How Breaking Bad Can Help You Write a Sports Romance Anyone who knows me, knows there are three things guaranteed to hold my interest: zombies, stilettos, and exemplary writing. It goes without saying that I’m a fan of AMC’s the Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. One thing both of these ground-breaking shows has in common is their phenomenal writing. If you’re not familiar with Breaking Bad, this fast-paced, gritty show takes you on the journey into the downward spiral of a high school Chemistry teacher, Walter White, who starts selling meth to fund his cancer treatments, and take care of his pregnant wife and his teenage soon with Cerebral Palsy. And you thought you had problems! The show’s writing is superb. The plot is enthralling. And the transformation of the characters as they get caught up in the underbelly of the drug world is fascinating. After five seasons, the final episode aired last week. Even though the show is over, the lessons Walt learned can be instrumental in helping you to write a sports romance. 1) Always put out the best product It was no accident that Walt’s blue meth was the best on the streets. As a Chemistry teacher, he had knowledge of chemical properties, and he understood how to create a superior product. As a result, he could command a higher price. People may have hated him but they trusted the quality of his product. When writing a sports romance, authors need to employ that same quest for perfection. If you’re writing about a quarterback (as I did with my hero Tristan Rexford in The Highest Bidder), you’d better know exactly what a quarterback does. You need to pay attention to everything from his height and weight and salary to who he hands the ball to (running back) and who he throws it to (receiver). If you’re writing about a pitcher, you’d better damn well know your baseball terminology. Sports fans are maniacal about their facts. If you don’t know the sport and don’t have a passion for it, I recommend not writing it. You’ve heard the phrase “fake it ‘till you make it?” That doesn’t apply when you’re writing sports romance. If you’ve taken the time to research, it will be reflected in your writing, and readers will show their appreciation by buying you books. 2) Build Your Brand Walter White builds a brand by turning himself into the diabolical drug lord, Heisenberg. When he’s in Heisenberg mode, he has a certain attitude, a certain vernacular, and a certain dress code (he wears dark sunshades and a black Pork Pie hat). Conversely, when he’s plain old Walter White (father, husband, and nerdy school teacher), no one knows he’s Heisenberg. Your brand as a sports romance author needs to do the same thing. You don’t have to stick to one sport, but if you write only hockey romances, for instance, you can ensure that you’ll have a more loyal following of fans than if you wrote one hockey story, one baseball story, and one basketball story. Readers who like hockey romances may not be as inclined to read a basketball romance–unless you’re Jaci Burton (who successfully writes about strong, alpha heroes in multiple sports). Also, to enhance your branding on the book covers, try to keep the fonts, title placement, and theme the same. Jami Davenport’s Seattle Lumberjacks series is a great example of branding. 3) Sometimes you have to do a dirty job yourself One thing I can say about Walt: He ain’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Sometimes, he actually prefers it because he knows it will get done right. Of course, I’m not suggesting you kill anyone like he did, but I am highly recommending you do the dirtiest job of all when it comes to writing–editing. I know we all love editing like a sports hero loves being on the D.L. But it’s necessary. You should be editing your manuscript within an inch of its life. Look for grammatical errors, lapse in flow, overuse of certain words, and glaring inaccuracies. And when you’re done, get a professional to edit it. You’ve spent time coming up with the perfect idea. Don’t overdose it with errors. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. 4) Go Big or Go Home Breaking Bad has many memorable quotes that have stuck with me. One of my favorites is, “You asked me if I am in the Meth Business or the Money Business. It’s neither. I am in the Empire Business.” Walt views his business as an empire. He’s larger than life and so are his actions and the people he deals with in business. Nobody wants to know about Walt the school teacher. Nobody cares if Walt owns a car wash. And although many can sympathize with the fact that he has Cancer, it’s not enough to keep us tuning in every week. However, we love to see what Heisenberg will do next. Who is he going to poison this week? Who will he kill for double-crossing him? How will he keep the DEA from finding out his real identity? Though ruthless, Heisenberg is exciting. He’s over the top. He’s the opposite of us. He’s not normal! When authors write sports romance, their heroes need to be like Walt–larger than life. Remember, you’re dealing with men with big egos. Whether they’re actively playing sports (like pro-footballer Cedric Reeves in Farrah Rochon’s I’ll Catch You) or retired from the game (like NBA coach DeMarcus Guinn in Regina Hart’s Fast Break) they are handsome, bold, alpha males used to having control and being the center of attention. Readers gravitate towards sports romances not just for the sports, but for the exciting characters who go big or go home. You don’t have to be a Breaking Bad fan to enjoy this post, and you certainly don’t have to follow in Walt’s footsteps to employ these valuable lessons. I leave you with one final quote from Walt when his wife asked him why he destroyed their lives to sell meth. His answer: “Because I liked it. And I was good at it. It gave me a rush.” Keep that in mind when you’re writing your sports romance. Do it because you like it and it gives you a rush. Everything else will fall into place after that.
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