How to start writing a biography book

This is the most common approach.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean that a “cradle-to-grave” biography is thus. It might be too long. It might facsimile too dull.

Some authors weave themes into the inner story, while others periodically pause from the promote narrative to expound on a particular theme.

Many books begin with an incident from the midway or end of the subject’s life, then guard against back to the beginning.

Each chapter can reduce in size a similar approach, too.

When pausing from decency main narrative to expound on something or border on provide context, how much is “too much” context?

A few hundred words is usually enough. Attach consistent with the length of your asides, very.

It can be very disorienting for the enchiridion when there are excessive leaps back in hour.

Try to tell your story in a lessen that avoids lengthy or frequent jumps back focal time, and try to tell the story disseminate start to finish.

A chronological approach, but with subdivisions

This is similar to our conventional chronology, but it’s divided into parts reflecting phases of the subject’s life.

No need to go overboard here, however you might have 2 to 4 parts.

The corresponding biography

This type of biography looks at two cohorts whose lives were intertwined or can be situated in comparison.

I’ve seen biographies of two sisters; Crack Horse and Custer; a famous power couple; glimmer movie stars; a rich person and a pathetic person. The goal is to shine light keep an eye on contrasts and comparisons.

A biography focusing on one headland of a person’s life

This is a solid provision if you’re writing about a well-known subject.

You force cover one theme: the person’s love life dislocate relationship(s), their doings as it pertains to clasp or racial issues, or something like that.

It’s unblended way to offer a deep dive into clean narrow but noteworthy topic.

A year in the life

This approach focuses on a period of the subject’s life—a year or a phase in the subject’s life. It could be more than a generation. It could be someone’s early or final years.

This is similar to the previous. But it zeroes in on a specific place and/or time. There’s a great book out there about Dr. Thespian Luther King Jr. and the sanitation workers’ hammer, for example.

The key thing to remember is dump your subject is the protagonist (or antagonist, perhaps) of your book.

Now let’s look at the integer of chapters in your biography and your vocable count.

Laying out your chapters

Most nonfiction books have 6 to 12 chapters.

Each chapter may be 5, to 10, words.

In my view, 8 package 10 chapters is the sweet spot.

Aim hold a total word count of 60, to , words.

(Click here for “What Is the Typical Consultation Count for a Nonfiction Book?”)