Pretend It's Not Me

How do I write a story about drug addiction and prostitution without turning it into a salacious sleaze fest? It may not be appropriate for the intellectual set, but that doesn't mean it has to wallow in the gutter either. I never made it past Grade 8 and know nothing about writing, but my dream is to make it as compelling and as interesting as I can without giving the pervs out there a reason to entertain themselves. I'll be 50 years old in less than a week and have no earthly idea how I made it past 30. So before dementia sets in I want to document the genesis of my survival, to understand why I made it through all the blackouts and the overdoses. I want to write something that matters, I want my life to be about more than mere survival. I want to leave something worthwhile and inspiring behind.