Back by popular demand

You may have noticed a lack of posts over the last few days. Interestingly, I've had complaints about that. I was expecting complaints about the excessive chatter, not the lack of it. Oh well.

So, quick refresh: the daily posts were part of an intent to focus on the happy, good things in each day and try to stay positive. You can draw your own conclusions from the lack of posts, I suppose.

Despite that, there were actually quite a few good things over the last few days. I helped a friend plan a complicated cosplay on Wednesday, and received art (and random little presents too, which was so sweet) from my friend Cally. She drew me a dragon for the new pen name, and named her, naturally, Leaf Pendragon. Ah, the puns. I should've thought of that one. Leaf's now the background of my Twitter page. I'm still playing with settings to work out if I can get her onto the background of the blog too, and keep everything legible. She's a pretty thing, though, you have to admit.

I also got some more feedback on Dryden version whatever it is at this point, and more again on Thursday. I was getting very lost in attempts to rewrite, second (and third, and fourth) guessing myself at every turn, certain of some problems and hating other bits but not sure if that was just me or if they actually needed work. Hearing back from my readers settles that - even if I disagree with the odd comment, it still solidifies what I have to do to make progress. It clarifies matters, and reassures me that there's something worth saving in the draft.

There was also the NaNoWriMo group chat on Thursday night, which meant I got a little writing done. Hanith again, poor lad.

On Friday I made it into town to pick up the latest Loki: Agent of Asgard comic, because Loki. It did make me laugh like a drain, too.

Saturday included a trip to the cinema to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier for the second time... So I really can't complain about that. I even managed to do almost all the dishes and cook again, afterwards.

Today was monthly NaNo in-person meetup, too, so I spent the afternoon hanging out with half a dozen other writers, generally geeking out, chatting, and keeping up to date with everybody's plans and current writing status. It's nice, though this particular meet did leave me more exhausted than usual. I think I'm still not quite entirely recovered from the troubles of Tuesday through Thursday. Remember I mentioned how the food and the happy overlap a lot? This does mean that lack of happy equals lack of food, especially if I'm feeling guilty. That in turn slows me down for a while, which does mean a much lesser chance of sparking off further guilt-inducing incidents, but also means it's difficult to get back up to doing a full day of normal stuff without ending up utterly shattered at the end of it.

Oh well. The delays in getting round to actually writing Dryden 2: The Second One have meant that the plot is getting longer, more in depth, and crueller with every passing day. Shame it all makes sense and follows on from the chaos of the first book. My poor characters. They did so little to deserve this.

Names will never hurt me

I'm not fond of my real name. Most of the time I forget I have it; I'll happily hold conversations with random strangers without ever introducing myself, and when they ask for my name I'll flounder for a minute and try to remember what it is. When "Your name on a ---" tawdry gifts are involved I tend to look at L before I look at G. I answer to my internet username more readily than the name my mother gave me. Someone using my full real name in conversation tends to throw me for a loop. (Or just make me cringe.)

So it's not really that surprising I'm going for a pseudonym, right? I mean, I don't want to get stuck signing a name I don't like, or grimacing if I see my work connected to it. It would seem counterproductive. I don't want to be downplaying any actual publication success I get just because it has my name unfortunately attached to it. "Yeah, that one's mine, just don't show me the name on the cover, okay?"

Lea Fletcher, on the other hand, I have been toying with using for six or seven years. I like it. I like the diminutive "Leaf" available, I like the connection to archery, I like that nobody's currently publishing under that name (someone who shares my real name has apparently published a couple of economics textbooks), I like the fewer letters, I like that it's closely linked to what I've been going by online for a decade - Lea and Lali works for me. I'll quite happily answer to it, and proudly point it out on the shelves or in magazines if I get the chance.

It doesn't seem to cause any complications when it comes to publishing, either. Copyright is simple enough, payment likewise, and I don't mind if my real name's in the small print. That's much less off-putting.

I expect a lot of people I know will tell me I shouldn't bother and should just use my real name anyway, not least since it would allow for old acquaintances from real life to see my work and buy for nostalgia value or to see if I turned out to be any good after all... But hey, if I'd got married it would be a different name and that effect wouldn't apply anyway. And I have every intention of spreading the word via Facebook and email and popping back to my old school to give my English teachers a copy if I ever do get out there. I'll make sure they know, if that happens. I don't need to use the old full name for that.

So when I submit Hanith to the British Fantasy Society this week, it'll be as Lea Fletcher. Because I have identity issues.

And I don't want my grandfather to find all my LGBT sword and sorcery and have a heart attack.