On the Road Again: A Name by Any Other Name
Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.
It's been a while since I've taken a Road Trip. I'm disappointed to have missed last week's topic -- an ideal writing retreat.
Today's question: What would your pseudonym be?
I've never thought that I would use a pseudonym. I like my name. I've been published under my name, the first time at age 12, so when I got married, the decision to keep my name was easily explained and accepted by Hammer Guy -- and the fact that his sister's name is also Sara Lynn sealed the deal.
So if I had to use something, I would use my NPR name. I discovered this a couple of years ago on NPR's Monkey See blog: "The rules: Take the first letter of your middle name and insert it anywhere you'd like in your first name. And then your last name is the smallest foreign town you've ever visited. Presto: You too can compete with Korva Coleman, Lakshmi Singh and Mandalit del Barco."
Therefore, my pseudonym would be Sarla Wells.
In July of 2001, I spent two weeks in the United Kingdom, several days of which were spent in Wells, the smallest city in England. I loved England and I loved, loved, loved this little town. Wells Cathedral. St. Cuthbert's Church. Lovely old buildings, quaint shops, so much history. Someday I'd like to go back. For now, I will just take the village's name as my own in the event that I ever need a pseudonym.
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| Source: The Beauty of Wells Cathedral |
What's your pseudonym? What's your NPR name?
LOL great system!
ReplyDeleteLet me think how mine would be ... Juhliana Tome or Julihana Tome. Not sure I like it lol
I think Julihana has a nice ring to it, actually!
Delete"Smallest foreign town"--interesting because I'm an ex-pat Brit living in the US, so either both the US and UK are foreign, or neither of them are! I have been to Canada, so I suppose you could say that's a foreign country to me. We stayed with friends in Kitchener, and while it's not really small, it's the closest I can come up with to a "small" foreign city. And now I have to stick a "d" into my first name? Coldin Kitchener. Hmmm... sounds like a Thriller writer. THE NIGHT OF SEVEN KNIVES by Coldin Kitchener. I could go with that... :)
ReplyDeleteTHAT is a great name. And a great title!
DeleteSarla Wells has a nice ring to it! The only foreign country I've ever been to is Canada (Niagara Falls), so I'd be Jennilfer Niagara or Lennifer Falls. The 2nd one sounds like a place!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think you're onto something with the Jenny Pickel thing, btw! :)
DeleteI don't have a middle name :( So can I cheat and use my nickname Lyn? Lyn Brussels :D It doesn't sound as nice as Sarla Wells.
ReplyDeleteThanks... and I agree that you made the right decision sticking with Almodovar!
DeleteI have never heard of that. Your name works really well with that system. Mine not so much. Theremsa St. Kitts. Ha! That is awful.
ReplyDeleteNew follower :)
Thanks for stopping by and following. Personally, I think St. Kitts is a great last name... and a lovely island, although I am partial to St. Lucia. :)
DeleteOkay, love the NPR name game. Mine would be Katharinea Naarden.
ReplyDeleteI think.
I have probably been to smaller foreign towns, but I can't think of them right off. :0)
I like it!
DeleteOoh, Sarla Wells is a good one! And the NPR name game is hilarious---I'd be Sareah Moeraki. O.O Damn, that really DOES sound like an NPR reporter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by -- I think you might have a future at NPR with that one!
DeleteOh my goodness. This was fun and not at all easy =) I guess my NPR name would be something like: Jaimea Lauterbrunnen (a small town in Switzerland up in the Alps - it's beautiful). Still, it makes for a terrible surname lol.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued... and will be googling Lauterbrunnen!
DeleteWhoa, can I PLEASE go to that cathedral? That's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. No wonder you took your name after the place!
ReplyDeleteI can't come up with a good place for the first letter of my middle name to go in my first name, so I think I'll go without the NPR name and keep Arianna Sterling ;)
Arianna Sterling is a great name! And yes, that cathedral is amazing!
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