So what do people actually call her?

[Albertosaurus Rex]

So the real name of the author known as Robin Hobb and Megan Lindholm turns out to be Margeret Astrid Lindholm Ogden. But what is she called by people in her daily life, by family and friends? Margaret or some variant of the name like Maggie?

Just curious...

[Farseer]

I'm not sure, AR, but if there's an author out there who can understand how to live with multiple identities (like how her characters have to!), it's Robin Hobb!

I am always interested to hear how various authors come up with their 'nom de plumes', especially as they tend to come from more personal sources eg mother, grandfather etc. It would be so much more difficult than choosing a character's name (at least I'd suspect it would be as I am currently struggling with that very thing!), particularly as it is a name that will not only label and identify you but will also long outlive you in the public eye...if you're any good!

When you have submitted your short stories, have you submitted them using your own name or a pseudonym?

[Liquid Ice]

haha good question. You'd prob best best asking her on her actual website, she response to comments occasionally. Then tell us

I'd like to know why she picked Robin Hobb, as alot of people first see it at glance as Robin Hood

['thul]

Living with multiple personalities is not very hard. A properly built alternate identity takes a life of its own, as does a properly built book character...

To some degree, almost everyone lives with multiple personalities... Forum accounts for example, rarely reflect your personality outside forums exactly...

[Albertosaurus Rex]

I am always interested to hear how various authors come up with their 'nom de plumes', especially as they tend to come from more personal sources eg mother, grandfather etc. It would be so much more difficult than choosing a character's name (at least I'd suspect it would be as I am currently struggling with that very thing!), particularly as it is a name that will not only label and identify you but will also long outlive you in the public eye...if you're any good!

When you have submitted your short stories, have you submitted them using your own name or a pseudonym?

I have actually given a good deal of thought to this: should I use a pseudonym? Should I use different names for different genres?
I have played around with my first and middle names and variations on those, and surnames from my genealogy. I think my grandmother from my fathers side has a beautiful surname, and one that isn't very common either. I also quite liked an anglicized version of my name.

However, I decided:

1. I actually like getting credit for my stories under my own name.
2. One of the things I keep stressing is that no genre is inherently better or worse than others (although my tastes do tend primarily to fantasy). The best way to convey this idea in my writing is to use the same name for everything I write.

That being said, I used my initials. If I ever do get well-known (I still have to hear something from that mag) I don't need to be recognized all the time. Also, if by any stroke of luck anything I write ever gets translated... well, most people who aren't Dutch don't know how to pronounce the "IJ" sound in "Matthijs".
Admittedly, these are things that might never happen. I do have my feet firmly on the ground, be sure of that. So the name I used for submitting my stories is "M. J. Alberts". A little bland, but serviceable.

Back to Robin Hobb: in an interview she notes that the name "Robin" is androgynous (although more often used for males) which came in handy as Farseer was first-person male perspective. She also liked how it resonated with people like Robin Goodfellow (who is that?) and, yes, Robin Hood. "Hobb" was a last-minute spur of the moment decision that just felt right, and resonated with things like Hobbit.

[Mervi]

I know the "her name is actually" line gets mentioned a lot, but I'm a bit suspicious of it. I don't actually know if that is her official name (nor do I know how the US system for names works regarding what is one's "real name"). I know that she gets her mail even if you address it to "Robin Hobb" as long as the actual address is correct, but that's not the name she is listed under in the phone book. Whether the phone book name is her official name... I do not know either. What I mean to say is that I suspect that M.A.L.O. has been thrown together by someone writing an article about her and then people have just copied that information everywhere. But this is just a theory of mine, it could very well really be her whole name.

Anyway, to help people to understand where all the parts of that name come from: Margaret and Astrid are obviously first names - and might I add, very typical Scandinavian names. If I've understood correctly, her mother (though herself from the UK) had roots in Sweden. We also know as a fact that Lindholm is her maiden name and Ogden is the surname of her husband Fred.

"Megan" of Megan Lindholm obviously comes from Margaret so that pen name might just be explained simply as what she was called before she got married. Whether her maiden name is still part of her official name I do not know. Also, this might seem surprising now that the Lindholm books are all marketed with "who also writes as RH" all over the covers, but the fact that Megan Lindholm = Robin Hobb was actually a quite well kept secret through the years of publishing the Farseer trilogy!

I'd bet a lot of people in ~real life~ call her Margaret or Megan. I've understood that very few people in her social circles outside the family actually know that she writes as Robin Hobb even if they know she's a writer. Most fans seem to address her as Robin.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

"Megan" of Megan Lindholm obviously comes from Margaret so that pen name might just be explained simply as what she was called before she got married. Whether her maiden name is still part of her official name I do not know. Also, this might seem surprising now that the Lindholm books are all marketed with "who also writes as RH" all over the covers, but the fact that Megan Lindholm = Robin Hobb was actually a quite well kept secret through the years of publishing the Farseer trilogy!

I believe she mentioned in an interview somewhere that the "Megan" part of "Megan Lindholm" is fiction, but I'm able to locate it just now.

In the Netherlands, the ML books are labeled as "Robin Hobb writing under her real name" and then in a larger font below that "Megan Lindholm". But that might not be factually correct...

[Nuytsia]

I must admit I have noticed people in various places on the internet sometimes refer to her as 'Megan' instead of 'Robin' when she has been referred to as 'Robin Hobb' ..... for instance say as a comment attached to an article written somewhere about 'Robin Hobb'.
This always catches my attention - why do those people call her Megan? Is it because she IS known as Megan in RL or did they just know of her as an author first as 'Megan Lindholm' and now cannot bear to refer to her as 'Robin' ? (there's no indication that the people calling her 'Megan' DO definitely know her in RL, I just wondered why not call her Robin?)

I just assumed her name is Margaret, as that's what I read and why would they lie? Or would they???

Albertosaurus I would definitely want a pen name if I wrote a book. I would feel a lot more comfortable if I knew I could later deny responsibility!!! hehehehe

Hey I really like 'M. J. Alberts' - I can totally see that on a book cover!

[Farseer]

I would definitely want a pen name if I wrote a book. I would feel a lot more comfortable if I knew I could later deny responsibility!!! hehehehe

Hey I really like 'M. J. Alberts' - I can totally see that on a book cover!

I agree, on both counts!

I actually think it would be a fascinating test of an author's ability to try their hand at every genre possible...many of us like to read a variety of genres so it's interesting that the majority of authors tend to stay within the writing boundaries of only one or two.

[Albertosaurus Rex]

Well, I do think my focus will be on fantasy, but I like the idea of stretching myself a little. In fact, most of my short stories so far have not been fantasy.

However, I still have to hear something back from that magazine. They promise on their site to reply withing two months, yet it has now been longer since I sent in the story. Should I mail them about it?

(And I should I be talking about myself in a thread about Robin Hobb's name?)