1. Biographical Narrative Essay
Inspirational People in Your Life

2. Quickwrite
Make a list of the three most important, inspiring people you know well. Picture the face of each person on the list and jot down what makes that person both interesting and significant to you.

3. Biographical Narrative
In this essay, you will focus on revealing a person’s characterization through anecdotes that focus on their appearance, actions, dialogue, thoughts (also known as interior monologue), and how others view them.
You will choose the person you’re writing on based on how inspirational or influential they have been on you/others.

4. Now, list anecdotes – short, true stories – about each person on your list. Pick anecdotes that show why each person is meaningful to you.
Who
Significance
Anecdotes
Dad
Without him, I would not be the person I am today. He taught me to think about others besides myself and has shown me how important it is to be selfless.
The time I watched him give money to a homeless family.
Taking me to feed dogs at the dog shelter.
Buying me ice cream to make me feel better.
Johnny
His life and death taught me to appreciate the present because life isn’t always guaranteed.
Making me laugh whenever I dealt with problems.
Finding out about his death.
Dealing with anger/sadness with his suicide.

5. Now you do it Create a chart with three columns like this: Who
Significance
Anecdotes
List
2-3 people
3+ sentences to depict their significance to you
4+ anecdotes for each of your subjects
Create a chart with three columns like this:

6. Pick one
Now, choose the subject from your list that prompts the strongest and most specific memories and feelings in you: When you write your biographical narrative you’ll need an abundance of details about your subject.

7. Outline of a Biographical Narrative (Take Cornell Notes):
Introduction
Background Information
Controlling Impression
Body Paragraphs
Focus on one characteristic/anecdote per paragraph
Use anecdotes to SHOW the characteristic you admire
Include sensory details, interior monologue, dialogue
Conclusion
Why is this person inspirational and influential?

8. Create a Controlling Impression
Show, don’t tell: a biographical narrative is different from an essay, so don’t blurt out the importance of your subject in a traditional thesis statement.
Instead, hint at your subject’s significance in the beginning anecdote and let the rest of the anecdotes in your narrative confirm the hint by creating a controlling impression of your subject. Your readers will infer the subject’s significance.

9. How do you create a controlling impression?
If I were to write about my friend Johnny, whose significance is that he made me see the gift that life provides and the potential in myself, I would use anecdotes and details to contribute to a single controlling impression of Johnny: He has made an impact on my life because he made me realize that no matter how bad life gets, it is a gift to be appreciated.
How do you create a controlling impression?
Anecdotes and details

10. How do you create a controlling impression?
Fathers are often seen as the provider of the family- the person who brings home the income but doesn’t usually bring a lot of nurturing and love. Luckily for me, my father was both. He had a rare quality of always making me feel loved while simultaneously teaching me to love others. Without him, I would not be the person I am today. He taught me to think about others besides myself and has shown me how important it is to be selfless.
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Sometimes friends leave you with lessons that you will never forget. They teach you about love, friendship, and sometimes, about death. While I never wanted to learn this lesson so early, Johnny was this friend for me because his life and death taught me to appreciate the present because life isn’t always guaranteed.
How do you create a controlling impression?
Anecdotes and details

11. Gather Details
Use interior monologue – the words you say to yourself in your head – to describe your thoughts and feelings about your subject and your relationship with that person.
Use concrete sensory details – details of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste – to describe the actions, movements, and gestures of your subject.

12. Sensory Details
Use sensory details to describe specific places, or settings, where each anecdote occurred.

13. Talk the Talk
Using dialogue is another way to develop a controlling impression
Re-create your subject’s own words and manner of speaking as exactly as you can.
This helps your reader to imagine a complete picture of your subject.

14. Organize your Ideas & Pace
The most logical way to organize your narrative is chronologically (the order it occurred in time)
Vary the pace of your narrative to show the passage of time or a change in the mood of your narrative. Use short words and simple sentences to speed up the pace; use longer words and complex sentences to slow down the pace.
Focus on word choice to convey the mood of your narrative

15. Beginning
Open with an intriguing anecdote about your subject
Provide background information
Hint at the significance of your subject
Middle
Narrate anecdotes that contribute to a controlling impression of the subject
Include thoughts and feelings and concrete sensory details
Organize and pace your narrative logically
End
End with a memorable comment, image, or quotation that reinforces the controlling impression
Sum up the significance of your subject

16. Sample Opening paragraph: Biographical Narrative
“Just smile for me…” Whenever I hear the lyrics to Tupac’s song, “Smile”, I can’t help but remember Johnny’s contagious laugh and braces-filled smile. Johnny was the type of friend you could count on, the person who would be there for you through thick and thin. He was a friend that I learned so much from; his death taught me not only to appreciate life, but to live life to its fullest. Notice: This is a narrative, hence formatted like a story, not an essay.

17. Going even further… Can’t think of anyone that you can write about?
Maybe you have somebody who inspires you but you don’t know them as well as you’d like to?
Conduct an interview with your inspirational subject!

18. Questions to Help You Write a Great Biography
You obviously don’t need to ask ALL these questions- look through the questions to see which are most relevant to your subject.
Have fun with the interview- I did this in high school and learned a lot from my mother and it gave me an excuse to learn more about her.

19. Interview Questions
Was there something in your childhood that shaped your personality?
Which personality trait drove you to succeed or impeded your progress?
What adjectives would you use to describe yourself?
What are some turning points in your life?
What do you feel is your impact on history?
What is something you want your children (or future children) to know?