How to Make Your Own Pseudonym

Consider how much of your real name you want to keep., Decide what kind of genre you want to write and choose a name that fits it., Make sure that the complete name isn't awkward!, Select several pseudonyms by mixing and matching., Search for your...

8 Steps 1 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Consider how much of your real name you want to keep.

    You can shorten your name from something like William to Will, or Ashley to Ash, or simply choose a name that is similar. , For fantasy and science fiction writings, initials work best, such as J.K.

    Rowling and J.R.R.

    Tolkien.

    For literary works, "flowing" names work better, such as Nicholas Sparks and Barbara Kingsolver. , The amount of syllables must be easy to spit out, unlike Billie Letts (too many L's) or 2-syllable names. , It sounds silly, but write each name out in easy print and give the names a bit of space on the paper.

    Keep working on what looks good and cross out the rest. , Discard the ones that are being or have been used. , Just about anything will work, such as, "I have to read newest book!" or "Is coming for a book signing?"

    There's no formula for deciding the best one; if you like one better than the others, go with it! , That always gives you an interesting new name, and you can choose the origin of the name, like Irish, English, African, or even mythology.
  2. Step 2: Decide what kind of genre you want to write and choose a name that fits it.

  3. Step 3: Make sure that the complete name isn't awkward!

  4. Step 4: Select several pseudonyms by mixing and matching.

  5. Step 5: Search for your options with an Internet search engine to find out if anyone else has already used them.

  6. Step 6: Say each pseudonym out loud several times.

  7. Step 7: Choose your favorite pseudonym out of all of your options.

  8. Step 8: You can use random name generators like http://www.behindthename.com/random/ and try different combinations of the names you get.

Detailed Guide

You can shorten your name from something like William to Will, or Ashley to Ash, or simply choose a name that is similar. , For fantasy and science fiction writings, initials work best, such as J.K.

Rowling and J.R.R.

Tolkien.

For literary works, "flowing" names work better, such as Nicholas Sparks and Barbara Kingsolver. , The amount of syllables must be easy to spit out, unlike Billie Letts (too many L's) or 2-syllable names. , It sounds silly, but write each name out in easy print and give the names a bit of space on the paper.

Keep working on what looks good and cross out the rest. , Discard the ones that are being or have been used. , Just about anything will work, such as, "I have to read newest book!" or "Is coming for a book signing?"

There's no formula for deciding the best one; if you like one better than the others, go with it! , That always gives you an interesting new name, and you can choose the origin of the name, like Irish, English, African, or even mythology.

About the Author

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Diane Reyes

Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.

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