Roughing It is a semi-non-fiction work written by American author Mark Twain. It was published in 1872 and follows the adventures of young Mark Twain in the Wild West. The novel tells of Twain's adventures that actually occurred prior to Twain's pleasure cruise relayed in "Innocents Abroad" but was written and published afterwards. Twain consulted his brother's diary to refresh his memory and borrowed heavily from his active imagination for many stories in the novel. "Roughing It" illustrates many of Twain's pre-fame adventures such as gold and silver prospecting, real-estate speculation, and his beginnings as a writer.