I Wrote a Novel
Several years ago, while at our kids ski race, I came up with the idea to write a tv show about ski racing because it’s wonderfully intense and entertaining. My idea was to make a reality tv show like Dance Moms, instead it would be called Ski Dads and instead of crazy moms doing their daughters make up it would capture crazy dads ski tuning their kids race skis. With the steady encouragement of my family and friends, particularly Steve Crowly, who was excited to be featured in the show, I researched how to write a tv pilot. Though the initial inspiration was a reality tv show I had no idea how to pull that off, so it evolved into a tv series pilot. I entered the tv pilot into several writing contests and received the feedback, that due to ski racing being a relatively small world, in the world of sports, it was advised to turn the tv pilot into a novel to really develop the setting, action and characters. I took the advice and recently completed my debut novel! It took years and the help of my awesome writing coach, Peter Geye, who is the author of the excellent book, Ski Jumpers and many others. Through the years my novel has changed and evolved not coincidently as have I. Today, I’m being brave and sharing this accomplishment to ask for help! I’m trying to find that one agent who believes in my story and will help me publish my novel. I’ve queried fifty agents to date and will continue to query until I find an agent. If you know anyone in the publishing world, please share this blog with them. I will forever be grateful.
DNF - Did Not Finish is about a stay-at-home mom, Kate, who lives in rural Wisconsin, amidst farms and lakes. As she becomes entangled in her son's experience ski racing she begins to make questionable choices putting what matters most to her in jeopardy. The narrative begins with her 13-year-old son, Ethan’s triumphant first ski race of the season, sparking within Kate a dream for him to go all the way. Then jumps ahead to Kate’s journal reflection about her mom from prison. Kate’s a self-proclaimed expert at burying her feelings, choosing to turn to wine as a coping mechanism to navigate the surface of her life. Her personal decisions set her on an emotional rollercoaster ride that spiral to a fateful choice. Ultimately, a tragic event forces Kate to confront the realities of her life. I believe this novel will resonate with readers who appreciate stories that prompt reflection on the human condition.
The story is no longer about ski dads though there is a ski dad in the book who does capture the intensity of many ski moms and dads found along the racecourses. Thankfully, I have four kids/adults, a loving husband and dear friends that help keep me grounded. Though there are many inspirations from my life in the story, it’s far from my story. It is a story of what can happen to anyone when we lose our purpose in life. I’m a huge fan of youth sports and am so grateful for all the opportunities sports have provided our family, but I do think it’s worth pausing and creating awareness around the choices we make and how they affect our lives in sports and every day. We can easily get caught in the momentum of life and miss the opportunity to make a decision, to make a choice. My hope is for this novel to inspire people to pause and see their everyday choices.
If you are interested in reading DNF or helping me on my publishing journey, please let me know.