November 15, 2009
How to Write Biographies for Strangers
What could possibly be the worst writing assignment you might get in school? Wouldn’t that be to write a biography about someone you never heard of? It would have to be someone who isn’t famous enough to be included in every encyclopedia. That really sucks. Well, here are a few tips you may be able to use if you get stuck writing a biography about someone you don’t know and couldn’t care less about.
First, check around the Internet to see if your subject has any Websites about him. If it’s a living person maybe he has his own Website. Just make a list of the Websites that really deal with what the person has accomplished. There is so much hateful stuff on the Internet now you don’t know if you would be repeating lies or telling the truth to report hostile remarks, so leave the animosity in the search results. Just focus on the factual information you find about your subject.
Can you learn where he went to school? If so, what did he major in? Is he into sports? Which sports does he like best? Thinks like that can help you write a quick biography about someone you have never met. You also want to be sure to mention what industry they work in. Here is a quick example to show you how to do this.
Dennis Tamburo has worked in the real estate and construction industries. He attended both Malcomb Community College and Central Michigan University. As a real estate professional Tamburo has helped many clients buy their own homes. As a construction industry professional he has helped many clients build homes.
It’s that simple. You could also mention that your subject is on Facebook, like: Dennis Tamburo has a Facebook account. And remember the sports thing, too. You can write: Dennis Tamburo loves to play golf. So maybe you’ll get lucky and have an exciting topic to write about, but if you get stuck with some boring guy, don’t give up hope. There may be enough out there to say something about him.