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Biographical tips

Flanagan

The Interview

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Ford, Karen Prepare to be creative VCE Express, Ask an expert: English. The Age Education [Supplement] 28/5/07

“If you are required to write a biography…give some thought to who has made an impact on your life. Often teachers will suggest a grandparent, friend, athlete or community leader that you know. The trick is to know your subject. Research as much as you can. The internet is a great starting place for local heroes such as Cathy Freeman. If it is a grandparent and you can speak with them, interview them. Write some questions down in advance: where they grew up, did they work as teenagers, how did they get along in their family, greatest moments in their life. Remember a great interviewer allows their subject to talk as much as they like because this is often where you will find the best and most interesting material – the information that is spontaneous and sometimes irrelevant to your question. Be prepared for your subject to wander; these insights are usually much more revealing and insightful.

A great interview avoids the “shopping list” approach where it reads something like “was born here, then moved to here then went to school, then travelled to”. In terms of writing approach, consider beginning your biography with a quote from your subject, one that captures their personality. You might also consider using the flashback technique used in novels, or you could use flashback memories combined with current day thoughts.

A great biography need not cover the entire person's life. You might give a context: who they are, why they have been chosen by you and a brief section on their life. If your subject has experienced a key event like war or loss or sacrifice or winning an event, you might like to focus on that. Ask your subject to describe as much as they can about what happened, how they felt, those involved and how it changed them.

Encourage them to describe as much as they can as images and iconography can make a dramatic impact on the reader. For example were they a participant at the 1956 Olympic Games? Can they describe the colours, the noise, the chaos, the people? Did they have conversations with other competitors? How did victory/defeat feel? The more you have the more you can make critical decisions about what others might like to know about them.

As the saying goes, “a little preparation goes a long way” and there is much you can do to make the task of creative writing easier. Success is achieved when you know your subject and your audience, write honestly and care about your subject. Consult with your teacher, where possible get feedback on your ideas and, finally, don't leave it to the last minute – you should know when your Craft of Writing pieces are so you can do some preparation regardless of the form and topics your teachers might “spring” on you.”