I had some writing challenges. For example, I never kept a journal, except in the form of photographs after I bought my first camera in my late 20s. I regret not journaling my life, but I never planned to write a memoir, or write anything at all aside from scientific papers and reports and emails to my friends. I have no training in creative writing. So, embarking on a memoir was a big risk. As a test, I began by writing about a particularly life-changing period. I moved to Southeast Alaska after graduating college and worked in a dangerous job. I found I could remember this period with clarity once I got into it, even though it was in 1979. I Googled one of my old co-workers, magically found him, sent him an excerpt, and asked him whether I captured things in a realistic fashion. He replied that I captured the place, time, and people perfectly.
With this encouragement, I wrote about my early childhood, and sent excerpts to my siblings. With minor changes, they all said I captured it well. So, I started to fill in the blanks. The most recent three decades were relatively easy, as my photographs and my wife Linda functioned as memory aids and fact-checkers. I focused my stories on both involuntary and voluntary risk. For example, I’ve climbed a lot of mountains, ever since I was a teenager trying to escape a dysfunctional family. Initial drafts included more mountain climbing than the published memoir. I cut these sections down because I didn’t want the book to be about climbing. I was never a famous climber, and most people who choose books in the ‘adventure’ genre want to read about famous people doing amazing things. I wanted to entertain readers with stories about a wide variety of my life’s risks, but also educate as to how I managed them.
I can’t emphasize enough the important role of my editor, especially for somebody like me who’d never written anything substantial for a general audience. She gave me invaluable advice, such as “don’t call somebody a jerk – present the person and situation and let the reader decide if he’s a jerk.” My own music production experience helped as well. I think I’m adept at whittling down musical pieces to the essential, wheat-y parts; and discarding the chaff. There’s no chaff in my memoir, or at least I don’t think so.
As I’m naturally impatient, publishing this book was a challenge for me, especially because this occurred during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and the world slowed down (talk about risk. . .). I initially tried the traditional literary agent/major publishing house route. I heard crickets. I found this traditional publishing business to be a paradoxical one; very different from any other business I’d ever worked with, and I’ve worked with many. Many agents and publishing houses seem to actively discourage the author-customers who pay their bills. I don’t know how they survive.
I eventually found a publisher who employs a hybrid model under one of their imprints. The author pays a fee, but the company provides professional editorial, proofreading, publication, and marketing support. The author has a lot of control over the final product and earns higher royalties compared to traditional publishing. Compared to self-publishing, it’s less work and direct expense for the author. However, as I don’t have publishing experience with these other models, I can’t say which is best for a particular genre, author, or book.
Putting my story ‘out there’ was a big risk in itself. I was gratified when I started to get good reviews, and one even said reading my book was like watching a scary movie. However, my intent was not only to entertain, but also to educate. Another reviewer put it this way: “You can kick back and enjoy the read and its many 'holy s&%t' moments, or you can take up the challenge to think about - and to digest - the lessons learned and the impacts of choices and associated actions and outcomes.” This is exactly what I intended. Many good books I’ve enjoyed over the years have struck me in a similar fashion. I hope readers enjoy my story as much as I’ve enjoyed my life!
Through Dangerous Doors is available on Amazon.
About the Author: Mr. Lee is a retired risk scientist with over twenty-five years of academic and applied risk analysis, decision analysis, and risk management experience in a wide variety of contexts. He has authored over one hundred peer-reviewed scientific works, as well as over one hundred technical reports for industry and government agencies. Prior to this professional risk work he was a manual laborer until he reckoned that he could use his brain for a living.
