I am a lifelong Peanuts fan. I am also an aspiring writer. So I was justifiably tickled when my mom bought me Snoopy’s Guide to the Writing Life.
It’s not exactly a collegiate primer to the writing life, but to be
honest, I’ve never found writing instructional books to be particularly
effective for me. And who wants to read something collegiate during the
beginning of the first school year following college graduation? This is
a pretty quick read, with only the Forward and Introduction taking some
time to read. The remainder of the book consists of short reflections
by 30 different writers in response to a particular Peanuts strip
related to writing. Several strips act as transitions from one
reflection to the next.
The Forward by Monte Schulz, son of Peanuts
creator Charles Schulz, discusses the cartoonist’s love of literature,
which he and Monte came to share. There is also a discussion of the
impact Schulz had in his medium, despite his feeling that his offering
was lowly in comparison with the authors of great literature. One
particularly enjoyable anecdote features Schulz at a restaurant with his
daughter. He noticed that legendary actors Richard Burton and Elizabeth
Taylor were seated nearby and expressed his desire to introduce himself
and say how much he admired them. However, he did not want to bother
them and felt unworthy to approach. Suddenly he heard a voice behind him
speak his name, and there were Burton and Taylor, telling him that they
hated to intrude but wanted to tell him how much they loved his
cartoons.
Conrad provides insight into Schulz’s life and
discusses his history and the thought that went into his work. He also
touches on the widespread appeal of Peanuts and on the
cartoonist’s love of the written word. This portion ends with an
acknowledgement to all the writers who participated in this book and
prints the most unique letter declining the offer, from John Updike. One
of the few who passed up the invitation, Updike said that he was no
good at giving advice and that if he had something really good, he would
keep it to himself because there are too many writers out there trying
to get published.
The essays contained herein are brief,
focusing on various aspects of the writing life, from trying to come up
with an idea and dealing with criticism to figuring out what is funny
and picking a good title. I’ll admit I’d never heard of many of these
authors before, but their credits are good and their advice sound. Among
the most famous: Danielle Steel (who writes of the feeling, after she
has finished a book, that she was merely the instrument by which it was
written), Ray Bradbury (who says that he has had stories rejected
hundreds of times), and Julia Child (who offers her advice on writing a
cookbook). Most essays take about five minutes to read but contain
worthwhile information nonetheless.
The highlight for me,
though, is the strips. It’s great to have all these writers come
together to celebrate Snoopy’s connection to writing, but Snoopy himself
steals the show. A couple years ago, a couple friends and I started a
weekly writing club with Snoopy as our unofficial mascot. I brought in
whatever Snoopy writing comics I could find as inspiration. Poor Snoopy
serves as the perfect example of a publisher’s worst nightmare. Young
writers can look at everything he does and make a note not to repeat it
themselves. Meanwhile, the editors he sends his work to are indicative
of the stereotypical response of publishers to young writers. Here, they
become the most cold-hearted discouraging people imaginable. To add
insult to injury, Snoopy must endure the constant insults and
suggestions of Lucy, the born critic.
Not all of the strips
feature Snoopy, but most do. There is a curious predictability to his
movements that somehow makes me laugh in spite of the fact that I
guessed the punch line in the first frame. Many of his stories, of
course, begin with the famous “It was a dark and stormy night.” This is
usually followed by “Suddenly, a shot rang out!” or some variation
thereof; for instance, when Lucy complains of the abundance of violence
in the world, Snoopy changes the word “shot” to “kiss.”
Sometimes, he has trouble getting as far as the first word; in one
strip, he labors over the beginning, “The,” and presents it to Linus,
who responds unfavorably, leading Snoopy to change the beginning to
“It.” Other times, he can’t seem to figure out when to quit: “those
years in Paris were to be among the finest of her life. Looking back,
she once remarked, ‘Those years in Paris were among the finest of my
life.’ That was what she said when she looked back upon those years in
Paris where she spent some of the finest years of her life.”
Lucy often suggests that Snoopy write a book like a certain existing literary work. Thus, Treasure Island inspires Long John Beagle, Little Women inspires Small Women, and You Can’t Go Home Again inspires You Can Go Home Again If You Want To.
Snoopy produces a number of short groaners on his own, picking just the
right names for characters in order to set up a particularly pungent
pun. All of this work goes well rewarded by the publishers, who send him
especially memorable rejection slips, often before he has even sent out
his manuscript.
I would recommend this volume to all Peanuts
fans, writers or not. Schulz’s strips always seem to be right on target
where Snoopy’s writerly plight is concerned. These are among the
funniest strips he ever wrote. But the book is especially valuable for
writers, giving them a chance to keep the negative example of Snoopy in
mind and to laugh at themselves a bit in the process.
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