The “Ugly” Route to a Beautiful Memoir

By Jennifer Cramer-Miller

“You’ve got to be uglier,” Kate said.

As my editor and friend, she advised me on how to improve my memoir’s first draft, a version that breezily recounted the story of my incurable illness.

I avoided sinking into the most depressing details of my ill health, opting instead for swift and light. But that was exactly Kate’s issue; while I’d skimmed the surface of my story, effective, engaging memoirs plunge into the guts of the story.

“We need to dive deepe...