She Who Will Not Be Named

Does everyone have one? Like Harry Potter's Voldemort (He Who Must Not Be Named), I seem to have acquired a She Who Will Be Not Be Named. For that reason, I will hold off on revealing my author names (pseudonyms) for a while. Bottom line, I choose not to offer someone, with whom I've spent less than ten (10) hours with during the past 10 years, the opportunity to leave negative reviews for my books out of ugliness and spite and possibly tank the series before it has a chance to gain traction with readers.

I suppose that, for some, a She Who Will Not Be Named might be an ex-coworker who knows that you know what or who she did to get and keep a job for which she in no way qualifies. Or perhaps, a supposed friend who took issue with the fact that you expect them to take responsibility for their own finances or lack thereof and that you are not a never-pay-back loan company. Maybe even a no-longer family member (by your choice) that appreciates gossip and drama way more than you ever could.

She Who Will Not Be Named could be anybody... But she's someone that's gained an obsessive interest in you, your life, and your activities. Because, in this person's perception and opinion, you are not deserving of success or happiness.

In this instance, I wish I could say that I had said or done something to this person to gain such magnanimous attention and ire, and, thus, offer an apology and make amends; however, it seems, in this situation, all I "did" to gain such notoriety and power was just "be."

Yes, my very existence is the focus of this person, for it seems I am living "the life she deserves."

Truth be told, I barely know this person, and not surprisingly, have no desire to expend time and energy in this person's stead or direction.

Why have I been the targeted, er, chosen by this, um, cough-cough, lady, and her cronies, ah, associates?

Wrong place, right time? Right place, wrong time? Because my hair is curly? My eyes are green? Perhaps my relationship choices? Hers?

Two things I know for sure: 1) my life during the last 10 years has been a thrilling adventure, and I wake every morning looking forward to my day, and 2) that if She Who Will Not Be Named focused more on her own issues, perhaps she might be living a more fulfilling, healthy, happy life, rather than wishing to live and/or cause harm to mine.

Would She Who Will Not Be Name rally her crew of like-minded folks to make an effort to harm my writing career?

Sadly, more than likely.

My advice to those who must deal with other She Who Will Not Be Named encounters? 1) Live your life, and don't hesitate to seek assistance (legally, if called for) should She cross the ugly line into stalker territory, and 2) take needed counter measures, if warranted [such as my not offering up my writing name(s) for fodder].

My suggestion for She Who Will Not Be Named: Get a life of your very own.

What's in a name? (And it ain't Rose.)

That Shakespearean thing...a rose, is a rose, is a rose... Except when it comes to being recognizable and relatable to readers, if you're a Rose that writes young adult, you'd better be a Lily that writes romance.

According to Author Russell Blake's recent blog about pen names, readers expect writers to write what they expect writers to write. For instance a Young Adult author that writes romance, basically will alienate potential readers because of the other genre he or she writes.

Pen Names, Pseudonyms. Noms de Plume. For clarity for the readers, Mr. Blake is of the opinion that if an author writes in different genres, they should use a different pen name. For romance, for instance, an author could write under R.E.D. Rose, while for YA fiction Rosie Red, and maybe for mystery Rosaline Reddington. (Hmm, what fun pseudonyms!)

While I am building a brand around an awesome pen name, I also took into Mr. Blake's take on other reasons to use a pen name, such as privacy issues and safety concerns.

In  our lives, we all encounter someone who doesn't like us. (Gasp!) Someone we've rubbed the wrong way in a passing encounter... Or an ex-friend or ex-family member (yep, you can have those too). Or a fellow jealous author (really?), or even someone that is prone to resent other people's possible successes.

Just starting out as a published author, do I want to make myself a target of the aforementioned list?

Nah, I want my writing and my books to have a change to stand on their own merit, without being subjected to being a target of some sort of, er, person, on the list above.

So pen names or pseudonyms it is!