Have you ever thought about writing a novel? Perhaps you have toyed with the idea after finishing a particularly good book (“I want to write a book that makes people feel like this!” or a particularly bad one (“If this author can get write a book, I certainly can!”). Or perhaps you have had fragments of plotlines, characters or even book titles cross your mind out of the blue.

Today, have some fun with a little novel word play in your personal journal. Who knows, you might just come up with an idea for a bestseller!

1.    Set a timer for 10 minutes, and write down as many book title ideas as you can. Let your mind wander, and jot down anything that strikes your fancy, whether it’s a single word, a fragment, a quote or a full title. This is a free-writing journaling exercise, so keep all of your ideas and don’t censor anything. Your list might look something like this, for example:

•    Frozen Water
•    The Magician’s _______
•    Rain of Roses
•    Tough as Nails
•    Soul
•    The Fantastic Dreams of Emma Goldberg

2.    When the timer goes off, read over your list. Which are your favorites? Underline or highlight three titles that you are most drawn to, and think about what story you would write for each book. Who would the main character be? Where would it take place? What would be the major conflict?

3.    On a fresh page in your personal journal, write the first few sentences of each of the three books. Be bold and creative, subtle and mysterious or lyrical and thoughtful – whatever you think the book’s style will be. Try not to self-edit or second-guess your ideas too much, and just get the words down on the page. For example:

The Fantastic Dreams of Emma Goldberg
Emma Goldberg was a dreamer. She made fantastic paintings out of the layers of dust on shelves instead of cleaning them like her mother asked. She invented imaginary battlefields in her fourth grade classroom instead of doing her spelling quiz like her teacher asked. Her dreams were always getting her into trouble, until the day they started coming true…  


What titles did you come up with in this journaling exercise? Are you inspired to write a short story or novel out of any of your ideas? Share your comments below!

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