Today’s discussion is about sports romance. I know this is a topic that I’ve covered a couple of times before, but I feel that it also is a topic that does not receive much attention. Chances are if one were to conduct an internet search on the subject, a list of book titles would generate but very little on what exactly sports romance is and/or how to write it. As I learn and discover, I like to share with others. As per my norm, I’ll begin by briefly reviewing why I was prompted to blog about this subject today.
I enjoy participating in online writing discussions. One such discussion inquired about beginning the writing journey. Specifically, the topic focused on what authors wrote about in their youth or when they first began writing. As I began to answer this question, I was shocked by my response. The younger me thought I was writing short stories about cooky teen shenanigans. If one had asked me the genre, I would have confidently declared: Adventure. And I would have been so wrong.
Looking back, I now realize that I was in the early stages of writing sports romance. My “adventure” consisted of running through mazes of woods and demonstrating athletic abilities. Maybe there were no balls or nets specified, but there were goals, rules, and sometimes even teams. And while there was no kissing or cuddling, there certainly were some googly eyes being made.
Even when I began writing professionally, I didn’t lean into writing sports romance. For one, I didn’t realize that sports romance was a thing. I know that sounds silly because there were plenty of sports romance books out there. It’s not like sports romance is a new genre or subgenre. However, at the time, I was a member of several subscription book clubs, and the books that I was being sent each week didn’t include sports romance. Over time, I started to become less and less fulfilled by the books I was receiving, and I began to write what I thought I wanted to read. And when I say thought, it is because I wrote partially what I wanted but followed the formula of what I was instructed I needed to follow.
This is no criticism to anyone, but sometimes, creative writing courses aren’t creative. Yes, one purpose is to provide feedback and criticism. After all, that is how writers grow—by learning what they are doing that is well-received and that which doesn’t quite hit the mark. All of that is fine. The issue erupts when creative writing instructors insist that writing must occur in a specific way, and that way is generally what is popular or selling at the time. For example, some instructors would wig out if an adverb was used. A student using one would all but be struck by a bolt of lightning from Zeus. They claimed it was a form of lazy and weak writing and argued that stronger verbs were needed. Well, I’m a Southerner, and if one has ever listened to a Southern storyteller, adverbs are what give stories color. Well, I could deal with foregoing adverbs, but the character profiles were what knotted me up like bad clams.
So, there is definitely a way to write alpha males. What I was reading at the time, these alpha males came across as first-class buttholes. And the “strong heroines” were mostly spoiled, willful brats who at the end of the day needed saving by a man because they had been too hardheaded to follow logical requests. I fell into this pit of doing as told. While these stories achieved passing grades for the course, I was left feeling frustrated. For some people, these types of stories are awesome, and this is no shade to anyone. However, the idioms, “diversity is the spice of life” and “different strokes for different folks” exist for a reason. No one story will satisfy everyone.
There are very few rights and wrongs in storytelling. Some people would argue that there are none, but there are some. For example, writing must be coherent. Even with an unreliable narrator, the story must be comprehensible to readers. There must be a plot. Without a plot, it is a bunch of rambling and not a story. Seinfeld is described as “a show about nothing,” but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Seinfeld’s plots were well-crafted. And that’s the thing about good storytelling. When it’s done properly, the audience may get so lost in the story that they aren’t noticing the individual parts.
So, what does any of this have to do with sports romance?
Well, for one, sports romance defining sports romance may not be as straightforward as it sounds. For example, many books that have large elements of mountain climbing or hiking may be classified as “adventure” stories instead of sports stories. But aren’t mountain climbing and hiking sports? What about stories about bungee jumping, safari hunting, or underwater exploration? Are these not sports as well? Even Jaws was about deep-sea fishing. Are there more stories of sports romance than are being labeled?
Let’s take this one step further. For some, having an athlete as a main character is enough to classify the story as a sports romance even if the story contains no additional sports elements. I call this the Ward Clever Effect. In the 1957-1963 sitcom, Leave It To Beaver, the patriarch of the family was Ward Clever (played by actor Hugh Beaumont). Ward was a dutiful head of household who loved and provided for his family. However, what Ward did for a living was a bit of a mystery. It wasn’t like he had some clandestine job or was part of a secretive operative group—although he could have been. It’s just that the show never put much emphasis or clarified what he did for a living. He wore a suit and tie, carried a briefcase, and drove to work during the week, seemingly from 9:00 to 5:00. It’s presumed that he worked a white-collared job. Hints throughout the series indicate that he works for a “big company” and works in an office. It is known that he has a secretary. Other than that, what Ward does is unclear, but it also is not important to the series.
Having a main character who is an athlete but whose job is not a part of the story, in my opinion, diminishes the legitimacy of a sports romance. For example, suppose Ward was the owner of a professional basketball team or an MLB shortstop. Would knowing this information in any way affect the plots of any of the episodes? No. Thus, that none of the episodes would be considered “sports comedy” based on Ward’s job.
In short, to be considered a sports romance, sports must play a significant role in some way in the story. It can’t just be mentioned and then forgotten. The sport can’t be thrown in as an afterthought. Or even if the athletics are purposeful but tossed in the background, the genre/subgenre should be classified as something other than “sports romance.” What’s interesting is that some authors are held accountable for this standard while others aren’t.
By significant, does that mean the story must be only about athletics? No. First, sports romance has two components. In a sports romance, the romance must be front and center. If the romance is removed, the story will fall apart. Additionally, being too technical with the writing may turn off some readers.
Sports is a world of its own, and frequently, people who roam in that world forget that the language is not always common knowledge. I recall the time I was outside talking to a male neighbor about college football. Another male neighbor whom I did not know (he’d recently moved into the neighborhood) but who was a mutual friend of the first neighbor approached. He was beyond floored when I mentioned the team that he was rooting to go all the way to the championship had no depth. His eyes grew wide, and he said, “Listen at you.” The first neighbor interjected, “Man, she knows her stuff.” There’s a general presumption that women can’t talk sports, which isn’t true. But also, when I said something similar to a female coworker, she was clueless as to what I meant by “depth.” Erroneously, I assumed that it was a term that most would be familiar with. Thus, there is a tricky balance to maintain in sports romance. While some readers may enjoy reading sports romance, they may not be as knowledgeable about sports to follow the technical terms. Yet, if it’s too watered down, diehard sports fans will be repelled. Yet, within any given discipline there exists a certain amount of jargon and purposefully omitting it would leave the story lacking.
Another important area of sports romance is handling the number of characters as well as the subject matter within a team. What I mean here is that it’s okay to have one or two athletes as main or supporting characters. But many times, a writer may need to include numerous other characters. For example, if an author is writing about a basketball game and what is happening in the locker room during intermission, the chances are more than one or two players are present. Therefore, the main characters may need to interact with many additional characters. Adding teammates can quickly grow a list of characters, and this can sometimes become confusing to readers. Plenty of experts will argue against having a large cast. However, if in sports romance is needed, then it should be done. The key is managing them so that readers aren’t overwhelmed.
Furthermore, if writing a series surrounding one team, it is wise for authors to remember only so much would happen on that given team. For example, if a storyline is about players who are bullied by other players, not every player on that team will be bullied. Only so many stories can be written about this subject before readers will tire of the series. A simple fix to keep the topic fresh if the author wishes to continue with the plot is to create a different team with different players. Otherwise, readers may think that it is “too much drama” for one team. Consider the downfall of daytime soap operas. Viewers grew bored of the same characters getting married and divorced, and the repetitiveness failed to attract new viewers.
Another thought to keep in mind when writing sports romance is that sports change. The rules change. The terminology changes. For example, the NFL changed its playoff overtime rule to fifteen-minute periods instead of ten minutes. If a writer uses dates in his/her story, keen sports readers may call the author out for having dated or misinformation. This means it is important for sports romance writers to keep abreast of what is happening in athletics.
Any writer is free to write anything he/she desires. However avid niche readers will quickly see when an author has not done his/her research. I’m a huge sports fan, and in my going between writing two stories (which is why I focus on one at a time now), I mixed up my characters’ ages. This caused me to make a faux pas in that character’s eligibility. My beta readers quickly called me out and showed me no mercy. I thank them for it because I didn’t catch it. Mistakes such as those open an author to criticisms of credibility. Negative reviews for not being competent can destroy a writer’s career, especially one just beginning.
With that said, that’s all that I have for today. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.
Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.
When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.
Order your copy at:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RjPYb9
Other booksellers: https://bit.ly/3CI8d5W
Did you miss the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.
Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.
Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.
Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.
For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.
If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or X (formerly tweet) me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search for me on Goodreads, Amazon Authors, BookBub, Bluesky, Threads, or TikTok.
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Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.
Author Bio
Genevive Chamblee resides in the Bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm,” and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.
Creole Bayou 