1. Bonus Narrative—Firsthand Biography [adapted from Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action, Prentice-Hall, Publishers, 2001]

2. Firsthand Biography One step away from telling your own life story—an autobiography—is telling the life story of someone you know well. In a firsthand biography, you use your special view to recount important moments from this person’s life to give the biography an intimate and accessible tone. As with any other biography, include facts and descriptive background gained from research. Use writing process steps outlined in the next slide to write a firsthand biography of someone you know.

3. The Firsthand Biography Prewriting Choose someone you know well as the subject of your firsthand biography. You may choose a person in your family or someone from your school or community who has strongly influenced your life.

4. The Firsthand Biography (2) Drafting As you draft, focus on bringing your subject to life for your audience. Include examples, dialogue, and vivid descriptions that reveal your subject’s personality and life story. Write in the first person to give your biography an “I was there” feeling.

5. The Firsthand Biography (3) Revising and Editing If possible, have the subject of your firsthand biography read your draft and comment on the truthfulness of the story as it is written. Then, revise your draft, reorganizing events or adding new transitions as necessary. Make sure you’ve kept consistently to the first person point of view.

6. The Firsthand Biography (4) Publishing and Presenting Add photographs or artwork to enhance the text of your firsthand biography. Then, print out a neat copy, and bind it with a cover. You may present your firsthand biography as a gift to its subject, Or you may prefer to share it with others who know and appreciate him or her.