Start - Smart Words
Abstract
A short Guide for writing a Biography
Everyone of us has a story to tell about our lives. From the simple housewife to the top-notch business executive, a person faces and conquers at least one adversity. And such an event can be good material for writing a biography.
A biography, in its simplest sense, is an interesting story about a person’s life. But more than just a straightforward narration of the life of the subject, it goes deeper by trying to analyze his/her life and tries to explain the things that happened to him/her.
Most biographies are long, but others can be short too, depending on the need. So, if for example, one intends to write a biography for a web page, two to three paragraphs will usually do.
But how does one write a biography? Here are the most basic steps:
- Think of a person you want to write about. It would be good if you’re interested in the life he/she lived.
- From there, research some basic facts about the person’s life like the birth date, the place of birth, and his/her full name.
- Try to deepen your research by doing interviews, first, of the person himself/herself, and next, the people close to your subject. Also research news items about the person, as well as other biographies written about him/her.
- Select a particular angle of the person’s life. If your subject is a politician, you can choose to write about his/her political career or personal life.
- A good story is never without conflict. Show a conflict in that person’s life which changed him/her. A story of a recovering drug addict is a good example of this.
- Also show your subject’s effect on the people and world around him.
- Writing the events of your subject’s life shouldn’t necessarily be chronological. It could also be in a way where events build up to the peak of the person’s life.
- Finally, edit, edit and edit your work. This not only involves the grammar and the logic of your biography but also the accuracy of the facts.
Disclaimer
Privacy Policy