Biographies are life stories of some dynamic and successful personalities. They can be executives, political leaders, entertainment superstars or any popular sportsperson. Moreover, they might even be dead or alive… it does not matter. The only thing that matters is the fact that, for some reason, the world is keen to hear about them.
A biography is what a person writes about a character. It is about their achievements, their eccentric existence and about how they leave an impact on the world. For instance, people who are fans of scientists, social contributors, etc, compel writers to pen down life accounts. Like we have a best-selling book ‘Steve Jobs’.
Written by Walter Isaacson, this masterpiece was published in 2011. He has also written biographies of Einstein and Benjamin Franklin. However, we are curious what exactly the recipe for good writing is. If you are in the same boat, then continue reading. We have found just the right guide for you.
Ingredients Of Cooking A Delicious Biography
Writing about what an individual’s life was like is not very convenient. The writer has to do a great amount of research for this. Details of their early life and then the youth of someone who is long gone are hard to find in some cases. However, the biographers dig out pieces of information anyway. You will find more such dedicated writers at; biographywriter.co.uk.
Making Important Decisions
Before moving on to the significant elements of a life account, first, let us discuss a few things that need our attention.
Firstly, who is that someone that you want to highlight amongst the public? Is he a long-forgotten hero? An exceptional contributor to education or maybe a philanthropist? The subject of your writing can be anyone, no matter whether alive or dead. Moreover, the subject does not always have to be singular. It can also be a group.
Once you have chosen that one perfect human to write about, you must now look forward to who your audience will be. Will it be the public or a relatively smaller set, which you know closely? This is crucial as it decides and sets the tone of the writing effort.
Furthermore, you are required to specify your purpose and focus of writing such a type of content. It could be to highlight the person’s achievement, to pay him a tribute, or merely to motivate people with the story. Such as, if you are writing about a young hero, then the focus will be more on their upbringing and early life and not on the latter.
Moving on, below are some very significant features of a Biography that will either make it or break it.
- Their Credentials
While creating content like this, you ought to mention the credentials of who is going to be discussed throughout the book. You must include their full name, a short description and date of birth. The writer may also share other information like place of birth and background facts, depending on what the focus is. Apart from that, a wise trick is to start the text with a famous quote or with a picture of the subject. This helps the audience connect better and keeps them hooked.
- Their Profession
Then, we have the facts about their affiliations. It includes the specifics of their education, jobs/business experiences or any affiliations. The audience wants to know the name of their company, the development story, and the complications. However, if the subject were a living legend, such as a young CEO, then the public would also want to know their current standing. This is a golden chance for creative writers. They can skillfully mix in promotional content of the business, and no one will realise, but fall for the bait.
- Their Expertise
In addition to that, the Biography writers are supposed to add insights into the person’s talent and abilities. It could be an in-depth discussion of their mathematical reasoning, marketing brilliance or athletic wisdom. The audience is only there to understand their thought process. So, be as broad about their expertise as you can as a writer. A great idea is to mention the reason, their interest developed in a field. You can also discuss accomplishments and volunteer work. For instance, any act of kindness and care that tells the reader about their narrative as an individual.
- Their Aspirations
Besides this, the biographer must talk about what are the plans of this individual. If he were someone who is not alive now, then the topic would be what he wanted to achieve. Additionally, details of whether he was successful in doing that or not are also necessary to include. However, if he or she is a living subject of the biography then the topic will be limited to what are their aspirations. What do they dream? Moreover, what is their strategy to achieve these targets? For an interesting element, you may also add about their hobbies.
- Their Present
In the end, note that if the subject is not dead, then the writer can discuss or evaluate their life achievements. Here is also an opportunity to add the special little fragments of the subject’s life. Such a family moment, a funny encounter, a conversation with friends or any last words. Moreover, understanding their favourite things and hobbies can also be a part of the final episode. Besides that, a good way to boil down your entire writing effort is to finish by stating your purpose.
We decided on this purpose before we started writing the biography. So now, you know why it was important. It helps people navigate their direction as to what are their takeaways from the book.
In Short…
So far, we have had a detailed discussion of how and why we should start a biography. To summarise, we would just say that it is an effort made to connect better with the audience. It helps the reader understand a different viewpoint. They read about another person’s perspective on life challenges and hence learn a lot.
Such content also encourages and motivates people’s weak spirits to prove to the world that they can make a difference. Therefore, we think we are quite clear on how a biography helps every member of society and what a biography should include.