When I submitted my first story to Writers of the Future (WotF), I didn’t hesitate to sign it with my nom de guerre, T.R. Naus. I’ve used this name for activities since 1990, but I haven’t shared widely why.
I looked online for reasons people use pen names. The list included privacy and protection, genre diversification, branding and image control, avoiding confusion, gender anonymity, professional separation, and marketing strategy. I am not using a pen name for any of those reasons. I surround myself with tokens and mementos of life-changing events, and the name T.R. Naus is one of those reminders.
It stands for Trail Rider Nauschuetz. Shortening my last name (which I am very proud of) to Naus was to make it easier for people to say. It is often mispronounced in the most brutal ways.
To understand Trail Rider, I should explain that I was a horrible procrastinator growing up. I was also regularly told that I was wasting my potential. If I were interested in a new experience, I would briefly focus on it intensely before moving on. I would ignore it if I were uninterested (and this was more often the case).
On my first duty assignment, I joined a team of highly motivated soldiers. They were very good at their jobs and often ranked among the best when the stats were pulled. They refused to have a slacker on their squad, so they pushed me to keep up. I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself. The skills I learned from them helped me land the following several jobs, and I eventually became recognized as a subject matter expert.
I also realized that my work ethic had shifted. When I was at work now, I was all in. I dedicated everything to the job while I was on the clock and would do overtime if needed. This was not the Dan of old.
Our team often worked the shift that straddled midnight. We would sign both our log book and slam book entries with the team name “Trail Riders” until midnight and “Trail Blazers” after midnight. Trail Riders stuck as the team name.
I loved that team so much. I am indebted to what they taught me, but more importantly, I am grateful for how they helped me grow into who I am today. I swore that I would never forget them or that experience.
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