–
My most recent novel, Shaken, ages 10-14, will be out in paperback on March 17th. That’s less than two weeks from now.
In the book, an awesomely talented 7th grade soccer player, Kristy Barrett, experiences a serious concussion.
I more or less pull the rug out from under her. That’s what writers do. We make awful things happen to perfectly decent characters. In the rest of the book we find out what Kristy’s made of. In the first few pages, I needed to quickly establish that, for Kristy, soccer was everything. Her social currency, her primary source of self-esteem, friendship, and identity.
If “Soccer is my life!” what happens when that hat blows away?
But before the “inciting event” of Kristy’s concussion — which is the engine of our story — I needed to establish the current situation.
Here’s a few paragraphs from pages 3-4, where we learn something about this young athlete:
–
–
By the time she played her first organized practice at U4, anyone could see that Kristy Barrett was a special player. She was simply quicker and more focused than any other four-year-old on the field. Of course, half of them were clinging to their parents’ legs, or slurping on oranges, or plucking dandelions while Kristy raged up and down the grass like a creature possessed. Amazingly, that dynamic continued on through rec ball and travel, even when they let her play on the boys’ team. In seventh grade, Kristy was starting for the varsity high school team. She was special. That was the word, over and over: a special kid.
But wasn’t everybody?
Kristy didn’t much care what people said. She loved to play. That was all, the whole shebang. But after a video of one of her goals went viral — and was included on ESPN’s “Amazing Plays” Sunday feature, along with a thirty-five second interview — everyone, absolutely everyone, knew. Not long after, a coach from the USA Development Program called, saying, “It wouldn’t surprise me if one day Kristy represents the United States in international play.”
Maybe even a future Olympian.
Altogether not bad for someone who hadn’t, at that time, turned thirteen. But that’s how it works at the highest levels of sports. When you know, you know.
–
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
