Who’s Ready For Some Football?

Hi, Flobo here! And today, I want to talk to you about writing (naturally)  and one of the most popular sports in the country, football!

Hey, don’t leave!

Whether you like football or not, there’s a lot you can learn about the game when it comes to the writing craft. Since the baseball strike of the mid 1990s, the argument can be made that football (or American football for you international types) has become America’s new pastime.  It’s a short season, most games occur on the weekends, and the championship game is an event in itself.

There is something for everyone. Strategy? Check. Fashionable uniforms? Check. Colorful characters? Check. Showcase of brand new commercials in the first week of February? Double check. Honestly, I don’t follow football as closely as I do baseball and now soccer, but there  is just no comparison to the pigskin.

As most inner city kids who were…er.. “big boned” football was the sport that I was exposed to a lot. I had a short career in high school, and while I appreciate  the people who move on to the pros, I can tell you that it wasn’t for me. However those that do make it to the big time are revered as heroes if not outright legends. Millions tune in to football player’s exploits, analysts spend hours dissecting your moves on the field, a younger generation ascribes to be just like you.  Like the old phrase says, “the world is watching.”

I like to approach any story I create as if it is a sports team. When it goes on sale to public, it has been revised numerous times. Compare this to the team practices before the big game. Instead of ESPN talking heads commentating on the team’s strength and weaknesses, reviewers on popular book sites hardly hold anything back. Your main characters are the star players, but the story, or team,  is only as strong as everyone else within the pages.

I could go on and call best-selling  books the playoffs but I would just be silly.

The worst thing about writing is continuing to find the motivation to write. While it may not work everyday, my “football team” has bailed me out of some of those lazy “I don’t want to write” days. Let’s be honest, would you root for a team that doesn’t show up to the game?

–Flobo