Comments on Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent: Sports Novels

Nathan: Have you read Outside Shooter by Phil Rai...

2010-01-05T10:15:55.094-08:00

Nathan:

Have you read Outside Shooter by Phil Raisor? If not, you should. It's the kind of nonfiction sports narrative that you mention appreciating. I think Raisor should be with your agency. He's a poet-athlete with the heart of a good reporter.

Michael Pearson
author of Dreaming of Columbus and Innocents Abroad Too

Nathan: Have you read Outside Shooter by Phil Rai...

2010-01-05T10:14:57.543-08:00

I have just published a sports novel titled 33 Sum...

2009-08-29T11:58:25.856-07:00

I have just published a sports novel titled 33 Summers. I must admit though that it isn't a pure sports novel as it is more about a relationship between father and son. You can read the first few chapters of my novel at: http://www.darrenpare.com/ Just click on the announcements tab.

Hi Nathan; I'm a loyal fan of yours. Love your po...

2009-07-08T20:59:31.124-07:00

Hi Nathan;

I'm a loyal fan of yours. Love your posts...keep up the fabulous job.

I'm playing catch-up with my blog reading, so I apologize for this late comment. After reading this article, I just had to share, as I'm sure you can relate...Enjoy...:).

http://joconquerobstacles.com/2009/03/26/defining-your-niche/

I also came here to mention Dan Jenkins. I'm not a...

2009-07-01T20:01:12.140-07:00

I also came here to mention Dan Jenkins. I'm not a golf guy or even a sports guy, but "Dead Solid Perfect" is a wonderful book.

"Maybe Nathan wouldn't want this, but I want to re...

2009-07-01T13:20:59.637-07:00

"Maybe Nathan wouldn't want this, but I want to read it! When's it going to be on the shelves?

Janny, who wishes she'd thought of this"

Janny,
I'll never write this. I just made it up on the spot to respond to nathan's post. All yours if you want it. I can see how it could either be a "cozy" type of story with a humurous slant, or a dark suspenseful tale filled with graphic sex & violence. I write science/techno thrillers, sports is not my thing. Thomas Harris' Black Sunday got me to thinking about sports-related plots, but I don't know enough about sports to sustain my interest long enough to write a whole novel.

"If you got a sub for a novel about an NFL QB who ...

2009-07-01T11:04:15.881-07:00

"If you got a sub for a novel about an NFL QB who was actually a serial killer who whacked a guy in each city he played in during the season, and his archenemy linebacker catches on to his moonlighting when they go to the superbowl, would you consider that a "sports novel?"

Maybe Nathan wouldn't want this, but I want to read it! When's it going to be on the shelves?

Janny, who wishes she'd thought of this

P.S. CURLING???

My thesis focused on the sports novel so I love th...

2009-07-01T08:56:13.025-07:00

My thesis focused on the sports novel so I love this thread, Nathan. I looked at how the protagonist's connection to sport empowered their characterization as well as the plot's trajectory. Oh yeah....I could go on FOREVER about this topic.

One of the many things I discovered in my research was that there are 3 distinct approaches to writing these stories, all of which I feel reflect the author's personal connection to sport. There is the Sportcaster, the Fair Weather Fan, and the Gamer. The Sportscaster's prose is littered with cliche's and tends to protray game action as central to the plot. The Fair Weather Fan tends to depict the athlete as a flat, undeveloped jock-like character. Now the Gamer, oh yes, the Gamer understands the innate nature of the athletic protagonist and uses that understanding to propel the story forward.

My favorite sports novels, you ask? Well..there's JUMPED, THE MOVES THAT MAKE THE MAN, THE CHOCOLATE WAR, NECESSARY HUNGER, RASH, INNEXCUSABLE, THE CONTENDER, and BAT 6 for starters.

Also, there is an amazing guy at BYU, Chris Crowe, who has done extensive research in this area, as well. Cool topic, Nathan.

I'm cutting this short because I truly could go on forever about this topic. Though it is hard for me to do this...I'll stop here.

For now.

A friend of mine, George Jansen, wrote a really go...

2009-07-01T08:39:29.212-07:00

A friend of mine, George Jansen, wrote a really good sports novel called "The Fade Away". I'm not hawking it for him, as it's already published, but it's a really good read. I think you would enjoy it.

"Alice Cooper, Golf Monster" Shock rock plus spor...

2009-07-01T06:47:55.550-07:00

"Alice Cooper, Golf Monster"

Shock rock plus sports.

I "read" a book on tape about the three men seekin...

2009-07-01T05:52:54.989-07:00

I "read" a book on tape about the three men seeking to break the 4 minute mile, and it was riveting... but it probably wouldn't have been if A) it were fiction (who cares, then?) and B) I wasn't a runner myself. Good points, Nathan!

You're right, Linda Shantz. Horse racing is very s...

2009-07-01T02:43:21.959-07:00

You're right, Linda Shantz. Horse racing is very suitable for novels. Dick Francis wrote more than 30 thrillers, and most of them centered around the world of horse racing. I've read some of them. They're fast-paced, with good tension and give an interesting view on the world of horse racing (in Great Britain).

I know it is not your genre, but Suzanne Brockmann...

2009-07-01T01:48:02.716-07:00

I know it is not your genre, but Suzanne Brockmann did well in single title romance with NHS Hockey. Harlequin currently has a hugely successful NASCAR series which is directly linked to the sport (they even have allowed some male romance novelists to write under their own name for the series -- Ken Casper instead of KN Casper). I believe some of the actual drivers do make appearances in the books.
In the UK, the Mills & Boon Modern (sold as Harlequin Presents in the NA market) has had a v sucessful link up with rugby in recent months. The mini series is currently on sale both in the UK and in the US markets.
I am sure there are other examples but these are off the top of my head. So the old adage that romance has nothing to do with sport/women will not read stories where sports stars are the heroes/have a sports back drop is no longer true.
FWIW

Take a look at these vintage children's sports bo...

2009-07-01T00:30:52.434-07:00

Take a look at these vintage children's sports books!

Oh! I remember reading these really ancient footba...

2009-07-01T00:28:32.404-07:00

Oh! I remember reading these really ancient football books that had ended up in our elementary school library - "Five Yard Fuller and the Unlikely Knights." I really am not sure what memory crevice I dragged that from. From these books I learned that a five yards average carry is a good thing. Another life lesson to be sure.

Interesting post. I've always loved sports stories...

2009-06-30T21:27:50.367-07:00

Interesting post. I've always loved sports stories, fiction and non. One of my recent favorites is Tim Tharp's Knights of the Hill Country. Football is not my sport, but I'd follow Tharp anywhere, even onto the turf.

Very interesting topic! I may be biased, but I th...

2009-06-30T21:14:38.442-07:00

Very interesting topic!

I may be biased, but I think horse racing lends itself particularly well to fiction. The movie 'Seabiscuit' was pretty fictionalized.

I think more than most sports, horse racing is a lifestyle more than just a game, and the characters are so diverse. 'Horse Heaven' is perhaps the only novel that tried to cover it effectively, and while I know most people I've talked to loved it, it came up short for me. So I will endeavour to write the perfect horse racing novel...in my closet...where I belong!

You're right about narrative nonfiction being succ...

2009-06-30T19:02:47.382-07:00

You're right about narrative nonfiction being successful. I'm reading A Good Walk Spoiled for the second time. Still good. And I couldn't wait until Rick Reilly's SI essay came out each week. I was sad to see him go. I love that stuff. And I'm a "chick!" :)

Am working on a MG boy book with family themes and baseball as side story. I'm really digging it. Hopefully I can pull it together in a way that MG boys will dig it, too! :)

I like interjecting sport into my novels; recently...

2009-06-30T15:28:18.967-07:00

I like interjecting sport into my novels; recently I foisted the Seattle Seahawks into a manuscript set in the mid 1970's, even placing SF pitcher John Montefusco in a chapter.

Someday Joe Montana and Steve Young will figure prominently, maybe once the Niners have redeemed themselves.

Yeah, maybe....

Interesting topic. I've only read two sports nove...

2009-06-30T15:12:59.145-07:00

Interesting topic.

I've only read two sports novels--three, if you count Joan Bauer's STICKS--and of those three, one of them would've been a redundancy in today's technology: SOMETHING FOR JOEY, by Richard E. Peck. I loved that read and THE BOYS OF SUMMER, too.

I'm a sports fan on the edges; my husband can rattle off the names of winning teams far back as 1952, rosters, too. But I like sports reads that haven't been told before and along the lines of JOEY or STICKS, yes, Nat\han, gotta agree: If you're going to write it, write it fresh to grab me.

Thank you for the neat read.
~Missye

http://www.mkclarke.net

Another reason that you have to bring something el...

2009-06-30T14:44:42.494-07:00

Another reason that you have to bring something else to the table when writing a sports book. If the novel is only about the sport, then it is too easy to dismiss as "just a game." There has to be something else at stake. There has to be characters that are changed by this experience, or the stakes have fallen flat.

Nathan's quote: "...It's important to bring someth...

2009-06-30T14:32:31.615-07:00

Nathan's quote: "...It's important to bring something else to the field..."

When is it not? :)

Do you consider BLACK SUNDAY to be a sports novel?...

2009-06-30T14:02:12.996-07:00

Do you consider BLACK SUNDAY to be a sports novel?

My point is that you can have novels in a sports setting which are not really "sports novels."

If JERRY MAGUIRE was a novel, would it be a "sports novel?"

If you got a sub for a novel about an NFL QB who was actually a serial killer who whacked a guy in each city he played in during the season, and his archenemy linebacker catches on to his moonlighting when they go to the superbowl, would you consider that a "sports novel?"

On second thought, I COULD see myself writing a "s...

2009-06-30T13:59:58.610-07:00

On second thought, I COULD see myself writing a "sports" novel about the Wii Fit. Would that count?

Curling is awesome, I do it all the time. I like ...

2009-06-30T13:52:55.663-07:00

Curling is awesome, I do it all the time. I like 12 oz. curls, great for the arms and it makes you feel all warm and tingly inside.

It's easy, too, because if you do it right the weight goes down with each rep.

Put THAT in the Olympics.