How to Write a Biography Notes
1. What is narrative writing?
Story telling – a narrative is a story
Can be factual or fiction
NOT a list of facts
2. Define the following terms:
– the structure of a story—
beginning, middle, and end,
including a problem / resolution
a. Plot
b. Characters
people or participants in the
story
recurring idea (an idea that
happens throughout or repeatedly
in the story)
c. Theme –
3. When you are choosing what aspect to write about in your biography,
what are 3 things you need to include:
a.
Choose ONE aspect (event, time)
in the person’s life
b.
Problem / conflict
i. Real / physical personal
problem that needs solving
1. A difficult piece of
homework that needs to be
completed
2. Lost dog
ii. Outside problem
1. Natural disaster (flood,
fire, meteor)
2. Money problems
iii. Emotional problem
1. Love and family
relations (divorce)
iv. ** not all problems are bad
problems**
1. Buying a gift
2. Choosing a university
v. Your problem should relate to
your theme
c. Focus on the experience (do
not include too much extra or
unrelated information)
4. Define theme. Why is it important to have a theme for your
biography?
“the message or point of a
story” – recurring idea throughout
the story
a. Theme:
b. Importance: more impactful for the
reader, makes the story clearer
and easier to understand, helps
create a clear structure
5. Define the following terms:
a. First person voice –
I / me / we
b. Third person voice-
he / she / it / they
6. What does “dimensional character” mean?
a.
A dimensional character is a
character that feels like a real
person (give enough details so
you understand their actions or
their importance to the story)
b. Pick the important characters and
give details about them
c. In a biography, the person the
biography is about is dimensional