TryGOLD- Free

"That's My Journey"
Writer’s Digest|May - June 2023
Susan Mattern, author of Out of the Lion's Den, grand-prize winner of the 10th Annual WD Self-Published E-Book Awards, talks staying true to her story and the benefits of writing at a distance from the events.
- AMY JONES
"That's My Journey"

A story of survival. A medical thriller. A legal thriller. All of these could describe Susan Mattern's memoir, Out of the Lion's Den: A Little Girl's Mountain Lion Attack, A Mother's Search for Answers. But at its heart, the book is a story of one woman's journey of losing her faith.

And while that's not a typical faith-journey story, for Mattern, a former nun who left the convent after six years, it's the hard-fought truth of her experience. An experience that began on March 23, 1986-the day her 5-year-old daughter Laura was attacked by a mountain lion at Caspers Wilderness Park in Orange County, Calif. but lasted for years as Laura underwent countless surgeries and her parents fought extensive legal battles to get the county to admit they could've done more to warn park guests about the known danger.

Through all that, Mattern's faith was tested and eventually provided the basis for the book. Mattern told WD, "When this trauma happened, we just tried to live through it. And then when I lost my faith, it was just such an unusual thing, because most people do come back to God.... I didn't want to write a book just about the trauma of what Laura had gone through, because there's a lot of stories that are about that, and I didn't think that was really anything that unusual or that memorable. But then the whole faith thing, that was kind of unusual. And I thought, Well, I'd like to write about that, because so many people have such a negative attitude about people who are atheists and I wanted to somehow get out the idea that atheists have morals too."

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM WRITER’S DIGESTView all
What Is Your Story Question?
Writer’s Digest

What Is Your Story Question?

Revision and editing advice to take your first draft to the next level.

time-read
7 mins  |
January - February 2025
Writing for the People We Hope to Become
Writer’s Digest

Writing for the People We Hope to Become

Elisa Stone Leahy's new middle-grade novel, Mallory in Full Color, tackles the in-between moments of adolescence, when who we are and who we want to become collide.

time-read
5 mins  |
January - February 2025
Creating Community
Writer’s Digest

Creating Community

Whether hot off the presses or on the shelves for years, a good book is worth talking about.

time-read
3 mins  |
January - February 2025
Pat Barker
Writer’s Digest

Pat Barker

The Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration shares the role characters play in developing novel ideas and explains what appeals to her about reimagining mythology.

time-read
10+ mins  |
January - February 2025
How to Write in Different Genres
Writer’s Digest

How to Write in Different Genres

Emiko Jean and Yulin Kuang share tips and strategies for how they successfully write in different genres and mediums.

time-read
8 mins  |
January - February 2025
The Shortest Distance Between Two Points
Writer’s Digest

The Shortest Distance Between Two Points

Ten tips for writing a novel with 100-word stories.

time-read
8 mins  |
January - February 2025
Mayfly Marketing
Writer’s Digest

Mayfly Marketing

How to sell your novel in a short-attention-span world.

time-read
9 mins  |
January - February 2025
"You'll be a great essay".
Writer’s Digest

"You'll be a great essay".

How to write six types of personal essays by finding the funny in your life.

time-read
9 mins  |
January - February 2025
The Idea Factory
Writer’s Digest

The Idea Factory

Tired of staring at an empty screen? Unlock your inner fiction generator with these surprising inspiration techniques.

time-read
9 mins  |
January - February 2025
Seinfeld Was Right: That's a Story
Writer’s Digest

Seinfeld Was Right: That's a Story

Use mundane moments from everyday life to create stories that pack a punch.

time-read
10 mins  |
January - February 2025

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies. Learn more