Who do you see in your mind’s eye when you hear the word “biography”? Maybe a famous scientist or an old politician? There sure are a ton of those gathering dust in every library. But here’s the thing: successful and interesting biographies are published every day, and not just about historical figures or celebrities. A competent writer can get you excited about anyone. An essay is a great format to try your hand at doing the same. You can choose any person as the subject, even your next-door neighbor or your favorite artist. This guide will provide all the necessary steps for writing a biography essay with ease and interest.
✅ AI Essay Writer ✅ AI Detector ✅ Plagchecker ✅ Paraphraser
✅ Summarizer ✅ Citation Generator
What To Include In a Biography Research About Your Person
First things first, what is a biography and a biographical essay? What’s the difference?
The word “biography” comes from combined Ancient Greek words “life” and “write”: a life, written — an account of someone’s life documented in the text. Both biography and biographical essays are a form of biographical writing. Unlike a full-length biography, a biography essay is usually shorter and focuses on specific aspects of the person’s story. Most biographies are written from an outsider’s view. But, due to the format specifics, a biography essay can also include the writer’s perspective and analysis. Other types of biographical writing include CV, autobiography, and memoir. The last two are written from the subject’s perspective; basically, you write an autobiography every time you tell the reader about your life.
Most of us know where our own story began. Even if the exact dates escape us, we carry the critical pieces in our head: birthday, hometown, immediate family, school. But knowing how to start a biography about someone else requires careful consideration. First, choose your subject. Think outside the box: you don’t have to pick a prominent figure. It could be someone who’s not well-known but has an interesting backstory. Even a family member or a friend. The chosen person should have a lived experience that you can explore deeply, making it more relatable to your audience. Research will help you uncover the story’s core. Read a well-reviewed biography and note which parts stood out to you as strong, why they did, and how you could implement similar techniques in your writing. Talk to people! You can even survey your wider circle. Sift through books, articles, blog posts, online discussions, movies, and video essays until something catches your eye.
Once you’ve settled on a subject, create a chronological outline of their life through studying primary and secondary sources. These include any interviews and published works the person has, their available correspondence, any media and literary publications about them, as well as critique and first-hand accounts from their peers and contemporaries. Find a balanced collection of sources before drawing conclusions: to remain objective and respectful, get a point of view from both the subject’s proponents and opponents. Decide which aspects of the subject’s life are the most exciting and best suit your essay’s arguments. If you settle on someone famous, consider discussing lesser-known aspects of their story or presenting them from a new angle for a unique perspective. Gather all the sources you studied and reference them, some with quotes, throughout your essay. These sources will also be presented as a bibliography at the end.
How To Start a Biography Essay And What Categories To Include
The structure of a biography essay should include an introduction, body, analysis, conclusion, and bibliography. It is usually written in the third person past tense, with present and future tense allowed during the analysis and the closing statements. You should refer to the sources throughout your essay and use direct quotes to support your arguments. Each category should be broken into paragraphs, ideally with one main idea per paragraph and one thought per sentence.
Introduction
Start with a hook that draws readers in. Introduce your subject briefly and state why their story is worth telling. This part should also summarize the main events of the person’s life and include the essay’s thesis statement. Your thesis statement should be specific and present your point of view and main arguments, guiding your entire writing process.
Body
Focus on the key events, challenges, and achievements that shaped your subject’s life. Use specific examples and details to bring the story to life. Key events should be written in chronological order. Knowing more about the person’s early life, family, and education will help the audience to understand their choices. Contextualize your subject within surrounding and preceding historical events. Explain how societal, economic, and political factors influenced their decisions and circumstances. Do not get distracted, however: keep the focus on your subject.
If available, include the person’s relevant thoughts, opinions, and feelings on the discussed events by adding quotes. Describe your subject’s personality based on first-hand experience or witness accounts. Include a retrospective on public perception of the person and their actions and how it evolved. Support the provided information with sources. Refrain from passing judgment and using sweeping statements. Remember: no matter how well-documented, some information will always be missing from the narrative. You can draw fact-based conclusions instead when relevant. You can include some topic-appropriate personal anecdotes to entertain the reader.
Discuss and reflect
Add your personal touch. Don’t just tell their story — analyze it. What makes your subject’s life interesting or unique? How can readers relate to their experiences? What have you learned? What does the person and their story mean to you? Make your essay engaging by adding your opinions and reflections, a defining feature of the medium. Take the fact-based conclusions presented in the essay body and discuss them. Provide your feelings on the matter and lay out any takeaways you drew.
Provide a finishing summary of the subject’s path. Where are they now? How are they perceived, or how will they be remembered? Do you agree with the public opinion and why? Echo your thesis statement and list which episodes in the subject’s life support your main arguments.
Edit your final draft
Read through your final draft carefully. Correct any spelling and grammatical mistakes and check for logical errors in the narrative structure you’ve built. Ask yourself: Does every part of this text support my main point? If you find sections that drift off-topic or contradict your thesis statement, it’s time to cut them out. Even if these parts seem attractive, they might distract your readers from the life story you’re trying to tell. Remember, every sentence should serve a purpose and contribute to the overall message of the essay. By being selective and cutting out the fluff, you’ll strengthen your biography essay. So, don’t be afraid to trim down your work — sometimes less really is more!
Make sure to format your bibliography section (your sources) according to the required system. The person assigning this task will typically provide you with the required parameters.
Remember the power of storytelling. The truth is, every person carries something worth telling, and you hold the key. With the right approach and determination, you can find a hidden gem in someone’s background and present it to your audience. You can make any biography essay an interesting read. So, grab a pen (or keyboard), pick your subject, and start writing. You might just uncover a story that surprises even you.
FAQ
Follow us on Reddit for more insights and updates.
More from How to Write an Academic Assignment
Comments (0)
Welcome to A*Help comments!
We’re all about debate and discussion at A*Help.
We value the diverse opinions of users, so you may find points of view that you don’t agree with. And that’s cool. However, there are certain things we’re not OK with: attempts to manipulate our data in any way, for example, or the posting of discriminative, offensive, hateful, or disparaging material.