Mick White, novelist and short story writer, has an answer

This semester, many high school sports stories that attempt to retell heroically the play by play of some game, even though I told them not to do that. I wish they'd at least invent their own game, like, say, kangaroo races, or male mud wresting at a gentlemen's club for women.

I used to be a plot guy.  I talk about external and internal conflict, but I think Mick has the answer:

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    Lowell Mick White I have seen this phenom also--we just have to keep emphasizing that they need to be writing about people, not events....