… so I will post a re-do of one of my most frequently visited pages in the history of my blog. I still get at least a hit or two most every day on this thing. And so … without further ado … my hero!

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I started writing my first story for NaNoWriMo. It was on November 1, 2011.

11/1/11.

And the first words I wrote were in homage to Snoopy and his literary efforts. “It was a dark and stormy night.” It made me laugh, and it got me started on this whole writing adventure.

While looking for a color cartoon of this epic quote … and here and there before that … I came across several other Snoopy cartoons outlining his trials and tribulations to be an author.

Who knew he had suffered so much for his art?

Of course he was observed writing by others. After all, when I asked a “real writer” how one was to become a writer, he said “you write” And others emphasized the daily writing habit as something that had to happen.

It seems that while writing … here in his writing infancy it seems … Snoopy already knew the importance of keeping his readers on the edge of their seats with drama and action.

Or maybe that wasn’t really Snoopy, but was his younger cousin Buck. I’m not sure.

Snoopy also faced the ebbs and flows of writing creativity … and the classic problem of Writers Block.

Much like me and many others, Snoopy also suffered from lack of confidence. That thought that what you are writing may not be the next Great American Novel.

And finally after much effort, he completed his first manuscript … with typical writer like confidence.

Once submitted, his writing was met with mixed success. 

Then … finally … success!

Well. Limited success.

But his writing … like my efforts … have come to a finish.

I have basically written the obligatory 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo this month. Not that it remotely resembles a real completed novel or anything.  A whole lot of editing, additional words, and much more will still need to happen before it is ready for anyone to read it.

But still you get to write those immortal, moving words …