Are you thinking about writing a biography, but have you been wondering for a while: ‘How do you write a biography?’ Or do you not know where to start? Then read our ‘Writing a Biography’ step-by-step plan carefully. You will then know how to begin and how to achieve a great end result. After all, writing a biography can be an enormously personal process. This also means that a biography isn’t something you can just whip up.
Step 1. Choose your story
Before you get an answer to the question ‘How do you write a biography?’, we ask you a counter-question. Have you thought carefully about the life story you want to tell? Are you writing about your own life or developing someone else’s story? Although you are working with memories, events, and experiences for both stories, there are differences and advantages to both options.
For an autobiography (a story about yourself), you are the subject and therefore the focal point of your story. You have naturally summarized and pieced together your own life quite quickly, but that also means you may be too deeply immersed in this story. Are you writing a biography? Then, as an ‘outsider,’ you can take on an objective role and develop the story as if you were hearing it for the first time.
Step 2. Determine which events you want to use
Now that you have decided who the subject of your biography is, you will first get to work on structuring the story. A life story can be incredibly extensive! Do not start writing immediately, but outline specific events in keywords. Recall your own memories or schedule conversations with the main character of the biography. If the latter is not possible, we recommend conducting sufficient research into the life of your main character. With this information, you can establish the outline of the biography.
Step 3. Develop highlights
Nothing is as difficult as putting a complete story on paper right away. Now that you have selected the main points, you certainly don’t have to start at the beginning. Of course, you will work within a chronological structure, but you do not have to write the biography in chronological order. Do you have more information about a specific event? Then elaborate on that first before writing the full biography. Ultimately, you will see that these ‘highlights’ will help you on your way with the rest of the story.
Step 4. Link events together
By first elaborating on specific events, you gain an overview of what you do know and, especially, what you do not yet know or have not yet worked out. Therefore, it is now time to connect these events. In this way, you gradually fill in the gaps in your story. Stick to the structure you established earlier. Do you see a clear transition in your story? Well done, you have completed your most important task: you are truly taking the reader along in the life story.
Step 5. Go through the story from beginning to end.
A good story has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Do you think you have reached the end? Then read your story through from beginning to end. This way, you check what you wrote earlier. Only when you are completely satisfied with your creation is your biography finished. Of course, you decide for yourself how high you set the bar, but remember that quality trumps quantity. It is better to do it very well once than to deliver half-baked work multiple times.
Step 6. Determine how you will share the biography.
Are you finished writing your biography? Then complement your story with beautiful, matching images to make it visual for the reader. Additionally, carefully consider the following question: how do you want to share your biography with others? Approach this professionally and have your book printed. This way, you will have a physical, professional copy in your hands that you can truly be proud of.
Create your biography at Bookadew
We hope that the ‘Writing a Biography’ step-by-step plan has helped you get off to a good start in creating your biography. Are you ready for the next step in writing a biography? Let us help you! At Bookadew, you can easily produce a high-quality biography or autobiography in a small print run. The result? A physical copy of a special story that you can easily share with others. Use our online price calculator to put together your biography. Do you have questions or are you having trouble? Then feel free to contact us.