I’ve written two nonfiction narratives about my life as a smuggler. When people introduce me as a writer, I always correct them. “I’m not really a writer”, I say, “I’m a storyteller.”

Writers have to invent their stories, their characters, and their settings. Storytellers draw on their memories of something that actually happened. At least that is the case with my genre, nonfiction narrative.

My characters are actual people. I remember their faces and behavior. These characters were and some still are, part of my life. The whole idea of inventing people is daunting.

Most of my work took place making the smuggling voyages and climbing adventures to store in my brain files. I am in awe of writers like King and Hugo who imagined the entire world of their novels.

However, putting my readers into a place where they can see, taste, and feel my stories is hard enough. I really hope you can all feel the oceans in my storms.