About Pennant Races and Writer’s Block

When I went back to school the Thursday before last, I got the usual questions, “How was your summer?” “Can you believe we’re back to school already?” A few people asked about my books. But the question I heard the most was, “What happened to the Giants?” When we left school back at the end of May it seemed like they were on the fast track to a third trip to the World Series in five years.

The summer was a disaster for the Giants. It started with a bit of bad luck on June 13th and it continued through June, July, and the first few weeks of August. Was it because of injuries to key players? Lack of depth? The front office’s inability to make a trade? Bad luck?

During this period, I expected to get a lot of writing done. I had planned to finish Bryce Baxter’s story and even work on another series I had started earlier in my career that needs a lot of revision to make it shine. It didn’t happen. I got stuck on Bryce’s story. I was having the same problem the Giants had, the beginning was too easy.

In my book, I had made it too easy on my characters at the beginning. I know there has to be conflict. Even though it is a romance and the reader knows that the couple will end up together, there has to be that little seed of doubt. You have to make them work for their happily ever after. But you can’t throw too many obstacles at them or readers won’t believe they couple will make it.

So, I know how to fix my story. I need to maintain steady, but believable conflict, while giving the reader enough hope to keep turning the pages.

As for what’s wrong with the Giants? Maybe I need to finish the book so they, too, can have a happy ending. After all, I did model Perfect Game winner Johnny Scottsdale at least partially after Matt Cain, and that was before he threw his real-life Perfect Game. I gave Marco Santiago a five year contract, and Hunter Pence signed a similar deal shortly after. I guess I’ll have to give Bryce Baxter another shot at the World Series.