Drew Buxton Recommends Julie Otskuka, Ashton Politanoff, Quan Barry, and More
Accomplishment in sports, unlike in most other areas of life, is concrete, definitive. There are winners and losers; there are rankings. This all-or-nothing dynamic lends itself to obsession. The narrator of my debut novel, Daytona Teddy Riggs, wants nothing more than to win the World’s Strongest Man competition. When he’s not training, he’s downing as many calories as possible and visualizing himself victorious. His obsession is intensified by his isolation: He’s the black sheep of his family, and his increasingly erratic behavior pushes away his few remaining friends. He listens to motivational self-help tapes on a loop, creating an echo chamber in his mind where everything is confirmation that he’s destined for glory.Article continues after advertisement
I’ve long been a fan of the obsessed-athlete novel. Stories have a built-in propulsion when the main character is chasing a tangible goal so doggedly. Everything that happens is defined by its relation to the goal. Every event brings the character closer to their goal or takes them further away, energizing them or creating turmoil. The story can work on two levels—as a straightforward plot, usually culminating in a big match or competition, and as a gradually unfolding character study. I find myself compelled by both. Slowly we learn what drives the athletes—the wounds, insecurities, and longings. Here are some great examples of obsession and sport converging.
