We thought this story notable in part because it’s unusual to read an adventure story that is neither heroic nor triumphant. This is a more character-focused story, a tale of one man who’s struggling with his failed dream.

Therolf wrote to us:

“The story of the sailor’s fairly dramatic rescue off the coast of Chile had been in the news for several days, and the editors were getting fatigued with the story. The challenge was to find a fresh angle. Thankfully, Barnes’ internal process was enough of a revelation that, as editors and readers said, the resulting story was unexpected, a surprise.

I came to like the sailor quite a bit; I loved the fact that he had such an awesome surge of initiative and was simultaneously so honest about his feelings, including his self-doubt.”

Read “His dream sank, so now what?” by Garrett Therolf

Most popular articles from Nieman Storyboard