How to a Write Brief Biography
By Carl Hose, eHow Contributor
A biography tells us something about the person the biography is about. A brief biography is
typically one or two paragraphs long and varies in content, depending upon who the biography is
about and its purpose. An effective biography will always give readers an essential overview of
its subject. Writing a brief biography is easy if you are familiar with your subject and the purpose
of the bio.
Instructions
o
1
Write in the third-person ("he" or "she" instead of "I"). Even if you are writing
your own biography, writing in the third person is the standard for biography
writing, especially on a professional level. Not only does this read better, it
prevents the author of the bio from sounding as if he's tooting his own horn.
You're writing a brief biography, not an autobiography. This is the key difference.
An autobiography is written in first person, a biography is not.
o
2
Include information in your brief biography pertinent to the purpose of the
biography. A fiction writer's biography should contain a reference to some of
her/his better known works. It's acceptable to make reference to upcoming
projects as well.
Keep your personal information to a minimum, as well as any phrases that have
personal (subjective) overtones, such as ". . . lives in Idaho with his beautiful pet
kitten Fluffy." There may be exceptions to this rule if, for instance, you are a
comedy writer and your biography has an intentionally funny slant.
o
4
Write a longer version of your bio that includes more professional credits,
educational background and a brief personal history. This is handy to have for
those magazines that ask for longer bios. With a longer version of your brief bio,
you have a bit more flexibility in what you can include, though the rule of thirdperson writing still applies, unless otherwise requested by a publisher.
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