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Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Underdog
I have a thing for underdogs. I love the unsung hero, the unexpected challenger, the dark horse. Whenever I read a book or watch a movie, it's usually the minor characters that interest me most.
I always wanted to know more about Dickon in the Secret Garden, or what Melanie thought about Ashley and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. I asked myself how Jane Fairfax dealt with her secret engagement to Frank Churchill, and what kind of man Renfield was before Dracula took over his mind. I wanted to know why Maleficent was so offended by not being invited to Aurora's christening (and where did she get that funky headdress)?
Then there's Cinderella, of course... the reason I wrote PPP. What was her fairy godmother like? Did she have hopes and dreams of her own, and if so, was it hard to have to put other people's wishes first?
My attraction to the underdog is even more obvious during the Olympics. I LOVE stories of people rising from difficult circumstances to sprint past the favorite and grab gold. I love it when people accomplish things not only beyond the expectations of others, but beyond their own. I love when people who are never in the spotlight - and maybe never sought it or quite belonged in it - can grab it for just one astonishing moment.
Over the past week, I've read so many brilliant blog posts comparing the pursuit of publication to the Olympics. I love the lessons that other writers have gleaned.
As for me, I've learned that I feel a kinship with the underdogs. I've seen too many favorites crack under the weight of pressure, of having to perform every. Single. Time.
So it's okay to get query rejections. It's okay to not achieve the word count goal you laid out. It's okay to not have an agent or a book deal by the designated time you hoped you'd have one. It's okay to fail sometimes.
Because when we do end up getting there - the finish line, the other end of the pool, the other side of the high jump bar - our medals will seem all the brighter for how hard we worked to get them.
If you're an underdog like me, embrace it. It's so much more fun when we one day put on that last burst of speed and heads swivel and jaws drop.
What do you think? Would you rather be the favorite or the dark horse?
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26 comments:
Thanks so much for the reminder to persevere!
BTW, congrats on your Camp NaNo word count. Yay!
I'm of British origin, so being the underdog and appreciating the underdog is sort of second nature! :) An interesting concept to play with is what happens when the underdog achieves and becomes the success--the Dog! Does his or her experience as the underdog affect the way s/he treats those trying to attain what he or she attained? Or does success change him or her for the worse?
Dark Horse, any day!
My favorite cartoon when I was little was called Underdog. I loved him.
Underdogs FTW!
Shelley
I would be the underdog. It takes time to achieve your dreams and putting them in motion also takes effort. Nothing in life is easy. We stumble and get up.
BTW, being the favorite isn't the best but being the underdog can be the best thing.
I hope everything is going well with Camp NaNo!
Dark horse sounds so much cooler!
I love underdog/dark horse stories as well AND I always fall in love with minor characters, haha. Seabiscuit is like one of favorite books / race stories. It's a tale of underdogs and people bouncing back from big losses. I think it's because of the struggle that's behind those characters that makes them compelling. You want them to win because no on else thinks they can and because they've really worked for it.
Besides, I think in some ways it's nice to be the underdog because of the pressure that's always on the favorite. When a favorite fails, it's always a disappointment; the only way to go from the top is down. The underdog has no choice but to rise.
In other news, your NaNo word count is awesome! Woohoo!
I'd rather be the dark horse! Too often the favorite succumbs to the pressure. I think it's probably easier to focus and do your best, and ultimately prevail, when all the attention is on someone else.
Oscar Pistorius inspired me most at these Olympics. He's a Champion to me!
I am the same it is all about the underdog for me. And I agree it is okay to fail sometimes we learn so much more than if we had gotten a small success.
One of my favorite quotes in a while comes from the first of the Chris Nolan batman movies.
"Why do we fall, so we can learn to pick ourselves back up."
The cheers are that much louder when the dark horse wins!! Color me dark! :)
When you're a dark horse, the expectations are too high. Much like hyped books. It's always great when the books no one first paid attention to become the ones everyone eventually talks about.
Who doesn't love the underdog? I always have, and I tend to write about them too, even though I haven't felt like one in most aspects of my life. (Hm. Might be a lesson in that).
Great post!
This is such a good reminders -- in writing, in publishing, and in many other things in life.
I've always loved underdog stories myself. There's something so much more satisfying when you see the underdog wins. :)
There's just something inherent in my nature to root for the underdog, to ponder the what if's about them.
And I'm sure Thomas Edison was seen as an underdog the first few thousand times he tried to make a bulb work. Thousands of failures. But it took once to get the light :-)
Definitely going for the dark horse on this one! It's fun to be the underdog - that's where all the great, hard-won stories are made.
Haha it seems like everyone is overwhelmingly on the side of the underdog, but I have mixed feelings.
On one hand, if I have to choose, I'd rather not be the favorite to win because if you do win, it's expected, and if you don't it's a disappointment. So in that case it's better to be the underdog.
But when I'm following a story/competition, I dislike rooting for the underdog unless I know the underdog will win, or actually has a chance of winning (aka not really an underdog). I cannot stand watching people give their all and then be broken up about losing; it looks too painful to have your dreams and hopes crushed so. I'd rather follow the story of someone who wins, underdog or not. Unless they don't get all broken up about losing, in which case the competition would be too low-stakes to be interesting.
I think I'm just contrary. I usually root for the underdog until it looks like everyone else is rooting for him (because he'd the underdog, of course!), and then I start rooting for the favorite, because it feels so unfair that people are cheering AGAINST him just because he's the favorite.
(In other words, MICHAEL PHELPS ALL THE WAY!!!!)
I'm like you when it comes to stories, though - wanting to know more about the minor characters, see things from their perspectives. It's the main reason I started writing fanfic several years ago, just so I could explore the little-known characters!
Love, love, love this post. First - beautifully written. How do you have time for this during Camp NaNoWriMo? You're incredible. Second, I also have such a soft spot for the underdog. Always have.
Oh yeah -- definitely the dark-horse underdog.
I said as much in a post I did for Nicole's Olympics Blog Relay.
Great post, Julie!
Hooray for underdogs! I'm with ya - the stories are more compelling when the least suspected hero rises.
I like stories about the underdog too. Have you ever read Gregory Maguire? He's the one who wrote the book that the musical Wicked was based on; it definitely gave another side to the so-called Wicked Witch. And as far as Cinderella goes, he gave one of the "ugly stepsisters" her own story, which I thought was neat.
I love that you've wondered so much about the stories of minor characters (shout out to Maleficent, my fav villain of all time, and I'm very very very upset Angelina Jolie is playing her in the movie--like, angry haha).
Great thoughts here :) And I love your new blog look!
Hurray for the underdog :)
.....dhole
I'd rather me the dark horse. Yay, underdogs.
Being the underdog is definitely a big motivator for me, but I'm also a very good front-runner.
Think about the amount of pressure on your shoulders if you're expected to be the best...whereas it's EASIER to be the underdog in that no one has any expectations of you and if you fail, so what - you still got pretty far.
But I'm coming at it from a sports point-of-view for sure here.
Connie: Thanks! I'm falling behind on the word count though... gotta do some catching up :)
Colin: So true, great thoughts. I guess every underdog strives to become the dog... that's the ultimate goal. But I think humility makes people remember what it was like to be the underdog - and to realize that there's always somebody better - and it helps them challenge themselves and never get used to the spotlight.
Shelley: I've heard of that cartoon! Underdog all the way.
Livia: Exactly! In fact, I think being the underdog is way better than being the dog.
Alex: I agree!
Krispy: Right! There's nowhere to go but up for the underdog. I actually haven't seen Seabiscuit, although I was totally horse-crazy when I was younger and watched every Triple Crown race. I always wanted the underdog to win even then!
Laura: I love Oscar's story. Totally the kind of underdog story that grabs you!
Brandon: Great quote. And picking ourselves up takes a lot more courage sometimes, but we get better every time we do it.
Don: Ditto!!!
Stina: High expectations can help, but they can also really harm. There's always the danger of overhyped books, but I love seeing lesser known stories become popular!
NiaRaie: Nothing wrong with thinking positively of yourself and being confident :D There's a lesson in it for me too, because I ALWAYS feel like the underdog.
Emy: It's satisfying when the favorite wins, too, but I love that surprise when the one no one thought of just lunges for the finish.
Angela: Love that example!! Lots of underdogs in every category and aspect of life. It's nice to see them succeed.
Nicole: I agree! The win is so much sweeter when you work hard for it.
Linda: Yeah I mean, I think it's tough to watch anyone give it their all and then break down when they lose. Not all underdogs can become the dog, but I love the courage and determination it takes for them to try. Maybe that in itself is winning.
Louise: Oh yeah, I'm a Phelps fan, too! But the thing about him is that even though he's the dog, he has "off" days and those allow the underdogs to surge past him. He is still challenged and he still has competition, which keeps it interesting.
Kimberly: Oh stoppp! *blush* You're sweet, I'm really glad you liked the post! Same here, soft spot for the underdog always!!
Chris: Agree 100%! Thanks for the comment!
Daisy: Love those come-from-behind wins. Especially in baseball!
Workaholic: I have read Maguire's books! Loved Wicked. I have always wondered about the witch. Actually, I wonder about the witch in every story. Why is she so evil? What is her motivation? Why does she hate the MC so much? Villains and minor characters are fascinating to explore.
Kristin Rae: Um, seriously! Jolie as Maleficient is just... wrong. I wish Meryl Streep would play Maleficient. I know she's too good for the role, but just think what she could do with it!
Donna: Ditto! Hurray!
Medeia: Me too, all the way :)
Jay: Hey, it's cool to be the big dog sometimes. And that's the whole point of being an underdog... you strive to be a front-runner. Great point. It's harder to be the favorite, especially in sports. You have to live up to your fans' expectations!
Dark horse: less pressure from the audience to succeed!
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