On June 5, two internet friends sent me a story prompt that tipped me down a research rabbit hole. It has been SO MUCH FUN.
When someone who has read your work sends you a message saying “Would you be interested in writing this?” it means someone wants to read more of your work.
And that’s the best thing ever for a writer.
The story prompt came at the end of a discussion between these friends which itself was prompted by an Instagram post (an April Fool’s post, incidentally) by @zabatobebe, an ice theater performer.
How much teasing should I do here? Let me begin with a reading recommendation for those interested in the intersection of figure skating and LGBTQ+ issues:
“Around the Ice in Eighty Years” is but one of the many books I’ve read on the subject, ranging from Kristi Yamaguchi’s “Figure Skating for Dummies” (outdated but a good place to start) to Adam Rippon’s memoir “Beautiful on the Outside.” I learned about Courtney Jones from Skateguardblog, which is a terrific resource. Mr. Jones won numerous European and World Championships medals in ice dance in the 1950s before going on to serve as a judge, referee, and International Skating Union official, all while holding down full-time jobs and maintaining a 60+ year relationship with another male skating professional. I was very sad to learn that Mr. Jones’ longtime companion died in 2023.
Along with the reading, there’s been a lot of viewing. Most of my books are set in worlds quite familiar to me, but figure skating is not one of those. I needed to know about the art and science of figure skating, as well as about its personalities and history. So in addition to hours of video of competitive events and coaching tips, I’ve watched documentaries about Randy Gardner, John Curry, and Johnny Weir, plus the movies ‘The Cutting Edge’ and ‘Blades of Glory.’
Frankly, I think the story of Courtney Jones and Robert (Bobby) Thompson would make a great movie.
As I accumulated facts and feelings about figure skating, I decided a few things about this particular project.
it’s a full-length novel, and I’ve outlined this one, which I don’t always do, because there are numerous story threads (over quite a long timeline) and I don’t want to drop any;
the primary non-romance story thread hinges on an exciting rule change that (to date) applies to only one national skating federation, but has the potential to transform pairs and ice dance;
it’s a M/M romance featuring pairs figure skaters who find themselves without partners and in need of a redirect for both their skating careers and their personal lives;
the nature of pairs skating provides potential for an abundance of conflict between two male athletes in their prime. Since I don’t want the conflict to overwhelm the love story, I have to consciously balance the tone of the narrative in a way that usually comes without much thought;
the cultural expectations around figure skating provide for external conflict that must also be relevant to the love story.
There is of course much more, but I did say this was only a tease. ;-)
I’m halfway through the writing of this book. The goal is to finish the 90K first draft by the end of September. After that, I happen to know at least two people who want to read it.