My name is Amanda, the most common name in the known universe. Even worse, it’s Amanda Nicole- a combination of the most common first name, and middle name in history.

I had to come up with a name back in 2001 when I began writing on fanfiction.net (haha, I know, I was 13). I then became Senshikagyaku, some incomprehensible Japanese word meaning “The Warrior that likes Pain”. Got angst?

Last year I discovered Ficlets and was beside myself with joy, until the “create a penname” box appeared. I thought and thought and figured out the perfect way to come up with an amazing, more mature, nome de plume. I scampered to my bookshelf. which is overflowing and desperately unorganized, and grabbed the most tattered book I could find. Actually, that was Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, but I wasn’t gonna call myself Jesus. Long story short, the most worn, dog-eared thing I own:

Complete works of Edgar A. Poe

It flopped open to my favorite poem:

“Annabel Lee”

And so, my name was born.