Biography (2024)

FAQs

Biography? ›

Dictionary definitions give you “the history of the lives of individual men, as a branch of literature”, or “a written record of the life of an individual” (Oxford English Dictionary, 1971), or, more up-to-date and succinct, “An account of someone's life written by someone else” (New Oxford Dictionary of English, 2001) ...

Dictionary definitions give you “the history of the lives of individual men, as a branch of literature”, or “a written record of the life of an individual” (Oxford English Dictionary, 1971), or, more up-to-date and succinct, “An account of someone's life written by someone else” (New Oxford Dictionary of English, 2001) ...

Simply put, a biography is the life history of an individual, written by someone else. An autobiography is the story of a person's life, written by that person. And a memoir is a collection of memories written by the person themselves.

Some popular examples: Coal Miner's Daughter, a biography of country music legend Loretta Lynn; Malcom X, a biopic centered on the civil rights leader of the same name; and The King's Speech, a dramatization of Prince Albert's efforts to overcome a stutter and ascend the English throne.

In general, you should include your: Name, location, occupation, interests, and skills. A personal bio should be short and to the point. The goal is to give readers a snapshot of who you are, what you do, and what you're interested in. With that in mind, avoid including too much fluff or filler content.

Short bios are typically used to provide a summary of an individual's accomplishments, an overview of their career history and a description of their professional goals.

Autobiographies are more authentic since the person is telling the story in the first person and can include their internal thoughts and feelings. While biographies can be accurate, they can never be as authentic because they cannot know what the person being written about was genuinely thinking.

Typically in book form, an autobiography is an account of a person's life told by the himself or herself. An autobiography tends to be a more general history, while a memoir focuses on a specific piece of the author's life.

The information should be written in the third person instead of the first person so that it is useful to the intended audience. A bio can range from a few words to a page, depending on the intended purpose.

A good biography presents the facts about a person's life including what the subject did and how he or she made a difference in the world. It should also tell the story in an interesting way, showing what the person was really like, how he or she acted, and how others responded.

How long should a biography be? ›

The long bio is typically between 3-5 paragraphs, varying from 3-5 sentences each. The short biography is typically used in other publications, print or online, as author bios at the end of articles or blogposts, in the “About” section of company or personal websites, or as listing in a professional directory.

All right, so let's recap the four main elements of creating a really compelling professional bio-- what you do, your why, your qualifications, and personal details about yourself. And remember my most important pro tip. Consider your audience.

"Meet [Your Name], a [Your profession/title] with a passion for [specific area of interest]. With [X years/X months] of experience in [industry], I have developed a strong set of skills and a proven track record of success.

Biographies typically contain intricate details of the subject's personal life and sometimes include an analysis of the person's personality and attributes. A biography essay is similar to other forms of essays, such as the narrative essay, insofar as it involves telling a story.

Opens with an attention grabbing introduction that summarises the main events of the person's life and makes the audience want to read on. Key events are written in chronological order. Early life, family, home and influences help the audience to understand the person. Use relevant images and captions for interest.