We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cherie Kephart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cherie, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a young girl roller skating up and down Venice beach listening to the soundtrack of Xanadu on my bright-yellow Walkman. But it wasn’t until my encounter with an undiagnosed illness after living in Zambia as a Peace Corps volunteer that I felt I had something meaningful to share with the world. That’s how my memoir, A Few Minor Adjustments, came about. I wrote the book I wanted to read.
It’s about giving a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from an intense illness without having any answers. We slip through the cracks, feel like outcasts, even in the sick community. Without a clear diagnosis, it’s tough. Doctors don’t believe us; people call us crazy. We even start to doubt our sanity. All we want is to heal. It’s also about never giving up. Even when death feels imminent, as it did for me on several occasions, as long as you believe, you have a chance to heal. It’s an important message that I want people to hear.
I feel that memoirs connect us, bridging the gaps between different aspects of our humanity. I wanted to be a part of that connection, helping those who need some inspiration, those who feel lost, alone, and afraid. I know how it feels. I used to be there. This was my way of reaching people and doing what I could to help.
We all have pain and suffering, but life is really about perspective. Choosing each day to show up positively and to have more compassion for each other, and ourselves. If we don’t understand something, like an undiagnosed illness, then it is our duty as human beings not to turn away, or reject the unknown, but to offer compassion, even if it is something we don’t understand. Especially if it’s something we don’t understand.
Since the memoir was released, my writing and editing and teaching business has soared. A testament to the power of putting energy into what we are passionate about.
Cherie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a developmental editor, writing coach, and workshop facilitator I have a passion for helping writers on all aspects of the writing process. I’m also an award-winning author. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, I brought home an African souvenir I didn’t expect: a mysterious illness that almost killed me. This inspired me to write my memoir, A Few Minor Adjustments. My other publications include, The Healing 100 and Poetry of Peace, as well as essays, short stories, and poems in various literary journals and more than 15 anthologies. I am also a two-time winner of the San Diego Memoir Showcase and teach at several writing conferences and retreats.
The writers that come to work with me are passionate, curious, and creative with big ideas and wild aspirations. But often they don’t know where to start, or they are stuck in the middle of a project that feels never ending. They need someone to take their beautiful prose and elevate it to the next level. To coach them on the next steps to take and teach them about the craft. I’ve been there. I know what it takes to reach writing goals and I love sharing what I’ve learned. My specialties are memoir, creative non-fiction, non-fiction, historical fiction, and general fiction.
I believe what sets me apart is my willingness to dig deep into all the aspects of being a writer, not just focusing on the tools and techniques. Learning all about the craft is important, but knowing who you are as a writer, what your fears, worries, and blinds pots are can open you up to your untouched creative sanctuary, waiting to be discovered. Most of all, I help writers renew their passion, bolster their courage, and empower them to write from their most enlivened, creative, and authentic selves. Writing is a magical endeavor and I get to play in this realm every day, living my dream as a writer. But I also get to help others reach their dreams, and that, is an absolute gift.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For years, I worked hard writing the first draft of my memoir. I was also trying to survive my mysterious illness. But my writing, that kept me going, too. It was something to believe in.
Once my first draft was complete, I set it aside for a few months—as we writers do—to get some much-needed perspective. When I reread the book for what felt like the first time, it was so depressing and dark. I didn’t even want to read it. If I didn’t want to read it, who would? It defeated the whole purpose of the book.
I made a bold decision. I believed writing my memoir had proven to be a cathartic experience, and I was glad I did it, but I felt it was time to move on, to move forward and not remain in the darkness. I took my manuscript, went down to the local beach, placed the entire book in a pit and lit it on fire.
Yes. I burned my book.
For months after that, friends and family would ask me about the progress of my book, and I’d tell them what I did. Everyone was shocked. They tried to convince me to write it again. I didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. I believed I had received everything I needed from writing the book, the purging of emotions and deep healing. I was happy to let it go.
About a year later, I had lunch with an old friend, and he, too, posed the question, “How is the book coming along?” I repeated my story, how I had burned my book. His face held no reaction and there was a long pause. Finally, he broke the silence. “Have you ever read the book, Larry’s Kidney?”
I shook my head.
That was it. He never said another word about it. Strange. I thought I was the crazy one, burning books. Apparently, there was something I was missing.
A few days later, Larry’s Kidney showed up at my doorstep. The book, not the actual kidney. I read it and realized just how amazing my friend Bob was. The subtitle of the book is: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get Him a Transplant—and Save His Life.
It was a controversial topic. But the writer knew he needed to inject humor to make it accessible and palatable. My friend knew my story needed levity as well. And he knew I loved humor. A perfect combination.
I took my book, (and yes, I had burned the printed pages, but had saved an electronic copy, because I may have been sick, but I wasn’t an idiot), and I rewrote it with elements of humor. My title even changed from Undiagnosed (depressing, right?) to A Few Minor Adjustments. My doctor names—of which there were many—changed from boring names to protect their privacy, to names that represented the way I viewed them, such as: Dr. Loveless, Dr. Nose Hair, Dr. Know-it-All, Dr. Hormone, and Dr. Genius.
The lesson for me was about being willing to let go of my attachment and all the hard work, and everything I thought I needed. It freed me to see what I had been missing. While I don’t advocate burning books, it was a necessary step for me, one that I will never forget. True letting go will always open new doors for us. But we have to exercise profound trust and be willing to be guided by surprise.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission driving everything I do is simple: to inspire and be inspired. We humans are all connected and require inspiration to move through life. I believe we can elevate each other, and that’s what I want most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cheriekephart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheriekephartwriter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cherie.Kephart.Author/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-kephart-1a7b6542
- Other: GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16889073.Cherie_Kephart?from_search=true
Image Credits
Dawn Nicoli