An audiobook about how (not) to write a travel book: 9 lessons from my failed van-life memoir

“No endeavor to write a travel book is ever lost, since it gives you a useful perspective on (and intensified attention to) the reality of the travel experience itself. When embraced mindfully, the real-time experience of a journey is invariably its truest reward.” –Rolf Potts In this episode of Deviate , Rolf touches on nine lessons from attempting to write a (never finished) van-life vagabonding memoir at age 23, including: On Pilgrims in a Sliding World (1:00) Lesson : No work is lost (and “failure” has lessons to teach) On the author as a character (6:30) Lesson : “Show, don’t tell” is still good narrative advice On depicting other people (14:30) Lesson : Travel books require reporting (not just recollecting) On recounting dialogues (22:30) Lesson : Be true to what was said (but make sure it serves a broader purpose) On veering from the truth (32:30) Lesson : The truth tends to work better than whatever you might make up On depicting places (39:30) Lesson : “Telling details” are better than broad generalizations about a place On neurotic young-manhood (48:30) Lesson : Balance narrative analysis with narrative vulnerability The seeds of Vagabonding (1:01:30) Lesson : Over time, we write our way into what we have to say The journey was the point (1:06:30) Lesson : In the end, taking the journey counts for more than writing it Books mentioned: The Geto Boys , by Rolf Potts (2016 book) Vagabonding , by Rolf Potts (2003 book) The Anxiety of Influence , by Harold Bloom (1973 book) On the Road , by Jack Kerouac (1957 book) The Catcher in the Rye , by J.D. Salinger (1951 book) Epic of Gilgamesh (12th century BCE Mesopotamian epic) Don Quixote , by Miguel de Cervantes (17th century novel) The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (14th century travelogue) True History , by Lucian of Samosata (2nd century novella) Three Cups of Tea , by Greg Mortenson (21st century memoir) Marco Polo Didn't Go There , by Rolf Potts (2008 book) Labels: A Mediterranean Journal , by Evelyn Waugh (1930 book) Essays, poems, and short stories mentioned ...

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An audiobook about how (not) to write a travel book: 9 lessons from my failed van-life memoir is an episode from Deviate with Rolf Potts by Rolf Potts.

This episode is 01:11:41 long.

This episode was published on Sep 2, 2025.

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