Writing a biography Mini-bios

Steps to biographical writing  Biographies tell the story of a person’s life. In short bios like this one, you should include basic information, but also focus on one story or event that had an impact on the person’s life.  Bios find connections, explain meaning or mysteries, or focus on accomplishments or life activities.  Our bios will focus on a person you know or have known (if deceased).  Organization can be chronological or focus on a theme (adversity, achievement, ambition, etc).  You should use primary sources (personal interview) and/or secondary source (interview of another person, news article, internet profile)

Getting ready to Write  Choose a person: Mr. Shelnutt or another person you know or have known.  Find out the basic information about the person’s life: birthdate and place, family, education  Think about what else you want to know about the person: 1. What makes this person interesting? 2. What are adjectives that describe the person? 3. What impact has this person had on other people? 4. What events or people shaped this person’s life? 5. What obstacles did he/she face?

What else?  Write your biography – minimum 5 paragraphs 1. Use an interesting introduction with a grabber lead Quotation, interesting fact, question, story etc. 2. Three body paragraphs – focus on one main idea per paragraph, use sensory details for descriptions. Include dialogue somewhere in the paper. 3. Use Transitions between paragraphs Have a conclusion – can tie back to the introduction, or summarize key ideas, the importance of the person, why you chose the person, etc.