Questions tagged [biography]
Questions about biographies of others and about autobiographies.
33 questions
12
votes
5
answers
6k
views
My autobiography is exciting, but I'm an unknown. Should I make it a novel instead?
I've kept diaries all my life and now have over 100...which I've recently started turning into an autobiography - where some of the original diary quotes are included along with the new text.
I ...
- 123
10
votes
4
answers
3k
views
In writing biographies how do you reference a change of last name?
Using first label as the full name - first, middle, maiden/birth name. (Margaret Anne Jensen was born on November...)
Discuss early achievements by referencing only birth last name - Jensen. (Jensen ...
Michele Tombari
10
votes
5
answers
13k
views
How can one write about illegal deeds without getting into trouble?
What is some good advice for writing about things done, in an autobiographical sense, that may have been or still are illegal?
For example, smoking or buying marijuana is illegal in many countries, ...
- 191
8
votes
6
answers
3k
views
How to stop projecting yourself into your writing?
I am writing about a person who is transported 10 years into the past, and has the chance to relive their life (actually being able to: 'knowing what I know now I would...')
The trouble is I keep ...
- 303
5
votes
5
answers
991
views
How do I approach writing an autobiography?
I have never kept a diary, and some time back I thought it would be fun to work on some sort of autobiography to note down any memorable events etc. I am not famous, and even if completed the '...
- 161
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Citing speech and interviews in biographies
I am currently writing a biography of a band, and have a question regarding citing quotes, such as from interviews. Is it necessary to cite everything a person (for example a band member or manager) ...
- 151
4
votes
3
answers
227
views
How can people doing technical, archane work be portrayed interestingly?
I'd like to write the biography of an important, underrated scientist who performed a really important experiment. He persevered for many years, became ill (and recovered) along the way, and ...
- 213
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What are some creative memoir writing styles?
I am in the process of writing a memoir covering several years of my life while I was at Google and working on the earliest versions of Chromebook.
My goals are to write a book which is ...
4
votes
1
answer
3k
views
How do you refer to someone in a formal essay?
I'm writing a formal essay on a book. The book is about a real person, but they are referred to by their first name throughout the entire book. When writing the essay, do I stay consistent with the ...
- 41
4
votes
1
answer
368
views
First name or last name(s) in a biography?
I'm deep into a biography of a well-known person. He was born with a last name, took his mother's last name following her divorce, took his stepfather's last name following her remarriage, then took ...
- 41
3
votes
2
answers
195
views
Should I write 3 separate autobiographies?
I have started writing my autobiography. I am going to describe 3 very important life events.
Now, should I write about all three life events in one book or should I write them separately?
- 31
3
votes
3
answers
17k
views
How to write a powerful but uncomplicated conference biography?
I am working on a bio for a development conference I am presenting at. My writing style causes my Flesch Reading Ease score to trend high. While I like what I have below I'd like to simplify it a bit ...
- 247
3
votes
2
answers
101
views
Can I include a short biography of the person to whom my book is dedicated?
I am writing a non-fiction, somewhat historic, book and I want to dedicate it to a person who did pioneer work on Education in Science in Brazil. She has
passed away recently and was professionally ...
- 131
3
votes
2
answers
339
views
Is it correct to use acronyms in a bio or should I omit it?
In writing a bio in a technical context, like an author blurb in a publication, should I use acronyms or spell them out? Always? Depending on the context?
For example:
Degrees: BS, MS, PhD, MCC
...
3
votes
1
answer
283
views
Legal and Social effect of story involving real life people
I have written a novel based on my past life experiences, however the story involves a few people who might not like the idea of getting their stories published. What is the legal and social effects ...
- 41
3
votes
1
answer
525
views
How to organize memoirs for a biography?
I'm about to start organizing someone's life story to eventually send to a biographer to write a book and would like some suggestions on how to start and organize the process, please.
As they are ...
- 131
2
votes
2
answers
593
views
What should I call a short book about my life? [duplicate]
I want to write a very short book of 100 pages. I want to put into it what I've suffered throughout my life: Hardships, failures, disappointments.... as an inspiration that, despite hardships, I ...
- 31
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Bio on my father
My father passed when I was very young. I hope to know him through individual q&a's I will have with his friends associates, collegues and register it as a bio. What type of questions should I ask....
- 21
2
votes
3
answers
112
views
My "Bio". Is the language OK? [closed]
I have a personal website and I have an "about me" text. I though I'd post it here for professionals to tell me if it's OK (English is not my primary language).
My name is Primož Kralj, I am 22 ...
- 123
2
votes
2
answers
89
views
Autobiography vs Perspective
When discussing the life story (fictional/non-fictional) of an inanimate object (like a brick not AI), is it appropriate to claim this endeavor as an autobiography of an inanimate object, when it ...
- 23
2
votes
1
answer
146
views
What are the copyright laws on writing books about living artists?
I was wondering if I wanted to write, illustrate, and publish children's books that is about an artist and their life (their journey as a child to an adult but in a simple whimsical childlike story), ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
87
views
Best way to explain references to historic currency
What is the best way to explain the pre-decimal British Pound in a text that has multiple references to it.
I already have something written to explain how to convert from pre-decimal to post-decimal ...
- 46
2
votes
1
answer
74
views
Ways to write a biographical introduction without using "___ was an..."
I'm writing a short biography on a relatively obscure ancient Greek figure. Since so little is known about this individual's life, I'm finding a dearth of information to support the 2-3 pages I'm ...
- 161
2
votes
1
answer
302
views
Writing an autobiographical science fiction [closed]
I would like to write an absurd fictional biography/memoir
How do I go about it?
What does Autobiographical Science fiction inspire you?
- 21
2
votes
1
answer
186
views
Shift in tense and starting a historical account with the present tense
I was just writing a historical overview of a battle and decided I'd write the introduction in the present tense--the present tense being a narration of a specific event during the war.
I just ...
- 23
1
vote
2
answers
118
views
Can I write about an old and real person that is strongly related to a company?
I'm thinking about Henri Nestlé, born in 1814 and deceased in 1890. He was the founder of the company with the same name, located in Vevey (Switzerland).
He is going to be a not-so-important ...
- 706
1
vote
2
answers
583
views
How to write a biography without pronoun repetition?
My question is similar to this one, but I am not happy with the answer. Also, my style and sample example are very different.
I am writing a biography and all the writing has become, ' he did this' '...
- 2,399
0
votes
4
answers
150
views
Show more not tell implementation in writing?
What does this mean? If I have to SHOW more about a particular traumatic event which happened to me, I would probably not be able to recall the chain of events because I was in a panicked state of ...
- 147
0
votes
1
answer
507
views
How do I go about writing a biographical account of my father? [closed]
I want to write a book involving the life of my father. He's been a political activist during his youth and the events that he narrates are worthy to be recorded.
But I am confused as to what it ...
0
votes
2
answers
147
views
I am an author that wrote a biography on a singer. Do I need to get permission to turn the book into a screenplay?
I am an author who wrote a biography on a singer. I want to turn the book into a screenplay. Do I have to get permission from the singer to do this?
0
votes
1
answer
103
views
Is there a term that describes a written work that includes narrative in addition to scientific and historical information? [closed]
I can think of a few books, such as The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion, and I Can Hear You Whisper by Lydia Jones. In both these novels, the author was narrating a true experience, but at ...
0
votes
1
answer
105
views
How to write an autobiography... Kind of.
I'm wanting to write about my past in detail. I don't know how I should approach it as well as how to begin. I should say that my past is very painful and very traumatizing but I want to write this to ...
- 3
0
votes
2
answers
3k
views
I'm writng a biography; what questions should I ask when interviewing the subject?
I will be meeting someone soon for a multi-session interview where I will be gathering information for the book i am writing about that person's life. I am not a journalist or a novelist nor have I ...