From Journal to Debut Novel: Turning My Private Reflections into “Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod”
A story about fear, courage, and falling in love with life again.
My debut novel: “Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod” was born from my journal
There are books we write, and there are books that write us. My debut novel, “Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod” (“You Have One More Summer, Says Death”), is one of those. It began not as a plan or a manuscript, but as a whisper scribbled into my journal on quiet mornings when life felt uncertain and courage was still something I was learning to trust.
Writing My Debut Novel: Where the Story Began
For years, my journal was my safest place. It held my fears, reflections and the words I didn’t yet have the strength to speak aloud. It was in those pages that I started to meet myself. Not the perfect version I tried to show to the world, but the raw, uncertain one who longed for meaning.
And somewhere between these reflections and heart-poured entries, a story started forming. A story about a young woman who meets Death and rediscovers life through it.
From Journaling for Self-Discovery to Writing a Whole Novel
Journaling is a powerful tool for self-discovery and an invitation for creative writing
I didn’t set out to write a novel. I was journaling to heal and to make sense of life’s transitions. But journaling has a way of revealing what’s been waiting beneath the surface: stories, truths, and transformations we didn’t know were ready to be born. Page by page, my journal became a mirror. And that mirror slowly turned into a manuscript.
“Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod” became not just a story of a woman facing death, but of anyone facing change. That moment when life asks:
“Are you truly living, or just existing?”
What Death Taught Me About Life
The novel was born from a simple but radical realization I kept returning to in my journals: When we stop running from death - from endings and from uncertainty - we finally begin to live.
Death, in my story, isn’t a punishment. It’s a mirror and a guide who reminds the protagonist (and me) of what truly matters: presence, love, and choosing life, again and again. And perhaps that’s what journaling really is: a daily act of choosing life. Each word is a breath. Each page is a reminder: I am still here. I am still becoming.
Journaling as a Bridge Between Inner and Outer Worlds and Your Life Purpose
In my work with School of Souls, I teach that our Inner Purpose (our being) fuels our Outer Purpose (our doing). Journaling is the bridge between the two. It’s a space where thoughts become awareness, and awareness becomes transformation.
It’s how I learned to listen to the quiet voice within me: the one that eventually became the voice of my protagonist. So in many ways, writing this novel was simply a continuation of my own self-discovery journey:
From fear to freedom.
From overthinking to feeling.
From surviving to truly living.
If You’re a Writer, Start with Your Journal
We often think writing a novel begins with an outline, a plan, or a perfect first sentence. But for me, it began with honesty with myself and my feelings. With showing up to the page even when I didn’t know what to say.
If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book, a story, a new chapter of your life - begin with your journal. Here are a few journaling prompts that guided me through the writing of “Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod”:
What am I most afraid to feel and what might happen if I let myself feel it?
Where in my life am I being invited to begin again?
What would I do if I knew I only had one more summer?
What do I love most about life?
My Debut Novel: A Love Letter to Life
Writing this book was my way of saying yes. Yes to life, to love, to courage, to the unknown. It reminded me that every ending carries a beginning and every fear hides an invitation to grow.
So if you ever find yourself on the edge of change, unsure where to go next, pick up your pen. Because you never know, your next chapter might just become the story that changes your life.
“Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod” is my way of reminding the world: You are alive now. This moment is your summer. And it’s never too late to fall in love with life again.
About My Debut Novel
Here’s a little about the novel itself:
Title: Du hast noch einen Sommer, sagt der Tod by Marie‑Kristin Hofmann.
Length: 336 Pages
Publisher: Moon Notes / Verlag Friedrich Oetinger GmbH
Release date: Scheduled for 15 May 2026 (in German)
Age recommendation: 16+ years
Themes: Self-discovery, courage, new beginnings, confronting fears, summer romance, big dreams
