10 Tips On Writing Sport In Fiction By Wendy Temple

Put the reader in the arena. Build up that tension, share those pre-match nerves as an athlete prepares for their match. Make the atmosphere exciting so readers are biting their nails by the time the whistle blows or the first ball is bounced.

Action scenes should be short and snappy. Avoid giving a detailed blow-by-blow account. This helps draw in the reader and hopefully will have them taking in all sports scenes and not skimming over them.

Know the subject matter. Understand the sport you are writing about, whether through playing, spectating, research, or all of the above. You want to put the reader right where the action is and draw them into the sights and sounds. Knowing the game inside and out will help you do that.

Stick to significant events. Concentrate on the crucial points in the action—the events that change the course of the game. A last ditch tackle that secures the points. A last minute goal that wins a championship. The sickening thud that accompanies an injury. These are the things readers want to experience up close.

Get across the emotion. How does the athlete feel? How do spectators respond? Tap into the euphoria of winning or the despondency of defeat. Reveal each character’s traits within the game. How do they celebrate? What’s their reaction to losing or winning? How badly do they want it, how far will they go to achieve it?

Find the right balance. Don’t bore the reader with your tactical knowledge; let it come through in your writing. Find the right mix between keeping a lay reader interested and showing the depth of your understanding to a fan or player. Pull this off and the reader will stick with the action and not gloss over important action scenes later in the book.

Keep the action and skill level realistic. It doesn’t matter if your characters win, lose or draw, but it is important that what they do is realistic. No one is superhuman. Make sure the way your characters perform is actually achievable.

Camaraderie matters. The nuances of a team off field have a bearing on what happens on the pitch. A happy dressing room will perform a lot better than a divided one. Show how teammates engage with each other.

Be consistent. A character’s personal life will have an impact on their performance. Be it falling in love, a bereavement, or a difficult time at work, any kind of emotional upheaval, good or bad, will impact on performance.

Visualisation, See point 1. This is so vital it bears saying again. Allow the reader to visualise the action happening in front of them. Keep it flowing, and put the reader right there. Well-written action scenes are the key to keeping the reader engaged in the story.