Friday, August 19, 2016

To Those Who Read My Ridiculously Long PCT Memoir


Some of you, a dedicated (or crazy) few, read the blog series in which I chronicled Zach’s and my 2,660-mile journey. It was a long series. 226,511 words, to be precise. And some of you were along for most or all of the journey.

First of all, thank you. I don’t think I can properly convey how good it was for me to post my story, knowing that people were listening and understanding what I went through. 

Now, the real purpose for this post. I may... or may not... possibly... be kicking around the idea of taking this monster of a blog series and distilling it into a book. POSSIBLY. It’s a massive undertaking, and my teaching job is about to start up, and I have a busy semester ahead... but the idea of actually making a proper book out of my journey has come to the forefront of my head.

So I wanted to ask those of you who read some or all of my story if you would answer a few questions for me:

1. What were your favorite stories from the blog series? (Bonus points if you can identify the common themes of the stories you liked.)

2. What part of the writing was your favorite— description, dialogue, stories about trail angels, stories about other hikers, thoughts, something else?

3. If you were to pick up a book about a PCT hike, what kind of story would you be looking for— a travel memoir, a series of fun stories, a thought-provoking slice-of-life narrative, a picture of day-to-day trail life, an inspiring follow-your-dream novel, something else?

Thanks in advance for your help!


~Lisa

11 comments:

  1. This might get a little long... :)

    My favorite part of the story was your emotional progression. From a blog reader perspective it was incredibly interesting to have that interior look that you usually don't get from hiker blogs. I also liked when things went wrong. Like the starvation, and the snow pack. And the glimpses of your relationship with Zach. You really managed to be much more than a hiking blog, I didn't read 200,000 words of anyone else's hiking story. By the end of it I felt like I knew you as a person.

    Another favorite aspect of mine were all the briefly intersecting lives of hikers. It seemed like you were suddenly instant mismatched family.

    I'd like to read a travel memoir combined with an emotional arc. Also, including the disasters.

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    1. Thank you so much for your input and kind words, Briel! This "outside perspective" is really helpful for me as I move forward with the writing. Sometimes I felt a little self-conscious writing about how ineptly I handled things... I'm glad to know that it was the right choice! :)

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  2. I read every word of your PCT adventure and appreciated the way you "told it like it was" and didn't sugar-coat anything. When you were afraid or struggling, you admitted it and worked your way through it. When you had amazing days, you shared that excitement with your readers. I liked that very much, and I felt like I almost knew you after reading about your experiences. I remember really enjoying reading about your hiking struggles and adventures over the passes.

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    1. Thank you, Heather! Again, I appreciate the encouragement to be fearless in writing about my failures... it's so hard to do, but your appreciation of it helps me to be continue to be bold. :)

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  3. I loved the emotions....watching your coping skills ebb and flow. For narcissistic reasons, I loved how much you loved Oregon.
    The thought provoking slice of life narrative is what I would enjoy reading. The philosophy....what you learned about yourself...how your relationship with your partner may have deepened or changed.
    Also....from a purely nuts and bolts standpoint....how did you finance your hike....what was it like to leave your "real life" behind for such an extensive amount of time.

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    1. Oh.....my comment says it is from "unknown"...it's me, Kimama Reef.

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    2. Hi Kimama! :) Haha, I do definitely love Oregon! I'm glad that I have family there who give me an excuse to visit every year. ;) These comments give me a lot to think about as I move forward with the memoir— thank you!

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  4. At first I liked just seeing what it was like through your eyes, even the "boring" bits. I liked the emotions, your inner dialogue, and brief glimpses into what it felt like, but I was also interested in what you ate, how you slept, who you met, how you and Zach got along, and yes, how you dealt with your period!

    Post-Sierra I started to lose interest in the everyday stuff and more drawn into the "reflections" posts. What you felt was far more important to me than what you did. By that point I had a pretty good grasp of what a "normal" day looked like.

    If I was to read a PCT book I would probably pick a memoir, but filled with those reflections and inspirational overarching themes.

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    1. Thanks, Emily, this is really helpful! I was leaning a bit toward this structure anyway (boring details in the beginning, emotional impact toward the end), but hearing it from someone else really helps me to solidify the ideas in my head! :)

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  5. Hey Lisa! After a year of reading less fun things on my lunch breaks, I decided to stop by my old favorite blog and found that you're revisiting your memoir! Sign me up - I'd like to preorder! Haha no pressure or anything. It's been a while so what I can say is mostly this.. I don't recall any specific stories or moments from your hike that stuck out to me more than others. What I remember most is how I felt while reading them - you included so much vivid detail that I felt like I was walking alongside you guys, watching you evolve as hikers, as spouses, as people. As someone who loves the outdoors and dreams of long distance hiking, I personally think your beautiful descriptions of the scenery bring just as much to the story as the emotional journey - I think they work very well together. What you wrote was exactly what I was looking for at the time but couldn't find anywhere else in blog or book form - a memoir filled with visuals, growth, vulnerability, and honesty. I apologize if that doesn't answer your questions too specifically, but hope it helps!

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    1. Thank you, Claudia! I really appreciate your suggestions and kind words. This encourages me not to leave out the scenery when I'm writing. :) Hope you get to do a long-distance hike someday— it's a crazy but amazing experience!

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