Hi, my name is R. K. Warbird. It’s a kick-ass name, even if I say so myself. Giving yourself a kick-ass pen name is one of the most important pieces of advice I’d give to anyone who wants to write.

Because the name is important. It’s in the cover of your every book. Use your own name if you can – it greatly increases the odds of your old high school classmates recognizing it and remembering you and thus suddenly starting to respect you – but if you have an uninteresting name, pick a new one. Pick a name that excites you and makes you think of yourself the kind of writer you want to be.

Because in the end, if you can’t sit down to write, you’re not a writer, and having a name that personifies the lack of fear of sitting down to write helps you do what is needed: to face the struggle, the fear, and to sit down to do the work.

I can’t speak for other writers, especially those who are way out of my league, but for me, the fear is great. It paralyzes. It will stand in the way and block you and do whatever it can to stop you from doing what is needed.

If you let it.

So don’t let it. Instead, say I’m [pen name], and no fear can stop me from doing my work.

Sitting down is the hardest part.