NO LIE: "YES" IS MY FAVORITE WORD

More than once during the Q & A portion of a school visit, a student has asked, "What's your favorite word?"

My answer:

YES is a door opening, all mystery and wonder.

YES is being alive to possibility.

YES will take you far in this writing business:

When an agent says she needs a proposal right away to turn your stand-alone to a series: YES

When an editor says she needs the revisions in two weeks instead of the six you were planning: YES

When a library wants to book your program, but doesn't have the funding: YES

When a striving writer asks you to read his first draft, and you don't really have time, but you remember being a striving writer...heck, you still ARE a striving writer: YES

When a reader/blogger/teacher/fan requests an interview, after you've already done so many that you are sick of yourself: YES

And YES, one does need to know when to say NO. But don't put your creativity in a cage. You may accomplish your word count, but imagine what you might be missing...

Life is the art of saying YES.

I urge you: be open to YES!