I haven’t missed a week where I didn’t write to my son an email. He’s working in Chicago right now. One of the features of my weekly email was “the weekly list”. On September 8, 2024, I sent him a list that I had been maintaining for several years: “Books to write.” Most of the plots or topics on this list were non-fiction. I figured I would be much more equipped to write a non-fiction book given my love of history, my experience in business leadership, and the hobbies I have enjoyed. Nonetheless, out of all the items in my Books to Write list, my son selected the following:

Baseball Fiction

Physically disabled but highly intelligent bat boy solves a mystery tied to a minor league baseball team. There seems to be a preponderance of modern fiction that young women love. I also see a lot of fantasy and science fiction in the marketplace. Nonetheless, I don’t see young men reading new fiction these days. I want to write something inspiring to a younger male audience, one that touches on some of the difficulties and insecurities young men face in adolescence. Aspects to include in the story:

• An awkward meeting in a colonoscopy waiting room (after all, who wants to see someone in this setting)
• A Player who is fickle about his walk up songs and changes them every week, only to have mix-ups
• A bunt that puts the team into the playoffs
• Pitcher who really wants a pitch named after him.

As I read the list to the other members of my family, they unanimously selected the same topic. I succeeded in writing about much of the above (although, success is still dependent on what you think of the story) as my debut novel. Some items are barely touched upon in the book. Other items feature rather prominently. In my house, we watch a lot of baseball, so that might’ve had something to do with their choices. In fact, my daughter even selected the above topic. She has probably watched (endured?) more baseball than many of the men her age (now 24 years old). She showed an generous amount of support for her younger brother throughout his Little League summers.