Baseball and Writing
Baseball season has started around our house. No games yet but hours and hours of practice. We’re into spring break but that just means two-a-day practices for our son. At least a couple hours in the morning and then either an afternoon or evening of batting or catching practice.
So, how does baseball fit into writing? It’s the way my son and his team get ready for the season. They’re out there working together, putting plays into action, throwing the ball, running the bases, hitting pitches. They aren’t talking about baseball or reading about baseball. They’re working at baseball. I sometimes get tired just watching all of them on the field.
This is what I need to do for my writing. I can’t just think about the game of writing or read about the game of writing. I have to put the words onto paper if the book is going to be finished. I have to run a lot of bases to see if I can make it to the home plate. Over and over and over. And when one game finishes, it’s time for another. I have to keep sending out my manuscripts, trying new ideas, developing characters.
>Babe Ruth is one of the Home Run kings. He also has one of the highest number of strikeouts. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way,” he said. He didn’t just stand there waiting for the right one to come over the plate. He took chances and now his name is remembered for the many times he hit the ball out of the park.
I’ll be sitting at a lot of games this season, my Alphasmart in my lap. I’ll cheer and holler when my son is up to bat, take deep breaths when he’s pitching, and keep my focus on the number of runs scored by our team. I’ll also take advantage of the lulls that occur between innings to add to my stories. When all is said and done, I want to be remembered for hitting the ball out of the park and into publication!
