Excerpt from MarketWatch
At age 80, Sly Stone has written a memoir. The musician reflects on his ups and downs with brutal honesty, recalling his early fame, drug abuse, arrests and failed comeback attempts.
Celebrity memoirs are nothing new. Their often-harrowing content can offer cautionary tales while educating and inspiring readers. Last year, we saw a flood of celebrity memoirs published, including by Stone, Jada Pinkett Smith, Patrick Stewart, Dolly Parton and Kerry Washington.
What’s new is how many non-famous retirees are writing memoirs. Eager to document their life and enrich their legacy, they reflect on how they lived, whom they loved and what they’ve learned.
If you’re not accustomed to writing, consider joining a writers group. See if your local library, university or adult education center offers such a program.
After retiring as a theater professor at Wright State University, Abe Bassett joined a writers group led by a colleague. This led him to collect dozens of stories, which he then categorized under various headings (growing up with Dad, a stint in the Army, etc.).
“The best stories reveal something about the writer,” said Bassett, 93, author of “Abe, Son of Abraham.” “The stories have to be on point and interesting” — not just to you, but also to readers.
