Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Anton Chekov

 

 

 

 

Sometimes, our greatest teachers are found on the pages of a book. That’s what happened to me when I read Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild as it apparently has for many others.

 

A #1 New York Times bestseller since its 2012 release, it holds many memoir writing tips.

 

So, I set out to look at what Cheryl does to captivate my attention, keep me turning the pages and then leave me with the sense that I have not only accompanied her on her journey but I have experienced a connection to my own journey.

 

Wild is a story within a story of a twenty-six year old woman who decides to take a hike along the Pacific Crest trail in the wake of her mother’s sudden and untimely death from cancer, her failed attempts to bring her siblings together after her death and a divorce from a man she loves but does not feel capable of relating to in a mature, committed way. The fact that she is an inexperienced and ill-equipped hiker further adds to the drama and tension of the journey.

 

Strayed weaves in her inner and outer struggles seamlessly, tapping into universal themes throughout the story. I found myself grieving over the potential loss of my own mother; I could almost feel the pain in my feet as she recounted the blisters that develop from poorly-fitting hiking boots and I marveled at her ability to walk alone through snake and bear-infested trails. With raw honesty, she reflects on her own flaws and needs in a way that makes me root for her.

 

I was spellbound by this book.

 

Here’s are the lessons I take away from reading “Wild “:

The author:

 

• Transforms real-life events into a story that matters by tapping into universal issues: death of a parent, divorce, grief, regrets, hiking alone on a trail.

 

• Reflects upon the meaning of the experiences by weaving in the voice of innocence and the voice of experience. By sharing her inner thoughts about her losses, I feel her deep pain and understand why she took off by herself to try to sort it all out.

 

• Uses graphic sensory details to bring the reader into the story. Not only do I feel the blisters on my feet but I experience thirst when her water supply is dwindling and the water tank on the trail is dry. I nearly gasp out loud when her boot goes sailing into the precipice below. And,oh those rattlesnakes…

 

• Conveys the meaning of the story clearly through the theme of searching for self after devastating losses and regrets.

 

• Develops multidimensional, believable characters whom I can see and  root for or disdain, like the two bow hunters she meets on the trail and has a “creepy” feeling about: “They both looked in their midthirties. One man was sandy-haired and wiry, though he had a little belly; the other was a redhead tall and meaty enough to be a linebacker. They both wore jeans with big buck knives hitched onto their belts and enormous backpacks that had bows and arrows slung across them.”

 

• Uses fiction techniques effectively. She writes in scenes using sensory detail, dialogue, conflict, tension, a defined plot that moves along at a steady pace.

 

• Crafts a beginning, middle and end. I see the reason for her hike, feel the rising action of hiking it alone with dangers everywhere from wild animals to temperature extremes, snow-covered mountains, questionable human predators and come full circle with her to the end of her hike where she sees her life with new eyes. Tranformation.

 

Speaking of craft, Cheryl has admitted taking a long time to write her memoir. She took the hike in 1995 and her memoir was released in 2012. When asked in an interview why it took her so long to write, she replied:

“For a number of reasons. It took me years of apprenticing myself to the craft before I could write a book. Once I did that, the story I most urgently had to tell was the one I told in my first book, Torch. I don’t write about something unless I feel a stirring inside of me to do so and it wasn’t until 2008 that I felt that in relation to my experience on the PCT. I think the years between my hike and writing about it made for a better book. I gained perspective that I wouldn’t have had if I’d written about it immediately.”

 

• Writes from a position of strength and perspective by allowing time and emotional distance to guide her story.

I have heard that a good memoir:

       *invites the reader into a personal experience ,

       *keeps him/her engaged throughout and

       *provides a level of satisfaction at the end.

 

Isn’t that something we all want to do for ourselves and for our readers?

 

I am grateful to Cheryl for inviting me into her world and showing me how she faced and overcame her life challenges. Not only did I enjoy her story but I learned some important tips about memoir writing.

***

The National Association of Memoir Writers is co-sponsoring a workshop with Cheryl Strayed June 1, 2013 in Petaluma, CA. Click the link to sign up for the great opportunity to work with Cheryl.

Learn from the New York Times bestseller about how to write a successful memoir!

 

Workshop Schedule (subject to change):

8:30 Continental Breakfast
9:15 Welcome and opening remarks.
9:45 Introduction
10:00 Talk & First Writing Session
11:00 Sharing Q&A
12:30 Lunch
2:00 Craft Talk & Second Writing Session
3:30 Sharing and discussion
4:00 Reading 4:30 Q&A
5:00 Book Signing & Close

 

 

How about you?  Have you read Wild?  If so, what lessons did you take away?

 

 

Announcement: Congratulations, Debi Wandrey! Your name was selected in a random drawing of commenters to receive Barbara Techel’s memoir, Through Frankie’s Eyes: One Woman’s Journey to Authenicity and the Dog on Wheels Who Led the Way.

 

 

Next Week: Memoir Author Linda Kovic-Skow will discuss her memoir, French Illusions. Linda will give away a free copy of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.