how-to-write-a-biography

HowtoWriteaBiographyAbiographyissimplythestoryofalife.Biographiescanbejustafewsentenceslong,ortheycanfillanentirebook—ortwo.Veryshortbiographiestellthebasicfactsofsomeone'slifeandimportance.Longerbiographiesincludethatbasicinformationofcourse,withalotmoredetail,buttheyalsotellagoodstory.Biographiesanalyzeandinterprettheeventsinaperson'slife.Theytrytofindconnections,explainthemeaningofunexpectedactionsormysteries,andmakeargumentsaboutthesignificanceoftheperson'saccomplishmentsorlifeactivities.Biographiesareusuallyaboutfamousorinfamouspeople,butabiographyofanordinarypersoncantellusalotaboutaparticulartimeandplace.Theyareoftenabouthistoricalfigures,buttheycanalsobeaboutpeoplestillliving.Manybiographiesarewritteninchronologicalorder.Somegrouptimeperiodsaroundamajortheme(suchasearlyadversityorambitionandachievement”).Stillothersfocusonspecifictopicsoraccomplishments.Biographersuseprimaryandsecondarysources:Primarysourcesarethingslikeletters,diaries,ornewspaperaccounts.Secondarysourcesincludeotherbiographies,referencebooks,orhistoriesthatprovideinformationaboutthesubjectofthebiography.Towriteabiographyyoushould:1.Selectapersonyouareinterestedin2.Findoutthebasicfactsoftheperson'slife.Startwiththeencyclopedia（百科全书）andalmanac（年历）.3.Thinkaboutwhatelseyouwouldliketoknowabouttheperson,andwhatpartsofthelifeyouwanttowritemostabout.Somequestionsyoumightwanttothinkaboutinclude:oWhatmakesthispersonspecialorinteresting?oWhatkindofeffectdidheorshehaveontheworldandotherpeople?oWhataretheadjectivesyouwouldmostusetodescribetheperson?oWhatexamplesfromtheirlifeillustratethosequalities?oWhateventsshapedorchangedthisperson'slife?oDidheorsheovercomeobstacles?Takerisks?Getlucky?oWouldtheworldbebetterorworseifthispersonhadn'tlived?Howandwhy?4.DoadditionalresearchatyourlibraryorontheInternettofindinformationthathelpsyouanswerthesequestionsandtellaninterestingstory.Samplewriting:BiographyofThomasEdison::::Chooseoneofyourfavoritecelebritiesandwriteabiographyofhimorher.Youshouldwritewithin300words.