“When I feel afraid, that’s an indication that I’ve tapped into something worth writing about. Whenever my writing has made me cry or ask, ‘Can I really say that?’ that has always been the material that readers respond to most passionately. You can recognize when a writer has told you something true—and I don’t mean true in a literal, nonfiction way.”
The Days of Yore has an extensive interview with Cheryl Strayed, providing excellent reading on the eve of Wild’s release.