Inspiration is a funny thing. It can come to us like a lightning bolt, through the lyrics of a song, or in the fog of a dream. Ask any writer where their stories come from and you’ll get a myriad of answers, and in that vein I created the WHAT (What the Hell Are you Thinking?) interview.
Today’s guest for the WHAT is Geralyn RItter, the author of a memoir about her recovery from the 2015 Amtrak derailment titled, Bone by Bone: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing.
Ideas for our books can come from just about anywhere, and sometimes even we can’t pinpoint exactly how or why. Did you have a specific origin point for your book?
Yes. The origin point was rather dramatic – a trainwreck. I was returning home from an ordinary business trip on an ordinary day. Amtrak 188 derailed outside of Philadelphia going 106 mph on a curve designed for a maximum of 50 mph. Eight people lost their lives, and my injuries were so extensive, I was not expected to live. My family flew into town immediately, and one of my brothers packed a dark suit for my funeral.
The extraordinary experience of being a “polytrauma” patient and survivor has been a defining element of my life since the accident in 2015. I was given the gift of a second chance at life, and the only way I knew to ‘pay forward’ that gift was by sharing in a book some of the things I learned on my journey (and wished I had known at the beginning).
Once the original concept existed, how did you build a plot around it?
Many memoirs start by introducing the author, but I felt strongly about starting with the accident. The real need that I wanted to fill with this book was not about how I survived, but rather about how I reclaimed my body and my life and embraced a different version of the future. The chaos, stress, blood and tears of that night and my family’s frantic 9-hour search to find me set the stage. The plot unfolded naturally from there – the joy and gratitude that I had survived, the wildly unrealistic expectations I had for my recovery, my emotional freefall as I came to understand the reality, the impact on my family, and the slow walk back to a life filled with purpose and joy.
Have you ever had the plot firmly in place, only to find it changing as the story moved from your mind to paper?
Yes. As I wrote, I learned. I read and researched so many topics: physical trauma and mental health, pain and opioid dependence, the impact of trauma on caregivers and on children, the challenges of returning to the workplace after a long absence, and more. I interviewed some of those around me who could fill in gaps in my memory and describe events that happened when I was unconscious. I also thought deeply about my faith and worked to make sense of the accident and my survival. This process gave the plot a depth that was initially missing. It led me to emphasize parts of the story that I had initially dismissed as less significant -- and hopefully also made the book a more valuable resource for other survivors.
Do story ideas come to you often, or is fresh material hard to come by?
Story ideas come to me often. I work in global women health and have had the privilege to meet amazing strong women from diverse circumstances and backgrounds around the world. I have often regretted that their stories are not told, and their voices are rarely heard. I believe in the power of storytelling to create change. That is why when I faced my own unexpected and searing experience, I felt that I had to write about it.
How do you choose which story to write next, if you’ve got more than one percolating?
I plan to continue to write non-fiction related to resilience, health and gender equity and women’s leadership. I haven’t decided on the story because there are so many possibilities. I need to digest feedback from Bone by Bone: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing and think more about how these stories can make a difference.
I have 6 cats and a Dalmatian (seriously, check my Instagram feed) and I usually have at least one or two snuggling with me when I write. Do you have a writing buddy, or do you find it distracting?
My two dogs! They are adorable but we did a terrible job training them. They are not allowed upstairs except to stay with me in my office when I am working. They sleep at my feet, keep me company, and when they need a break, I usually do too!
A recognized expert in healthcare policy, Geralyn RItter is executive vice president at Organon & Co., a new Fortune 500 healthcare company dedicated to the health of women. She was formerly senior vice-president at Merck & Co., Inc., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. She has spearheaded global government affairs and policy, led initiatives on corporate governance and corporate responsibility, created and launched a widely acclaimed half-billion-dollar philanthropic initiative to end preventable maternal deaths around the globe, and served as President of the Merck Foundation. In 2020, on behalf of Merck, Geralyn accepted the Disability Employer of the Year award.