A/K/A

That’s “also known as” and I’m writing on the topic due to a remark about my use of Pamela J. Dodd for writing, my website, and this blog. I don’t use my married name; instead I use my maiden name. When I first began to seek a publisher for The Gift Horse, I decided to make a distinction between the writer from other aspects of my life (including wife, mother, and English instructor.) For the record, I use hubby’s name on my driver’s license, my bank account, and at my job. In fact, both of my publishers send checks to the married name as well. Before I signed the first contract, I did ask hubby if he had a problem with my use of Dodd; he said, “I don’t care." And I don't think he does. For him, it has all the importance of my choice of laundry detergents.

Okay, I do tend to digress.

Many writers use a nom de plume, and most people know that Samuel L. Clemens wrote as Mark Twain and Mary Ann Evans wrote as George Elliot. However, readers might not know that M. M. Kaye is Mary Margaret Kaye Hamilton, that Marilyn Harris Springer writes as Marilyn Harris, or that Diana Jean Gabaldon Watkins writes as Diana Gabaldon. Apparently writing under a maiden name is not just my idea.

Some writers, of course, have several “author names.” I know several folks who count Nora Roberts as a favorite, and she also writes as Sarah Hardesty, J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts Smith, and Eleanor Wilder. I’ve heard Bob Mayer speak at writer’s conferences in the southeast; he writes as himself and as Robert Doherty, Greg Donegan, and Bob McGuire. Here’s a website with some 11,620 entries (4,179 'real' + 7,441 'pseudo') so you can look for your favorite authors to see who they really are.

When I was in high school, my mother recommended books by Jean Plaidy and Victoria Holt. During high school and college, I viewed the latter of that pair as one of my favorite writers. Later, I discovered Phillipa Carr, who also wrote what mama called “mysteries” on my own. Some years later, I discovered that the Plaidy, Holt and Carr books were all written by the same author, Eleanor Hibbert.

Entertainers often use “stage names” which is another use of a/k/a. For instance, Engelbert Humperdinck is really Arnold George Dorsey, and Wynonna is Christina Ciminella.

If you ever want to write as someone else, on the title page of the manuscript, put your real name, then on the next line, put writing as__________. Fill in the blank, and you are in good shape.

What I can't tell you is whether or not you want to let anyone know your alternate identity.

Want to know more about writing?

I’m always looking for great resources for myself and for other writers and wannabes, so I have a couple to share this week. One is online, and for the other one, you will need to either live in northeastern Georgia or be willing to travel here for a long weekend. Hey, this is a nice spot for a mini-vacation, so do consider it.

Authors Victoria Strauss and A.C. Crispin maintain a Writer Beware blog which goes along with their Writer Beware website, and it offers up-to-date information for writers of all levels of experience, but since newbies are often the ones who fall prey to scammers, anyone new to seeking publication should visit and revisit this blog. The authors have links to their latest publications, which is natural, and links to other helpful resources. I was especially impressed with their “two thumbs down” lists of agents and publishers to avoid. If you are remotely interested in writing for publication or in the publishing business, pay a visit to this one.

I recently received a brochure from the newly resurrected Harriette Austin Writer’s Conference, which will be held in July in Athens, Georgia. This conference was the first stop on my own journey toward publication, and the new website looks better than ever. The featured speakers for this year’s conference are Terry Kay, Ralph McInerny, and Peter Reinhart. Among those presenting at small groups is Bob Mayer, one of my favorite conference speakers, and a jim-dandy writer of science fiction and military fiction thrillers. This event is held at the UGA Continuing Education Center on the campus of the University of Georgia. If you are new to writing or want to advance your skills, this is great place to begin.