How to Write a Good Bio Book

Obtaining historical documents helps to write a book-length biography.

In a biography, an author tells the story of another person's life. While a biography can be as short as a few lines, it is often the length of a book, especially in the case of a notable person, such as a sporting hero, a celebrity or an influential political figure. As you begin writing a biography, remember that at its most effective, the genre combines factual history with the same storytelling techniques that characterize a compelling work of fiction.

Instructions

1. Read other biographies before you begin writing one of your own. Analyze the biographies that you found most interesting or exciting, and ask what in its writing style, format or content intrigued you the most. Reading good writing helps you produce the same.

2. Research your subject thoroughly. Read everything you can about him, interview him if he is still alive, and speak to people who know him. Immerse yourself in his world before you begin writing the biography.

3. Research the historical, social and cultural context. When writing a biography of a 19th-century English woman, for example, read about Victorian England and investigate local history to find out where she grew up, lived and worked, what issues affected her and what important events happened around her during the era. Refer to these in the biography to give a sense of background and setting.

4. Identify characters and a plot. A biography may be nonfiction, but you are still telling a story that has characters and conflict -- a crucial element of all good storytelling. Common elements of conflict in a biography include that between a person's goals and her financial circumstances ("rags to riches"), or an internal conflict, such as a psychological flaw or deep-seated mental issue, within the main character.

5. Include essential facts in your writing. Where a memoir gives a glimpse into a person's life, a biography aims to summarize an entire life in factual, historical detail. Pay close attention to important dates, names and places.

6. Write creatively, using humor, imagination and rich language. A biography can have the same suspense, wit, excitement and beauty as a novel -- factual accuracy does not mean having to sound like a research paper.

7. Tell the story through sources as close to your subject as possible. Don't simply describe an event when you have the person's own words to quote from; refer to a diary, historical document or first-hand account when you can.

References

• "Write Your Own Biography"; Natalie M. Rosinsky; 2008
• "On Writing Well"; William Zinsser; 1994
• Dan Curtis: Bringing the Dead to Life: Writing the Biography of an Ancestor
• Utah State University: Teacher Link: Jean Hanson: Writing a Biography
• Merriam-Webster: Biography