How to Write a Biography About a Family Member

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Writing a biography tin be a fun challenge, where you are sharing the story of someone's life with readers. Yous may need to write a biography for a form or decide to write one as a personal projection. In one case y'all have identified the subject of the biography, do your inquiry so you know as much most them as possible. Then, dive into the writing of the biography and revising it until it is at its best.

1. 1

   Ask the subject for permission to write the biography. Earlier you dive into your inquiry, brand sure you get the okay from the discipline to write their biography. Ask them if they are willing to be the subject. Getting their permission will make writing the biography much easier and ensure they are open with data about their life.^[1]

   • If the subject does not give you lot permission to write the biography, y'all may desire to cull a different subject area. If yous decide to publish the biography without the field of study's permission, you may be susceptible to legal action by the subject.
   • If the subject is no longer alive, you plainly practice non need to ask permission to write about them.

2. 2

   Look for primary sources near the field of study. Master sources could include books, letters, pictures, newspapers and paper clippings, magazines, internet articles, journals, videos, interviews, existing biographies, or an autobiography by the subject. Look for these sources at your local library or online. Read as much every bit you can about the subject and highlight whatever key data yous come across in your sources.^[two]

   • You may create research questions to help focus your research of the bailiwick, such every bit, What practise I find interesting virtually the subject? Why is this subject area important to readers? What can I say that is new most the subject? What would I like to acquire more about?

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3. 3

   Conduct interviews with the subject field and those close to them. Interviewing people volition breath life into your research—people y'all interview tin tell you stories that you can't find in a history book. Interview the subject as well every bit people close to them, such equally spouses, friends, business partners, family members, coworkers, and peers. Conduct the interview in person, by phone, or through e-mail.^[three]

   • For in person interviews, record them with a tape recorder or a voice recorder on your computer or phone.
   • You may need to interview the subject and others several times to get the material you need.

4. 4

   Visit locations that are of import to the discipline. To get a feel for the subject'southward history, spend time in locations and areas that are meaningful or of import to the subject. This could be the subject's childhood abode or neighborhood. Y'all could as well visit the discipline's workplace and regular hang out spots.^[4]

   • You may besides want to visit areas where the bailiwick made a major determination or breakthrough in their life. Existence physically in the area tin can requite you a sense of how the subject might have felt and help yous write their experiences more effectively.

5. 5

   Study the time and place of the subject's life. Contextualize the subject'due south life by looking at what was going on effectually them. Consider the fourth dimension period they grew upward in as well as the history of the places where they lived. Do research on the economics, politics, and culture of their time period. Look at the news events happening in the place where they lived or worked.^[v]

   • When researching the time menstruation ask yourself: What were the social norms of that time? What was going on economically and politically? How did the social and political climate affect the bailiwick?

6. six

   Make a timeline of the person's life. To aid you lot organize your research, brand a timeline of the person'southward unabridged life, starting from nativity. Depict a long line on a slice of paper and fill in every bit much of the person'southward life every bit yous can. Highlight primal events or moments on the timeline. Include of import dates, locations, and names.^[vi]

   • Y'all may besides include historical events or moments that affected the discipline on the timeline. For instance, maybe there was a conflict or ceremonious war that happened during the person'southward life that affected their life.

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1. i

   Go for a chronological structure. Starting time chronologically from the subject's birth to their death or later life. Apply the timeline of the person's life to structure the biography. Start with birth and childhood. Then, become into young adulthood and adulthood. If the person is still live, include information on their later life. If they are no longer live, include data on their decease.^[7]

   • You may cease upwardly focusing on item areas of the person's life. If you do this, work through a item menses in the person'due south life chronologically.

2. 2

   Create a thesis for the biography. It may exist helpful to create a thesis statement or a sentence with your chief idea for the biography. Use the thesis to help you lot organize the rest of the biography. Make sure all of your content refers back in some way to your thesis.^[viii]

   • For case, you may accept a thesis statement about focusing on how the person impacted the civil rights movement in America in the 1970s. You tin so make sure all your content relates back to this thesis.

3. 3

   Use flashbacks. Flashbacks are when where you motion from the nowadays to the past. Y'all may beginning with a present moment and then include a scene of the person's past. Or you may take i chapter that focuses on the nowadays and one chapter that focuses on the past, alternating every bit you get.^[9]

   • Flashbacks should feel as detailed and real equally present 24-hour interval scenes. Use your research notes and interviews with the subject to go a practiced sense of their by for the flashbacks.
   • For example, you may spring from the person's decease in the nowadays to a flashback to their favorite childhood retention.

4. iv

   Focus on major events and milestones. Major events could include marriages, births, or deaths in the person's life. They may also take milestones like their first successful business venture or their commencement civil rights march. Highlight key moments in the person'due south life so the reader gets a skillful sense of what mattered to the person and how they affected the world effectually them.^[10]

   • For example, yous may focus on the person's accomplishments in the ceremonious rights movement. Yous may write a whole section nearly their contributions and participation in major civil rights marches in their hometown.

5. 5

   Identify a major theme or design in the person's life. Expect over your enquiry for any similarities between events or moments in the person's life. Check for whatsoever recurring phrases or situations in the person'southward life.^[11]

   • For instance, you may notice that the person'due south life is patterned with moments of adversity, where the person worked hard and fought against larger forces. You lot tin can then use the theme of overcoming adversity in the biography.

6. six

   Include your own opinions and thoughts about the person. As the biographer, you play a role in the person's life story. Exercise not be afraid to put your ain thoughts well-nigh the person in the text. Reverberate on your research and comment on how you view the person.^[12]

   • For example, you may annotation how you see parallels in the person'due south life during the ceremonious rights movement with your own interests in social justice. Yous may also commend the person for their hard work and positive impact on order.

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1. one

   Show the biography to others for feedback. In one case you have completed a draft of the biography, show it to peers, friends, teachers, and mentors for feedback. Ask them if they become a skillful sense of the person's life and if the biography is piece of cake to read. Be open to feedback so you tin can improve the biography and make it better.^[13]

   • Revise the biography based on feedback from others. Exercise non be afraid to cut or edit down the biography to suit the needs of your readers.

2. 2

   Proofread the biography. Check the biography for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Circle all punctuation in the text to confirm information technology is right. Read the text backwards to check for spelling and grammar errors.

   • Having a biography riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors tin turn off your readers and result in a poor grade if you are handing in the text for a course.

3. 3

   Cite all sources used in the biography. Most biographies volition include information from sources such equally books, articles, magazines, and interviews. Make sure you cite any sources you quote direct or paraphrase. You may employ in-text citations, footnotes, or endnotes.

   • If the biography is for a class, use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style citations based on the preferences of your teacher.

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Biography Aid

Add New Question

• Question

  How do I brand a story out of factual life data that is dry and oftentimes wearisome?

  

  Pick out points where the life was influential and explain why those are important. Then, sticking to the facts, emphasize the small conflicts and use a regular story menses to write the residual.

• Question

  How can I start writing the biography of my grandparent who is no longer alive?

  

  Enquire your parents and other relatives for information on them (stories, pictures).

• Question

  How can I write a biography without having help?

  

  Enquiry the person as much a you can by reading books and watching documentaries on YouTube or online. You tin also use the Net to notice interviews with the person and other resource.

• Question

  How do I write an introduction for the biography?

  

  I would recommend trying to find an heady hook that will interest your readers and encourage them to go along reading. Maybe endeavour to find an exciting event in the person'south life to describe. For example, if you lot were writing a biography about Barack Obama, y'all could start out with a description of the night he won the presidency for the first time.

• Question

  How practise I get my book leap and cocky-published?

  

  Y'all should cheque out wikiHow's article on self-publishing. It will give you more information on how to publish your own books.

• Question

  Do I need a patent to write a biography?

  

  No. Yous aren't inventing anything.

• Question

  What exercise I practice if I don't know anything most a person only desire to write a biography about them?

  

  Write a fictional account using what you call up you know, or what you lot find interesting. Change the name (you tin can make information technology similar) and brand upwards a story nearly that fictional person. A individual person already has their own story, and a public person is piece of cake to research. You probably wouldn't want someone making stuff upward about you, and so a private person has a right to their privacy. Look at fanfiction to see what people are doing with famous people as characters.

• Question

  What exercise I practice if I can't find anything written by a person?

  

  Talk to a librarian for advice or use non-master sources.

• Question

  Can a biography have text testify?

  

  Commonly, a biography doesn't demand specific text show.

• Question

  How practice I write an autobiography?

  

  An autobiography is just a biography y'all're writing almost yourself. Y'all can use the steps in this article, and but utilise first person pronouns (I, my, me, etc.) when writing. Try to focus on the near important events in your life, and tell your story in an engaging manner.

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• Be careful when publishing private or embarrassing information, especially if the person is not a glory. You lot may violate their "Right of Privacy" or equivalent.

• Take the sources to back up your statements about the field of study's life. Untruthful written statements can lead to litigation. If it is your opinion, exist clear that it is such and not fact (although you tin support your stance with facts).

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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About This Article

Commodity Summary 10

Before you write a biography, gather as much data about the field of study that you can from sources like newspaper manufactures, interviews, photos, existing biographies, and anything else yous can notice. Write the story of that person's life, including as much supporting particular as yous can, including information about the place and time where the person lived. Focus on major events and milestones in their life, including historical events, marriage, children, and events which would shape their path after in life. For tips from our reviewer on proofreading the biography and citing your sources, go on reading!

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Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Biography

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