Should I Do It Myself?

How To Decide What's Best
In a sense, whether a person writes his or her own memoirs or tells them to an interviewer, it's still their own story. No one else knows it the way they do.
So if they have the patience and energy to commit their recollections to paper, that
is a great way to preserve their wisdom. Adult children could help, too, especially with recording and editing tapes.

How a Professional Can Help

A professional takes the work out of doing a history, and increases the rewards. A journalist knows what kinds of questions to ask, does background research to help
improve accuracy, and provides incentive to keep on the task.

There is another advantage in using a professional: most people find they are more at ease and less secretive with a non-family member. For many reasons, it's just easier to talk. Experienced reporters can hear what the person is trying to say, not just the words they're using. Sometimes they will even ask the subject to re-phrase a thought so that it better describes their intention. Most of all, the Keen Ear interviewers value individual life experiences. They are genuinely interested in hearing these stories

.