Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Road Trip Wednesday- What's in a name?




This Week's YA Highway Road Trip Topic


If you couldn't use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?




This one's a little complicated. It's not that I can't use my real name,  but I already write under a psuedonym.

Hoffine is my maiden name.


There are a few different reasons I use it:

First off, my married name is almost as common as Jennifer...and that's saying a lot because it doesn't get much more common than Jennifer, esp among women my age.

Next, I wanted a little bit of cushion between my web and personal lives. I say a bit, since now that I've joined Facebook for High School Reunion purposes, that cushion is about as thin as a sheet.

Most important, and the reason my very first queries went out with the name Hoffine on them, is that I promised my dad that if I ever published anything it would be under his name, since he had no sons to carry on the name for him. Of course, as an education major, I think he figured that would be in a professional journal or maybe a curriculum book, but I think he'd approve of YA, and my writing. I still hope to do him proud with his name.

What about you? What name would you use?

16 comments:

  1. I don't know but sometimes it's fun to play around and create the perfect name for an author. :)

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  2. I love your reasons for keeping your maiden name! Your dad will certainly be proud of you.

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  3. I agree with Meredith!
    I keep by maiden name just because I think it sounds better lol

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  4. I'm sort of in the same boat as Gregoire is my maiden name and I'm sure your dad would approve of your name showing up on a YA novel just as much as a professional journal.

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  5. I like the name Jennifer, even if it is popular. And, as the father of five daughters, I like your reasons for publishing under your maiden name. Not that I think there's any danger of my last name dying out... :)

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  6. Can't think of a better reason than honoring a promise to your father. I can only hope my children are as devoted to me and my husband when they grow up. :)

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  7. I like the idea of passing on a name. My dad had three daughters, and his brother's kids didn't have children. So, I guess the same is true of me. very cool. :0)

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  8. I think those are great reasons. I think I'd write under a pen name if I wanted to try a different genre.

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  9. I wanted to write under my maiden name for all the reason you do. If I did, I wouldn't even think of it as a penname. It's the name I was born with after all. Saddly, there is already a best selling author publishing under my maiden name, so I'm stuck with my husbands name (or something totally made up) as my only option.

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  10. I also go by my maiden name. My husband's last name is 'Fink', which hardly inspires confidence. I like the way your name sounds.

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  11. I love your reason for keeping your maiden name for your writing! My sister and I are the last of the Behrenses on our family tree, so I feel similarly attached to mine.

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  12. I know several people who use their maiden names instead of their married names. I don't know what my name would be! I've never thought about it.

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  13. I've been hearing a lot about writers using their maiden names too. I think it's pretty neat that you use it as a tribute to your father too. I was named after my father (which I explain on my RTW post) and so I have toyed with the various ways to print it. I intend to publish with my real name. It would probably take me forever to come up with a pen-name I really liked.

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  14. I agree with everyone; what a wonderful reason to use your maiden name. If I used a different name, it would be for my mom, though I'm not sure which one I would pick. She always wanted me to write.

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  15. I like that you're using your name to honor your dad. I didn't really think of mine until after my parents split up...but suddenly I had to get both names in there--et voila, Kaylor Phillips!

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  16. That is such a sweet tribute to your dad! You can bet he'd for sure be proud of you.

    I have no idea what I'd use instead of my own name. Heck, I think I'd get a bit confused if I used something else.

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