What Is a Biography?
A biography is a detailed third person account of another person’s life story. It contains basic
information about the subject’s life—like their place of birth, education, and interests. A biography
may also chronicle relationships with family members, as well as major events in the subject’s
childhood and how those influenced their upbringing. A biography details the various
accomplishments and life events of a real person, but it’s more than facts and figures—it comes to
life with great stories told from beginning to middle to end.
What Is the Purpose of a Biography?
The purpose of a biography is to share the life of another person with an audience. An author may
choose to write a biography because they find the subject’s story to be interesting or to have themes
that apply to life today. Some authors choose to write a biography due to a lack of information
about an interesting subject, or to update the public with facts that an existing biography may have
missed. Biographical stories can be inspiring—highlighting the achievements of a particular
figure, pointing out ways the subject overcame hardship—giving the readers a sense of
encouragement. Biographies can also serve as cautionary tales, warning readers on who not to
become.
6 Tips on How to Write a Biography
To write the story of a person’s life, you need to know more than just the basic facts. A good
biography delves into what is really interesting about a person’s life—noteworthy achievements,
moments of adversity, and major turning points. The best biography can encapsulate a subject’s
entire life in an engaging way and provide enough personal details to give the reader an intimate
look at their character. If you’re interested in writing a biography, the following steps can get you
started:
1. 1. Get permission. Once you’ve chosen the subject of the biography, seek permission to
write about their life. While in some cases it may not be necessary (like if the subject is a
public figure or deceased), getting permission will make the research portion of your
writing process much easier. If the subject is willing to be biographied, they may provide
significant details about their own story up front that will help make your writing about
them more compelling.
2. 2. Do your research. Regardless of how much you know about your subject, an
extensive amount of research is necessary to paint a thorough picture of this person. If
they’re a historical figure, include information about the time period they lived in and how
it affected the way they lived their life. Primary sources are firsthand accounts of your
subject’s life and tend to be the most reliable sources. These can include journal entries,
emails, interviews, or memoirs. A primary source can also be any other information the
subject has provided, such as a personal website, Twitter bio, social media account or
professional bio. Secondary sources, like magazines or documentaries, can also be used
if the information is proven accurate.
3. 3. Form your thesis. Your first paragraph or chapter should inform the reader what they
will learn about this person from this biography. A thesis makes a declaration about the
biographee which the rest of the biography will provide relevant information to support.
4. 4. Make a timeline. A biography usually structures the main points of a person’s life in
chronological order. Knowing the order of key events before you start writing can save you
the hassle of having to reorganize your whole story later.
5. 5. Use flashbacks. While writing the text of your biography, you may want to intercut
between an experience from your subject’s adult life and one from their high school days.
Using flashbacks allows the author to introduce relevant past information to the reader
without bogging them down with paragraphs of background exposition.
6. 6. Include your thoughts. A biography isn’t just a transaction of facts. A biographer can
share their own feelings and opinions on their subject’s life. If the subject did something
noteworthy, the author may include why they feel that moment was significant, how it was
affected by the time period, and what it meant for society as a whole. This will support
why this person deserves to be written about and keep the audience reading from the first
sentence to the last.
