How to Write a Biography Essay That Doesn’t Suck

how to write a biography essay

Memoirs and biographies are the number one best-selling nonfiction book category on Amazon. Teachers assign biography writing to high school students aged 14 to 18 years. The practice starts with writing biography essays about a famous figure, an individual you know, or someone from history.

How Important Are Biography Essays?

The essay’s primary purpose is to better understand a person’s life, accomplishments, effects, and environment. The author shared, “My passion for biographies started when I wrote biography essays in high school. The biographical information helps in biography essays by overlooking someone’s life from the third person perspective and understanding their life conditions and how they impact their later decisions.”

13- Steps On How to Write a Biography Essay

Select a Subject

Pick someone who has greatly impacted society, culture, history, or your own life. Ensure sufficient data is available to compose a thorough biography about them. Go with a historical personality if you are looking for how to start a biography essay fast.

Example of a biography essay Topic

Let’s say you’ve chosen Nelson Mandela as your subject.

Perform a Research

Gather data from various sources, including books, articles, interviews, documentaries, and websites. Make notes of significant points, accomplishments, problems, and personal stories. Structure the research in chronological order to form an outline.

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Example

Research Nelson Mandela’s early life, involvement in the anti-apartheid movement, imprisonment, and presidency.

Create an Outline

Create a framework for your research by arranging it into a structured outline. Break the biography into topics such as Early Life, Achievements, Impact, Legacy, and Conclusion so that the information is easy to comprehend and follow.

Example of a Biography Essay Outline

  • Introduction
  • Early Life and Background
  • Involvement in Anti-Apartheid Activism
  • Imprisonment and Release
  • Presidency and Achievements
  • Impact on South Africa and the World
  • Legacy and Contributions
  • Conclusion

Work on a Good Introduction

The trick for how to start a biography essay is to begin by introducing the subject and setting the mood for the essay. Give a concise explanation of why the person is so important and why you chose to write about them.

Example

Start with a quote or a powerful statement about Mandela’s struggle for justice and equality.

Early Life and Background

Provide an overview of the subject’s early life. Include information about their family and any experiences that significantly impacted their personal development. Explain how these events affected their character and shaped their values. You can look at autobiography examples to learn more about the subject’s background.

Example

Discuss Mandela’s childhood in a rural village—his exposure to traditional African values and his early awareness of racial injustice.

Discuss Achievements

This is the primary purpose of how to write a biography essay process. Outline the significant successes of the individual, emphasizing their contributions to their area of expertise, society, or humanity in general. Give examples of memorable accomplishments, progress, or milestones they have achieved.

Example

Explore Mandela’s leadership in the African National Congress (ANC). Elaborate on his role in orchestrating protests against discriminatory laws.

Challenges and Success of the Subject

Examine the difficulties the individual experienced, such as problems, hurdles, or inner conflicts. Highlight how they conquered these difficulties and turned them into chances for advancement.

Example

Your essay’s turning point will be describing Mandela’s imprisonment on Robben Island.

Impact and Legacy

Assess the enduring effects of this person’s actions and achievements. Investigate how their efforts impacted those around them in the present and the future. Analyze the individual’s influence on social, cultural, governmental, or other pertinent areas.

Example

Analyze how Mandela’s efforts contributed to the dismantling of apartheid—as well as his role in the establishment of a democratic South Africa.

Put in Personal Reflections

If applicable, consider expressing your thoughts or feelings regarding the topic. However, most of the essay should be centred around factual facts and details of the subject’s life.

Sum Up

Outline the main events of the subject’s life and highlight their importance. Show how their experiences and accomplishments connect to broader themes or provide readers with lessons to take away. Emphasize the individual’s significance and contribution to the world.

Example 

Conclude by emphasizing Mandela’s enduring legacy as a symbol of resilience, leadership, and the fight for justice.

Editing and Proofreading

This is an important step in the process of writing a biography essay. You must check your essay for clarity, organization, grammar, and spelling mistakes. Ensure your story is told understandably and cohesively. You can use a free grammar checker tool to ensure accuracy.

Example

Edit your essay to ensure that each section transitions smoothly to the next and that the information is accurate.

Properly Cite the Sources

It is important to cite all sources utilized in order to sustain the reliability of the information presented and to avoid plagiarizing.

Example

Use citation styles like APA, MLA, or Chicago to acknowledge your sources.

Revise and Polish the Final Draft

Once you have finished editing and proofreading, review your essay to ensure it accurately portrays the person’s life and can draw the reader in.

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Example

Consider seeking feedback from peers or instructors to make further improvements.

Challenges In How To Write A Biography Essay 

Objectivity

Even if you disagree with the subject’s views, avoid being biased and stating a personal opinion. You must be balanced and justified in writing an accurate biography using all the evidence.

Selectivity

It’s also challenging to find notable events among the many situations in the subject’s life and to analyze the authenticity of the events and life accounts. It is hard to decide what events to add to the biography and what not.

Interpretation

How the writer interprets the situations will impact the entire intent and context of the essay. And it’s not easy to create an essay that analyzes the life events of the subject just like how they lived.

Help Is On The Way

If you need more confidence to write a good biography essay and the assignment is due soon, contact our biography writing service for high-quality work.

Resources That Can Help You Write A Biography

Interviews

Personal interviews are the best source for information about the subject’s ideologies, views, and life.

Books


Books written by the subject themselves and books written on the subject’s life by other writers are another string resource you can take advantage of. 

Now You Know How To Write A Biography Essay

A biography essay is about facts and narratives that give readers an understanding of the subject’s life. Such an essay informs and motivates the readers, so it must be written to capture their attention.

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