Wednesday, August 16, 2006

To D or not to D, that is the question

Mes Amis

Its happened again... people have almost but not quite got my name right.

You see when I started writing I used the D in my name - like, Russel D McLean. Its got a ring to it. I kinda like it. Yet people have started dropping the D on a whim of late. In publication, sometimes, or just in reference. At Bouchercon this year (and this could easily be my fault when I filled in the form) I have no D. Some people make fun of me for the D, too. Pretentious, they say. Fuck off, I say*. I just like it. Its the way I've always done things. I could live with being Russel McLean, but I'd have to change my signature and all sorts.

Its a question I'm thinking about now for continuity. Are people going to believe the D-less McLean is someone else? I sometimes do. Because, I don't want to be confused with a holistic dentist who shares a spelling with me (having one "l" is actually very unusual).

Anyway, I don't know just now but its just something that bugs me. And its not a huge issue. And mostly just a matter of ego.

Au revoir

Russel

*They also say, "What does the D stand for?" The answer is, "Don't know".

7 comments:

Bugtastic said...

I know! I know!
Its Demetri.
Your secret is out!

John Rickards said...

I always figured it for a vanity thing, like Theophilus P Wildebeest. It always baffled me that you didn't wear the huge medallion.

Vincent Holland-Keen said...

I always figured that to be a truly great author you needed four syllables in your name* and keeping the 'D' in would push it a syllable too far (though it worked for Tolkien). Perhaps you could avoid both problems by changing your first name to Russeld.

* - It's a common misconception that great authors are simply those who've written great books, but no, it's all in the syllables. You can have success with two syllables, but woe betide the author who goes with three...

Sandra Ruttan said...

Hey, I thought it was because of some other Russel McLean out there...

Whatever you're going to be, decide soon! We can't have you immortalized in print as, "Some Scottish Guy From Dundee (who insists he has a Fife accent)."

Sandra Ruttan said...

PS All this time, I thought it stood for 'Doh!"

Daniel Hatadi said...

D is good. D is a great letter, one of the best. I'd use it as a middle initial, but it would make people call me Dee-Dee and that wouldn't be cool. No sir.

Stuart MacBride said...

What the goat-buggering hell is a 'Holistic dentist'?

Distance yourself, Mr M, it's the only sane recourse!