Nom de Plume

Our literary tradition abounds with writers who use pseudonyms.  An author writes as another for a variety of reasons.  Some have secrets to hide.  Others wish to delve into other genres or dabble in a dime story category to make money. Women write as men; men take on women's names.


Experiment with a "nom de plume" of your own.


Move into the musicality of names.  Go for a first name with two syllables, a one syllable middle name and a three syllable last name.  Or try names with 3-1-2 in syllables. Vary the cadence.


If you like flowers and animals:    Rosey May Marmoset
Try food and colors:     Hominy Seth Silvers
See what happens with a season and sensation or abstraction:  Summer Ennui
Combine a bird and an archaic name:   Aloysius Jay Canary


Creative Write:  Play with the musicality of a pen name.  Try the above examples or create two or three of your own.  After you have created the names, write a character sketch for each.  Freewrite from the personas to explore how it affects your writing.  


Free that alter ego or three.