Friday, April 29, 2011

Yes - the abcedaria of a writer

Yes and Yes and Yes and Yes - yes is the best word we writers can keep and spend. Say yes outloud right now - notice what happens - your whole face appears to lift and open - your eyes take it all in, everything lights up.

Now, say no. What happens then? You know what happens - you close, you stop, you become an obdurate block of negation. And I'm not saying you need to say Yes when you mean No or that you need to be an agreeable nincompoop. Absolutely not. But to life, to experience, to travel, to learning - why YES you do!

A writer must write with Yes and perhaps edit with a bit of No but definitely polish with Yes. You must dance with Yes and love with Yes and eat and cook and walk with Yes. Your Friday Challenge is to take a recent piece of work and give it the yes test. Run through it saying yes and yes and yes and see what happens. I double-dog dare ya!


I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.

e. e. cummings
And then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will yes.

James Joyce , Ulysses

19 comments:

Bish Denham said...

Yes! I like this post. I must say yes to myself more often, it really does "feel" good.

Tina Laurel Lee said...

Yes I will yes. Love that quote.

Hart Johnson said...

YES!!!! Oh, this is good to remember! I've always been a yes girl... have more trouble with that 'no' thing...

Talli Roland said...

YES is my favourite word! :) Love it!

Happy Friday, Jan.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Actually the word "Yes" brings unhappy memories for me. My late husband had brain cancer and come the end that was the only word he could say. I don't know why that one particular word.

I did however enjoy reading your Y word post.
Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

Jan - For so many of us, that word is liberating and positive and supportive. In fact, that's said to be the word that attracted John Lennon to Yoko Ono. She did an art piece that invited viewers to climb up a ladder and read the word "Yes" that she had placed on the ceiling above it. Lennon saw that piece and was pulled in, so to speak, right away...

Rae said...

Sometimes I look back on my work and I really, really want to say YES, but all that comes out is a "maybe". I'll try harder! See you at Z!

Loralie Hall said...

Such a great and motivational thought - thank you for phrasing it all so well. ^_^

Marjorie said...

Yes, this is a lovely post. I really enjoy your style, Jan!

Unknown said...

Yes!

And I love the quote by Ulysis! It's brilliantly yesful.

E. M. Prokop said...

Hey Jan..I gave you the Liebster award..go to my blog to pick it up..this is fun!

Julie Flanders said...

Love the quotes!
Fabulous post, and I promise to take the yes test!!

D. U. Okonkwo said...

Yes Yes Yes! Great post and I totally agree.

Unknown said...

You are so sweet and I am so sure your glass is half full. Nice post.

Arlee Bird said...

I never thought of it that way but you are right. Yes, yes, yes, yes! I'm starting to feel happier already.


Hope you'll join us for The A to Z Challenge Reflections Post on Monday May 2nd.

Lee

N. R. Williams said...

Fabulous word, yes. Great post, one challenge we should present to ourselves and those around us daily.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.

Ann said...

Yes...a word that brings a smile to the face.

Heather Henry said...

Yes, truly a lovely word. You're right, it is easy to smile with the word yes.
I love the e.e. cummings, very beautiful. The picture is fantastic too!

moe said...

Great, it needs to be reinforced, to accept what is there and then run with it. Improvisational theatre is based on accepting whatever is thrown at you by the audience and then by your fellow players on stage.
Life is improvisation...thanks for the ride, Jan.
Yes...talk to you again soon.