When a writer selects a person to write about in a biography, it's likely that they have a very good reason: perhaps they have known them well, maybe they hold them in high regard and have immense respect for something they have done, or perhaps it's simply that they find his or her life extremely interesting.
Writing a biography is about sharing something about this person with the readers. So this means getting way beyond the basic facts about a person's life.
Why Is This Person Special?
Why is this person worthy of having a biography written about them? It's not only the rich and famous that have books written about them. Many best selling biographies are about people who have led interesting lives. What makes this person interesting and special?
What Impact Has the Person Made?
Consider the impact the person had on other people. Both those close to them and those much further away. What impact did he or she have on the world around them?
Have They Left a Legacy?
Sometimes the impact someone has to others and to the world isn't fully realised until much later after the event or even after his or her life. If the person is no longer alive consider investigating the legacy they have left behind.
Getting to Know the Person
A reader often wants to know what a person was really like. A reader may not be in the position to get to know the person personally, so they are reliant on the writer to share with them, some essense of the person. What were they really like?
As a writer you may be in a position to answer these questions yourself, or you made need to do some research. Perhaps it's talking to the person, reading other biographies, or possibly interviewing people who know or knew the person.
These are some questions you might like to ask an intervieweee, about the person:
- What qualities and traits does or did the person have?
- How would you describe the person?
- Which qualities and traits had the most impact?
- Which qualities and traits caused the person most difficult?
- Can you recall any events that best demonstrates their qualities?
- How did the person face difficulties in their life?
Important Events in His or Her Life
It's possible that some event or events had an impact on this person's life and perhaps shaped the type of person they were to become. Was there a turning point in his or her life? Perhaps there was something in a childhood experience that shaped his/her personality.
Were there any people that had a big influence on them?
Just like with any relationship, getting to know someone takes time. A biography writer and the biography subject very much need to form a relationship. The writer needs to get to know the heart and essence of the person and to do so, needs to dig deep and understand the real person behind a possible image or facade.
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