Brainstorm Magical Titles and Headlines

Want to write a book? Brainstorm titles. Want to write a blog post or an article? Brainstorm titles. Want to write advertising? Brainstorm headlines.

Let's talk about headlines for a moment.

Headlines are fascinating. Copywriters (advertising writers, a la Mad Men) know that if the audience ignores the headline, they'll ignore the rest of the ad.

Titles and headlines are the most important part of any writing project, so it's worth the time it takes to get them right.

If you brainstorm titles and headlines, you've hooked the project. By that I mean, if the title or headline inspires you, the project will be a doddle to write. Many copywriters spend days on brainstorming headlines for a project. They know that if they get the right headline, the advertisement is done. I began writing copy in the 1980s. It took me at least a decade before I figured out that the headline was what counted.

Brainstorming book titles works marvelously well too. The title, after all, is the headline for the book. When you're writing a book, the title is for YOU, to help you to write the book. You may chance the title — or the publisher may change it — once the book's written, but your title helps you to write.

I ghostwrite books, and I know that even if I have zero inspiration for the book, the right title gives me a start. And once inertia is conquered, the project will gather steam, and finally roll right along to the end.

In your dreams: use your dreams and nightmares to brainstorm titles
I rarely have nightmares, but a couple of days ago I had one which jolted me and stayed with me throughout the day. Since nightmares arise from the depth of your subconscious mind, they're a potent source of titles. The next time you have a dream or nightmare, brainstorm a list of titles.

Start by creating a list of nouns and adjectives from the dream. This will show you how easy it is to create titles. Choose a noun, and you've got a title. If you're feeling especially creative, you can add an adjective or verb. For example: The Perfect Storm; The Taming of the Shrew...

Exercise 17. Seven days of titles.

For the next week, write ten titles a day in your journal. That's 70 titles - enough to provide inspiration keep you happily writing for months to come.