Do you know what I've been thinking about lately? Pen names. In case you are wondering, Lori Folkman isn't a pseudonym; it's my real name. I never really considered using a pen name. I guess I thought that having one identity crisis was enough and I didn't need to add in another identity. I don't know why authors choose to use a pseudonym--unless they are trying to get away from being "type cast" with one style of book, or they don't want their Jewish family to know that they write about the Amish, or maybe they think a different name would help them sell more books. Hmm. Maybe that's it. Maybe I should change my name to Tiffany Dyer.
But in all honesty, some names are cooler than others. For example: if I wanted to be a bad-guy rapper and my name was Marshall Bruce Mathers III, I'd probably want to change it to something cooler. Something like Eminem. Or if my last name was Mapother I'm sure I'd want to drop that and use my middle name so I could be Tom Cruise.
I've never disliked my name enough to want to change it, but I do get frustrated when people spell it wrong. Hello, LOOORI, with an "O". Whoever thought it should be spelled Laurie? (Although I had a super-cute southern belle roommate who called me Laurie, but she is the only one allowed to do that.) However, as a youngster, I HATED that I did not have a middle name. Everyone has middle names, and I just wanted to be like everyone else. I used to tell people my middle name was Natalie. I think I would take that up a notch now though and call myself Lori Natalia. That has a nice ring to it.
So have you ever thought about a pseudonym? What would you change your name to if you went to Hollywood or Amazon? If you do write with a pen name, what made you pick that name? Is it hard keeping up with another identity?
Hey JazznJenna, don't you know this guy?
Also, just wondering what level of coolness you have to achieve in order to get a rapper name. Like JLo or LiLo. If I was cool, would I be LoFo? Or LoRoFo? (Wow, that's zingy!) And if hubs and I were THE coolest couple in Hollywood, would we be Lorithew or Matori? What would your gangster name/couple name be?
Also also, do you have a nickname? Mine is Lori the Speed Typer. Go Speed Typer Go! OK, so not really. But maybe you have a super cool one you want to share?
Have at it: let's play with names!
