annie said...

Polly Zon. Kinda like your academy name :-) Or Polly GraftonZon.

Anonymous said...

Choosing a pen name that will stick you close to an author who writes the same books sounds like a good idea.

Julia Quinn--her pen name--did that to get her books next to Amanda Quick's. Both write historical romances.

Cap'n Bob said...

Let's not forget Polly Adler, although not many people would get the reference these days (she was a famous madam). From your list I like Squires. I used to watch the Hollywood Squires years ago. See what you've started?
Some people choose a pseudonym based on where that name will appear on a store's bookshelf. Often the letter M is at eye level for most people. X, Y, and Z are buried down below and A is often high up. You might consider an Irish name, a Mc- or Mac-. You can even cover all the bases as Polly McMack.
Sorry dear. It's early and I was drinking last night.

Anonymous said...

I like Polly Maddox. As as Cap'n said, your book(s) would be at eye level, but of course with the right cover, you could also be on that big table when you first walk into B&N!

DonnaJo said...

I say, go with your real name.

That way, when all of the old boyfriends walk into a book store, they'll see your book on the table and immediately start eating their hearts out.

Anonymous said...

if it had a lot of math in it, go for Polly Nomial...

real books in my school's library

Engineering Mathematics by Homer Dull

Ruled Surfaces by (don't remember first name) Edge

Anonymous said...

Amanda Quick is a penname of Jayne Ann Krentz, May.

A variation of Kaf's (courtesy Woody Allen):

Polly Morphously Perverse

Polly Roberts (next to Nora)

Polly MacDonald (John D. & Ross, though the latter is Macdonald)

Or if you want similar:

Polly Buchanon or Polly Buck (Edna Buchanan)

Just anything but Polly Cornwell

annie said...

Leaving all hopes at being placed next to someone already well-known, you could always select a last name that begins with the letter "I" and have your middle initial be "P". You know, so you'd continue to be Polly P.I.

Anonymous said...

Polly, P.I. stands for:

Primrose I. Polly

Which in the card catalog would be listed as "Polly, Primrose I." or "Polly, P.I."


... her friends call her Polly though....

Anonymous said...

Cher, Sting, Bono, Madonna, simply use Polly. Be the first one word literary star. It will work.


_Walker

Anonymous said...

Sly has a point. Plus, this is non-fiction, and there probably should be a "trail" of sorts back to your career(s). I doubt if any of your former employers would remember Polly (Anything).

Keep a good pen-name for when you go fiction and need to jaza it up.

Anonymous said...

Polly P. I.
an original screenplay concept
by Race
Action: An antisocial loner teams up with an alcoholic ex-CIA agent to solve the perfect crime. In the process they turn state's evidence on a nun. By the end of the movie they poison 567 oogly mothers-in-law and end up winning the admiration of their department, living happily ever after.
Think It's a Beautiful Life meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

DonnaJo said...

*snorking at the concept of "anonymous" giving tips on a pen name*

Anonymous said...

I like kibby's idea. Or Polly Peayi

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS on the contract!

Anonymous said...

Let me add my congrats, and one more idea for a Pen Name (prepare to groan):

Polly Wally Doodlealltheday

Mike Weasel said...

Polly Hedron?

Polly Gone?

Polly Ester?

MrFisher said...

Well, I'm way LTTG but I peronally like

Polly Butternot (I mean unless you wanna)


Aslo, as a runner up, I like

Mono Polly

Mike Weasel said...

Yes, but then everyone will think she has mono...