Tuesday, April 24, 2012

U is for Underdog



Do you remember Underdog?  I have the t-shirt.  When I wore it one day, my youngest asked who that was on my shirt.  I told him about Underdog and his motto:  "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"  For weeks after that, my little guy would yell his version of the Underdog motto: "USE YOUR FEAR!"




I remember Underdog as being a super lame super hero.  I didn't remember that he only speaks in rhymes; he's sort of a poet, a very awkward one.  He talks in a nasally voice and runs through walls even though a door is right there. 

As aspiring writers, we are the underdogs.  The odds against us are immeasurable.  "There's no need to fear!" is an appropriate motto for us since we need to be fearless, but I think "Use your fear!" is even better. 

It's terrifying to spend months, maybe years, committing words to paper, words no one may ever want to read or that readers may only criticize.  But it's scarier not to try, not to work hard enough to ensure success, not to give it our all.  So do everything in your power to make your novels, poems, or short stories outstanding.  Don't give up.  Use your fear!



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This post is part of the 2012 A to Z Challenge.  My apologizes for being behind reading other posts. 

Maybe this post would have been better for Insecure Writers' Support Group Day, but I needed something for U. 

14 comments:

  1. We regret what we didn't do, not what we did.
    Use your fear - funny!

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  2. I loved Underdog and had forgotten all about him. I have a lot of fear I can use so I'm going to try to remember your son's motto, very cute!

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  3. I'm fueled on fear when it comes to writing. All I need is the cape.

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  4. haha i didn't remember his rhymes either!

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  5. I totally remember Underdog. Loved the show. :)

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  6. I loved Underdog!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog this morning! I really appreciate it!

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  7. I loved the mild-mannered Shoeshine Boy and Polly Purebread! Great "u" post! Julie

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  8. another underdog! its a bird its a plane...
    not bird nor plane nor even frog,
    its just little olme, underdog =)

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  9. I love that. I'm going to start saying that, "Use your fear!" When my son was young and I could foresee a possible future career of computer hacking, I would tell him, "Use your knowledge for good, not evil." He loved it because I was so dramatic about it. I think I'll say "Use your fear" to all my writer friends in the same tone. Thanks!

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  10. Ha! Your son is right. "Use your fear!" I'll have to remember that.

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  11. Oh my, I haven't thought about Underdog in a long time. I often sing the Mighty Mouse song though.

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  12. You so made me laugh. I'd forgotten about Underdog. Great post.

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  13. I loved Underdog--the not so obvious "hero." Yeah, I have that fear thing going on pretty mightily. I guess I could take a lesson from Underdog and your son. Thanks!

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  14. I LOVED Under Dog when I was little. I have no idea why, but I couldn't wait for it to come on. I think they were repeats, but I loved them. :)

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