However, totally factual, true stories always seem to resonate with readers in a unique way, and I think the story of our XC team and, in particular, the 1992 season is great on its own merits. No doubt, it's a harder path to go down because I've had to research a lot and interview several people, and still have to interview several more. Still, as I work my way through the writing, every now and then I have a little doubt about what I'm doing and entertain the idea of just fictionalizing the whole thing and making it a novel.
What prevents me from doing that, though, is that I keep coming back to the fact that when I decided to begin this project, I dug up all my old XC memorabilia and, of the four seasons I ran on the Wood Cross Country team, the 1992 season was the only one for which I had everything. I clipped and saved every newspaper article from that season, I held on to every meet result sheet our coach handed out to the team and saved every trophy or medal I won that year. I even found all the team clothing I wore that year. Some instinct in me--even though I don't specifically remember saving all of that stuff--knew the story of that season was a good one. At that time, I had no desire to be a writer, but I imagine I held on to all that stuff because, perhaps, some subconscious part of my brain figured I might need it someday.
