James Van Der Beek was reportedly writing a memoir prior to his death at age 48. Sources told Deadline on Wednesday, February 11, that the Dawson's Creek alum was quietly writing a book amid his lengthy cancer battle. His work on the memoir took place in between production on his final roles - some of which have yet to be released. Details about the book, including how far he got and any possible posthumous release date, have yet to be announced. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images News broke on Wednesday that Van Der Beek died years after being diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer.