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As I have previously mentioned I am currently writing a horror novel about werewolves in the far north of Idaho. The process is going surprisingly well considering that is also an experiment in writing a long form piece of fiction without my traditional outline to guide me. In the five-act structure I have adopted as my preferred story framework the first draft of The Wolves of Wallace Point, I have reached act 4 and haven’t yet struck the shoals that might sink this enterprise.

I have reached out to an editor that I am on fairly decent terms with and expressed that the novel could be finished soon and if they were interested heading out in their direction early in 2024. The reaction was favorable but with the caveat that given my previous novel was seriously science-fiction and a commercial train wreak it was likely that this book and subsequent horror novels would require to be published under a pen name.

In my traditional fashion of being overly concern way ahead of the need I find my thoughts returning again and again to the idea of a pen name.

What sort of name should it be?

Something wild and obviously crafted for the cover? Something to honor family members who helped me along the way? Something that places it near the front of an alphabetical list, so the book is near the front of any horror section in a bookstore? Something unique as to stick in a shoppers memory?

So many considerations and I have no guidance in how to proceed.