Jane Yolen and Take Joy

I have a book on my shelf (all right - I have tons of books, but I want to talk about this particular one) by Jane Yolen called "Take Joy". Now, for those of you who don't know who Jane is, you must have lived in a vacuum. She has written over 300 books and has won more awards than I can name, including the Nebula (science fiction) and Caldecott (children's). I have loved Jane's books for years and read them every chance I get. In addition to her fiction, she also writes non-fiction and that is what I want to talk about.

In this book, she encourages writer's to take joy in what they do. In the art and act of writing. And gives the writer's quotes, pithy essays, and "interludes" to help them reconnect with the joy of writing.

Too often, we writer's become bogged down in the work of writing. Plot the story. Create the characters. Build the world. Select the correct words. Edit. Rewrite. Submit. Rewrite. Promote. And so on. We lose sight of the reason we write. We lose the joy of writing. Ms. Yolen helps get that back.

One chapter in the book I especially love is the one titled "Out with Outlines". In this chapter, she takes famous books and boils them down - "Crushed Classics". Here are just a few - I hope they make you laugh as much as I did:

The Scarlet Letter - Hester Prynne was a bad girl. Still, she got an A

Jane Eyre - Mr. Rochester had a bad wife. And a good wife. One set fires. One ran for her life. Run, Jane, run.

MacBeth - Mr. Macbeth and Mrs. Macbeth got their hands dirty. Out, spot, out.

Lord of the Rings - Yo! Fro! Give the mountain the finger.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Jane Yolen's "Take Joy" from Writer's Digest books, 2006 copyright. You'll be glad you did.

Thought for today: Joy increases as you give it, diminishes as you try to keep it for yourself. In giving it, you will accumulate a deposit of joy greather than you ever believed possible. - Norman Vincent Peale

Today's Challenge: Try writing your own "Crushed Classics" - take any books you know well and boil them down to just a few words. Good luck!