I Guess It’s Too Late to Change the Site Name…

There is a theory that placing two coat hangers in a closet produces more coat hangers through some frenzied yet illogical process of inorganic reproduction that’s best left unexamined outside of a Philip K. Dick short story.

If someone suggested that placing two web articles in the Internet equivalent of a closet would produce an article about writing, I would believe them (whether or not the person suggesting it was Phillip K. Dick).

This may explain the overwhelming amount of articles about writing on the Internet — and despite their freakish origins, I read a lot of said articles.

So in the spirit of my focus earlier this month on business plans and planning, I wanted to share an interesting article by Kristen Kieffer in The Verbs that goes over some of the things one should think about as they plunge forward along the journey of being a full-time writer. I especially like the reminders about all the different avenues, back alleys, and overall channels writing could make some ducats. There’s also the important question of one’s “author brand.”

I admit, with working on getting Jabberwocky Audio Theater back off the ground and improving Stonehenge Casting, I haven’t given too much thought about my “personal brand.”

And clearly, I should have thought about what kind of pen name I should have and how that informs what kind of writing I write. I mean, when I think of Bjorn and writing, I think of  him:

Admit it: you wouldn’t want to be caught in a dark alley in Tromsø with this guy. It’s like every Ingmar Bergman slasher film you’ve ever seen. Don’t quibble with me about the fact that Ingmar Bergman is Swedish and, also, has never made slasher films: you know it’s true!

I suppose it’s not that bad. I mean, if I want to tell bitterly realist stories that end in families crying — or perhaps take a turn at nihilist crime fiction, I’ve got the name for it. But what if I want a bit more adventure? Something that has a bit more action or, dare I suggest, swagger? Well then I probably need another name. Something like “Jack Stone” — or “Brick Gunderson” if I wanted to keep some hint of Scandinavia. Construction materials need to be involved.

I guess it’s too late to change the site name.