biography template design

Free Editable Biography Templates

Design a free creative biography template. engage your students to discover the power of synthesis and learn about the lives of famous authors..

Customize  Biography templates online . Use Edit.org to customize your biographies for schools, bookstores, and libraries. Create biographies about characters from a novel quickly and in a structured way.

Customize professional Bio examples online

At Edit.org, we have created a collection of editable biography templates that can be used by students, writers, journalists, and anyone who needs to create a biography of famous people, whether they are scientists, athletes, politicians, or singers. They contain predefined sections and fields that you can fill in as easily as in a Word document, including:

• Date and place of birth
• Place of residence
• Friends and acquaintances
• Hobbies and interests
• People of reference
• And many more

Get spectacular designs for your biography! Use it in a school, magazine, or website . You can also use it in your bookstore, library, or cultural center .

Using our template library will save you time since you won't have to start from scratch as you will have a predefined structure. Create didactic activities in your classroom and organize biographical information in a clearer and more coherent way. Just select one of the templates we offer in this article or the final cascade, customize it with your educational proposals, and print it in high resolution.

Our biographies can be adapted to your needs . You can also use them as a page for a memory book or a resume .

How to edit free personal Bio examples on Edit.org?

See how easy it is to edit short or long professional biography examples:

• Click on a design you like from this article or choose the template that best suits your activity from the editor's search engine.
• Customize the template with just a few clicks. Edit it to your liking, including colors, typography, and more.
• Save your work in our free cloud in case you want to make changes later (so you won't have to start from scratch).
• Download your biography in JPG, PNG, or PDF format for high-quality printing or digital sharing.

That's it, you're done!

Why is it a good idea to make a Biography as a school activity?

There are many reasons, but here are the 4 main ones:

• Researching someone's life and gathering information about their accomplishments, personal and professional challenges, as well as their contributions, will help students develop research skills and curiosity .
• Working on a biography improves writing skills, organization of ideas, and structuring information in a clear and coherent manner.
• Promotes critical thinking : students will learn to analyze different aspects of a public figure's life and develop their objective thinking about that person, history, and society in general. It also promotes empathy.
• Learn about the lives of influential people in different fields , such as science, politics, or art, and understand how their contributions have affected the world at large.

In short, doing a biography as a school activity is a great idea! It encourages research and understanding towards different life experiences and perspectives.

Download a Biography template for school students in minutes

Using Edit.org's online editor is easy! You don't need any design skills to create the best biographies for chronological, topical, or historical figures .

In just a few seconds, you can have your perfect template ready to share with your students or to help you write your bestseller and create new characters for your crime novel. Each template's visual result is designed to be professional, clear, and, above all, useful .

Create the best biographies with our free and intuitive editor in an easy, fast, and structured way. Use the best editable biography templates to gather information for your journalistic, literary, or research projects.

Enter our online editor now and download your personalized biography template in seconds!

Customizable Character Bio examples

Business , Education

24 Biography Templates and Examples (Word | PDF | Google Docs)

Biographies serve as a fascinating lens into the lives of individuals, ranging from influential family members and historical figures to renowned personalities. Whether you’re a student, an aspiring writer, or someone captivated by the art of telling a life story , grasping the essential elements of a biography is vital. Writing a biography goes beyond compiling facts; it involves crafting a narrative that educates and inspires your readers. This guide provides you with practical steps, style advice, and, importantly, biography templates to assist you in structuring your work effectively. With these resources, you can start to create biographies that not only inform but also captivate your audience. Are you ready to capture the essence of a life story in words? Let’s delve into the fundamentals of crafting a compelling and memorable biography.

Biography Templates & Examples

Aesthetic Biography Template

An Aesthetic Biography Template is a carefully designed layout that allows individuals to present their personal and professional information in an organized and visually appealing manner. The template provided in the previous response offers a structured format for users to showcase their educational background, work experience, skills, and personal interests. This format is particularly useful for creating a compelling narrative of one's life and achievements, making it ideal for applications, personal websites, or professional profiles. The inclusion of sample data guides users on how to effectively fill out each section, ensuring clarity and coherence in presenting their unique story.

Short Biography Template

A Short Biography template is a structured format for summarizing an individual's personal, educational, and professional background. It offers a concise yet informative way to present one's achievements, skills, and experiences. The template provided above is designed to capture a wide range of details, from basic personal information to career highlights and skills. It is versatile and can be tailored to suit different situations, whether for a professional profile, a speaker introduction, or a personal website. The inclusion of sample data in the brackets makes it user-friendly, allowing for easy customization. This template serves as a useful starting point for anyone looking to create a clear and engaging biography.

Professional Biography Template

A Professional Bio Template is a structured format designed to aid individuals in crafting a succinct and engaging biography that highlights their career achievements, skills, and personal qualities. This template helps users efficiently organize and present their professional story, ensuring that key elements like career milestones, skills, and personal interests are effectively communicated. This assists in creating a compelling bio that resonates with various audiences, such as potential employers or networking contacts, enhancing their professional presence and impact.

Personal Biography Template

A personal biography template is a structured outline designed to guide individuals in documenting their life stories, achievements, and experiences. It provides a framework to organize personal details in a coherent and engaging manner. This template, created in our prior response, can assist users by simplifying the process of writing their biography. It offers a clear structure, ensuring that key aspects of one's life are highlighted effectively. This can be particularly useful for creating professional bios, personal introductions, or for preserving personal history.

You can explore more free biography templates and examples in the collection at Highfile . This resource offers a diverse range of templates suitable for various needs, whether for professional, personal, or academic purposes.

What Is a Biography?

A biography is an in-depth narrative of someone’s life, written by another person. It encompasses more than just basic facts like birthplace and education. A biography delves into the subject’s personal experiences, significant life events, and the influences that shaped their character and achievements. It’s not just a timeline of events; a biography weaves these details into a compelling story, offering insights into the individual’s motivations and impacts. The aim is to present a well-rounded portrait that is both informative and engaging, allowing readers to understand and empathize with the subject’s journey. A biography, in essence, is a vivid window into another person’s life experience, capturing their unique contributions and the essence of their existence.

Fun Fact: Did you know that one of the earliest biographies ever recorded was about an ancient Egyptian official named Ptahhotep around 2400 BC? This ancient biography was not written in a book but carved on the walls of his tomb, depicting his life and achievements. This highlights how the art of biography writing has been significant throughout human history, evolving from ancient carvings to modern digital formats!

Essential Elements of a Biography Template

Crafting a professional biography involves creating a concise yet comprehensive summary of your career objectives, current position, and notable achievements. This type of bio is ideally suited for professional networking platforms like LinkedIn or AngelList, where a more detailed and career-focused narrative is expected compared to the brief bios often seen on other social media sites.

Key Components to Include in Your Professional Biography:

• Your Name : Clearly state your full name at the beginning.
• Personal Brand or Company Affiliation : Mention your business or the brand you represent.
• Professional Tagline or Current Role : Include your current job title or a tagline that encapsulates your professional essence.
• Career Aspirations : Briefly outline your career goals or what you aim to achieve professionally.
• Unique Personal Fact : Share an interesting personal detail that sets you apart.
• Top Achievements : Highlight two or three significant accomplishments relevant to your professional trajectory.

While primarily professional in tone, don’t hesitate to weave in personal elements like a favorite book or hobby. This adds a human touch, making your bio more relatable and engaging. Remember, a well-rounded biography balances professional accomplishments with personal insights, creating a holistic view of you as both a professional and an individual.

How to Write a Biography

Writing a compelling biography requires a structured approach. Follow these steps to create an engaging and informative biography:

• Choose a Subject : Select a person whose life story is interesting and impactful. Consider whether their contributions or experiences have the potential to inspire or connect with your audience.
• Obtain Permission : If your subject is alive, obtaining their consent is crucial, as it involves discussing personal details. For deceased or public figures, ensure all information is factual to avoid legal issues.
• Conduct Thorough Research : Gather information from primary sources like interviews, letters, and personal accounts for an authentic portrayal. Complement these with secondary sources like documentaries and articles for additional context.
• Formulate a Thesis : In the opening section, clearly state what the reader will learn from the biography. This thesis sets the stage for the narrative to unfold.
• Organize Chronologically : Structure the biography in a timeline format, presenting events in the order they occurred. This helps in maintaining a clear narrative flow.
• Incorporate Flashbacks : Skillfully use flashbacks to provide context or highlight significant past events, enriching the narrative without overloading it with background details.
• Inject Personal Insight : While sticking to factual information, don’t shy away from adding your own perspective on the subject’s achievements and their societal impact. This adds depth and personal touch to the biography.

A good biography balances factual accuracy with narrative flair, bringing the subject’s story to life in a way that resonates with the readers.

Tips on Writing a Biography

Crafting a biography requires a blend of accuracy, creativity, and attention to detail. Here are some essential tips to guide you in writing an effective biography:

• Write in Third Person : Use the third person perspective for a professional and objective tone.
• Inject Humor Appropriately : While maintaining professionalism, subtle humor can make the biography more engaging and relatable.
• Be Mindful of Length : Keep an eye on the word count. A biography should be comprehensive yet concise enough to hold the reader’s interest.
• Narrate a Story, Not Just Facts : Instead of listing events, weave them into a compelling narrative to make the biography more interesting and readable.
• Include Relevant Links : Provide links to your work, projects, or publications to offer readers additional context and evidence of your achievements.
• Provide Contact Information : Make it easy for readers to reach you by including up-to-date contact details.
• Edit Thoroughly : Ensure your biography is free of errors and well-polished. Comprehensive editing enhances readability and professionalism.
• Keep it Concise : Aim for brevity while ensuring all critical information is included. A succinct biography is often more impactful and memorable.

Important Note: Before diving into our FAQs, it’s crucial to remember that while a biography aims to be factual and accurate, it also requires a respectful approach, especially when dealing with sensitive aspects of a person’s life. As a biographer, your responsibility extends beyond mere storytelling; it involves ethical considerations, such as respecting privacy and presenting information in a manner that is fair and considerate to the subject and their family. Keep this in mind as you explore the frequently asked questions and embark on your journey of writing a biography.

For online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, a three-sentence bio should be concise yet informative. It should briefly introduce you, focusing on key aspects: Your Name : Start with your full name. Your Current Role : Mention your profession or the role you’re known for. A Notable Achievement or Personal Touch : Include a significant accomplishment or a unique personal detail (like a hobby or goal). This format ensures your bio is succinct but covers essential details.

A personal biography is a brief narrative focusing on your professional life, used for job searches or on professional platforms like LinkedIn. It’s slightly more detailed than a social media bio and should include: Your Name Personal Brand or Company : If applicable. Professional Tagline or Current Role Two or Three Key Achievements : Choose the most relevant and impressive ones. While primarily professional, feel free to add a personal detail like a hobby or favorite book to give a glimpse of your personality.

In a work-related bio, focus on aspects directly relevant to your professional life. This might be more detailed, including your career journey, key skills, and notable projects or roles you’ve held. Personal anecdotes or interests can be included if they relate to your professional persona or add value to your professional story. Remember, the context dictates the bio’s content and tone. Tailor it to suit the platform and the audience you are addressing.

When choosing a subject, consider individuals whose life stories are not only interesting but also have the potential to inspire or educate others. Look for unique experiences, significant achievements, or challenges they’ve overcome. Public figures, historical personalities, or even unsung heroes in your community can make excellent subjects.

Begin with an engaging opening that captures the essence of your subject’s life. This could be a pivotal moment, a significant achievement, or an anecdote that reflects their character. Starting with something compelling draws readers in and sets the tone for the biography.

Effective research methods include conducting interviews with people who know the subject well, reviewing primary documents like letters or diaries, and consulting reputable secondary sources for historical context. Online archives, libraries, and specialized databases are also valuable resources.

To maintain objectivity, present facts without bias, and avoid letting personal opinions color the narrative. Acknowledge different perspectives on the subject’s life, especially in controversial or unclear aspects. Being fair and balanced is key to a trustworthy biography.

Yes, you can write a biography about a family member. However, it’s important to balance personal insights with objective storytelling. Ensure you have enough distance to present their story truthfully and respect their privacy and perspective.

Approach sensitive topics with care and respect. Verify the accuracy of such information and consider its relevance to the overall story. Be mindful of the impact this could have on the subject and their family, especially if they are still living.

The length of a biography depends on the depth of the subject’s life story and the intended audience. Some biographies are short, focusing on key events, while others are comprehensive, covering the subject’s life in detail. Tailor the length to suit the story’s complexity and readers’ expectations.

Final Thoughts

Crafting a biography requires a thoughtful blend of accuracy and creativity to captivate and engage your readers. By focusing on these essential elements and following the outlined steps, you can transform a simple life story into a compelling narrative that holds the reader’s interest from start to finish. Whether you’ve always wanted to write a biography or are just beginning to explore this genre, this guide provides a solid foundation to embark on your biographical writing journey. Remember, a well-written biography not only informs but also inspires, offering a deeper understanding of the subject’s life and legacy.

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8 Free Biography Templates for Professionals

A biography is a detailed account of a person's life, highlighting their experiences, achievements, and overall impact on the world. It provides readers with insights into the individual's personal and professional journey. Utilizing biography templates offers the benefit of helping users structure this information in a coherent and professional manner, ensuring that all essential details are covered.

Written by:

Dr. Moina Rauf

Dr. Moina Rauf, fluent in English and Dutch, is a distinguished writer and editor with a PhD in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Economics. With extensive experience in both academia and industry, she excels in elucidating complex concepts about business management, human resources policies, legal documentation, employee leaves, appointments, contracts, and workplace culture. Her proficiency in analyzing and simplifying intricate documents ensures comprehensive understanding for her audience. Published in academic journals, Dr. Rauf’s authority in her field is well-established.

Whether on LinkedIn, a company website or during networking events, your professional bio can be a conversation starter. It provides a concise summary of your career, making it easier for others to understand your background and engage with you meaningfully​.

A well-crafted professional biography helps establish and reinforce your personal brand. It communicates your professional identity, values, and expertise and makes you memorable to colleagues, potential employers, and clients. You can use it to distinguish yourself in a competitive job market.

In this blog, you’ll find multiple templates tailored to various professions so that you have the perfect starting point to craft a bio that truly represents you. At the conclusion of this post, you will find some helpful advice about adding some personal anecdotes to your bio.

• Where Can You Use a Professional Bio?
• LinkedIn Profiles: A detailed bio on LinkedIn can enhance your professional presence and attract networking opportunities.
• Company Websites: Many organizations feature employee bios on their websites to showcase their team’s expertise.
• Conference Speaking Engagements: If you are presenting at a conference, your bio can provide attendees with a snapshot of your qualifications and accomplishments.
• Author Pages: For writers , a bio on your author page helps readers connect with you personally.
• Portfolio Sites: Artists, designers, and other creatives use bios to tell the story behind their work and attract potential clients.
• Resumes and Cover Letters: A short bio can complement your resume and cover letter and provide a quick overview of who you are.

Write in the active voice to make your bio more engaging and dynamic. Active sentences are typically clearer and more direct. For example, “I led the project” is stronger than “The project was led by me.”

• Free Biography Templates

The suite of biography templates provided below serves a broad spectrum of professionals, from business leaders and board members to educators and artists. It ensures a versatile resource for constructing detailed, personalized biographies. Each template is thoughtfully designed with placeholders that will guide you through the process of detailing your professional achievements, philosophical approaches, and personal journeys. These placeholders prompt you to insert specific details such as career milestones, personal values, educational backgrounds, and notable accolades. They are designed with high graphic quality, ensuring that each biography is not only informative but also visually appealing.

The layout of each template is crafted to provide a logical flow of information, making it easy for readers to follow and understand the narrative being presented. The professional design elements are used to enhance the visual impact of the biographies, which is particularly beneficial for printed materials or digital presentations.

The templates are available in multiple formats, including AI (Adobe Illustrator), Google Docs, DOTX (Word Template), and PowerPoint. This range of formats ensures flexibility and accessibility for different preferences for software or platforms.

Avoid overused terms like “hardworking” or “results-driven.” Instead, use specific examples and achievements to illustrate your skills and strengths.

Business Leader Biography Template

Overview: This template is thoughtfully designed for senior executives and business leaders, such as CEOs, CFOs, and managing directors. It’s crafted to convey a comprehensive portrait of a leader’s career trajectory, leadership style, and their pivotal role in driving corporate strategy and innovation.

Usage: It is best used for company websites, investor relations materials, or professional networking platforms where detailing a leader’s vision and achievements is crucial.

Key aspects

• It includes a detailed exposition of the individual’s leadership philosophy and how it aligns with corporate goals.
• It provides a chronological summary of key business achievements and their impact on the industry.
• The template incorporates personal accolades and recognitions to underscore industry stature.

Board Member Biography Template

Overview: This template is tailored for individuals serving on corporate or non-profit boards, and highlights their governance roles, strategic contributions, and advocacy in board decisions.

Usage: It is ideal for annual reports, organization websites, and professional profiles where it’s essential to outline governance expertise and board contributions.

Key Aspects

• The template includes a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities within various board committees.
• The emphasis is placed on strategic goals and how the board member has influenced organizational direction.
• It includes a reflection on personal governance philosophy and its application to board activities.

Teacher Biography Template

Overview: This template is specifically for educators, including school teachers, university professors, and academic administrators. It focuses on pedagogical methodologies, educational achievements, and philosophical teaching approaches.

Usage: It is useful in academic portfolios, institutional websites, and educational conference materials where showcasing educational credentials and teaching philosophy is essential.

• The template highlights innovative teaching strategies and their effectiveness in student engagement and learning.
• It provides a comprehensive look at the educator’s career progression and specializations.
• It emphasizes contributions to educational reforms and curriculum development.

Personal Biography Template

Overview: This versatile template serves to narrate the comprehensive life story of an individual, merging personal milestones with professional achievements. It’s suited for those whose careers intertwine closely with their personal life philosophies, such as artists, freelancers, or public speakers.

Usage: This template is perfect for personal blogs, memoirs, or motivational speaking portfolios where personal touch and storytelling are key.

• The template effectively conveys the early experiences and how they influenced both the professional and personal trajectories.
• A discussion of core values and how they manifest in professional undertakings and community involvement is mentioned.
• The template illustrates life’s pivotal moments and their transformative impact on the individual.

Professional Biography Template

Overview: Designed for professionals across all sectors, this template offers a structured format to detail one’s expertise, key accomplishments, and industry impact comprehensively. Usage: It is suitable for LinkedIn profiles, professional websites, or industry conference materials where a detailed professional background is crucial.

• The template includes spaces for an exhaustive listing of skills, certifications, and professional milestones.
• Expertise and leadership can be shown by using the template’s space to analyze important projects and their results.
• The template fields include areas to outline professional memberships and affiliations, as well as industry involvement.

Military Service Biography Templates (Army, Air Force)

Overview: These templates highlight the leadership experiences, career highlights, and honors unique to each branch of the military because they are specifically designed for each one.

Usage: This template is ideal for military transition resumes, service recognition ceremonies, or veteran association publications.

• It includes a detailed recount of military deployments, roles, and commendations.
• It focuses on leadership roles and their impact on team performance and mission success.
• It includes space to include an overview of military training, education, and personal dedication to service principles.

Artist Biography Template

Overview: Created for artists and professionals in the creative industry, this template emphasizes the artistic journey, key influences, and notable achievements within their medium.

Usage: This template is best used for gallery introductions, artist statements for exhibitions, or portfolio websites where articulating artistic vision and career highlights is fundamental.

• It includes a detailed exploration of artistic themes, techniques, and the evolution of style.
• It provides spaces to include a listing of significant exhibitions and reviews, spotlighting the artist’s public reception.
• It offers a discussion on artistic philosophy and inspirations, which offers insights into the creative process.

When writing your professional bio, strategically incorporate power words to make your accomplishments and skills stand out. Power words are impactful and persuasive terms that convey strength, dynamism, and confidence.

• Tips on Sharing Personal Anecdotes and Interests in a Professional Bio

Integrating personal anecdotes and interests into your professional bio can make it more engaging and relatable. By carefully selecting and crafting personal anecdotes and interests, you can create a professional bio that is not only informative but also engaging and reflective of your unique personality and values. This approach helps to build a more relatable and memorable professional image. However, it’s essential to ensure that these personal elements enhance your professional image rather than detract from it. Here are some tips on how to do this effectively:

Keep it relevant

Select anecdotes and interests that complement your professional story. The personal details you share should add depth to your professional persona and illustrate qualities or skills relevant to your career.

“A passion for solving complex puzzles since childhood led me to pursue a career in software development, where I enjoy tackling challenging coding problems.”

Highlight transferable skills

Use personal interests to demonstrate skills that are applicable to your professional life. For example, if you enjoy running marathons, this can highlight your determination and commitment.

“An avid marathon runner, I bring the same level of dedication and perseverance to managing large-scale projects and meeting tight deadlines.”

Showcase your values

Share anecdotes that reflect your core values and principles. This can help readers understand what motivates you and how you approach your work.

“Volunteering at local shelters has taught me the importance of community and empathy, values I incorporate into my role as a customer service manager to build strong client relationships.”

• Be brief and purposeful

Keep personal anecdotes concise and directly related to your professional narrative. Avoid lengthy stories that can divert attention from your key professional highlights.

“During my travels, I’ve developed a keen eye for design, which I now apply to create visually compelling marketing materials.”

Maintain a professional tone

Even when sharing personal anecdotes, maintain a professional tone. Avoid overly casual language or details that might be seen as inappropriate in a professional context.

“As a chess enthusiast, I enjoy strategic thinking and planning, skills that are crucial in my role as a financial analyst.”

Connect to your career path

Use personal interests to explain career choices or shifts. This can make your professional journey more relatable and understandable.

“My fascination with technology started with building computers as a teenager, which naturally progressed into a career in IT management.”

Use Humor Sparingly

A touch of humor can make your bio more engaging, but it should be used sparingly and appropriately. Ensure that any humorous anecdotes still reflect positively on your professionalism.

“In addition to being a project manager, I’m also the unofficial office barista, known for brewing the best coffee to fuel our team’s productivity.”

A compelling professional biography is more than just a summary of your career—it’s a powerful tool for personal branding. Whether you’re showcasing your leadership as a business executive, your creative journey as an artist, or your educational impact as a teacher, a well-crafted bio helps you stand out and connect meaningfully with your audience. You can use these diverse templates to create a personalized, detailed, and visually appealing biography that tells your unique story.

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47 Biography Templates & Examples (Personal, Professional)

A biography is simply an account of someone’s life written by another person. A biography can be short in the case of few sentences biography, and it can also be long enough to fill an entire book. The short biographies explain a person’s basic life facts and their importance, but the long biographies would go an extra mile and include more details to make an interesting read. You may find yourself in a situation which requires you to write a biography of a famous person, a close friend or a relative. For this reason, it pays to know how to come up with a biography and the important details that you should include in it. The lives of many people have interesting bits of information, but you ought to know what to capture in the biography and what to leave out.

Table of Contents

• 1 Biography Examples
• 2 What to include in a biography
• 3 How to write a good Biography
• 4 Steps in writing a biography;
• 5 Biography templates
• 6 A professional Biography Template
• 7 Personal Biography Template

Biography Examples

What to include in a biography

The length of a biography depends on the type of information that should be included. The length will determine the nature of information and how extensively it will explain the life of a person. For instance, if you are to write a short paragraph about a person it will mostly capture the important details that identify the person compared to a pages-long biography that may even include the person’s childhood experiences and achievements shaping their life.

For a short biography, maybe a paragraph or two long, the following details should be captured:

• A person’s date and place of birth, at times with the date and place of death as may be applicable
• The person’s major achievements in life
• Their educational background and notable awards
• Work facts of a person and their contribution to that field if any
• A brief account of the significance of an individual in the community

A lengthy biography will bring out more details of a person’s life making it a bit more complex. His/her history will be brought out more clearly especially the details that shaped them to be the persons they turned out to be.

The target audience will also dictate the nature of the information that is to be included. The relation of the audience to an individual will have an impact on how the information is presented and the important details that they could be interested in. In a case where the audience is unknown, more details will have to be included. This mostly happens in the case of a several paged biography. You will have to scrutinize the person in a more detailed way and establish more people relating to the person. Focusing on the uniqueness of an individual can do wonders in this case and this might turn out to be inspirational to many people. The field that the person has majored in or had majored in ought to influence the direction that the biography will take as this will help to bring out the contribution of the individual to their field of study.

How to write a good Biography

A biography is meant to analyze a person’s life and interpret it as well. A good biographer will try to join the dots and explain certain actions and events that a certain figure was involved in. This will help in clearly bringing out the significance of a person’s life through their accomplishments or remarkable deeds.

Biographies are usually written in a chronological order. Some biographers could also draft them in a themed order that is early life, educational background, a person’s achievements or accomplishments. But some especially the short ones will focus on one area in a person’s life.

There are several sources of information that could aid one in writing an astounding biography. These sources of information can be grouped into either primary sources or secondary sources. The primary sources of information include materials like letters, newspaper accounts or diaries. A biographer can also make an arrangement to interview an individual they want to write about. This is also considered as a primary source of information. The secondary sources are reference books, other biographies or historical records that are related to the subject being written about.

Steps in writing a biography;

• Select the individual you want to write about
• Search for the basic facts that relate to a person’s life. The encyclopedia or almanac could be handy at this.
• What’s the most interesting bit about the person?
• What is the significance of the individual to the society and the world in general?
• What qualities or adjectives will be best suited for the description of the individual?
• What actions or life events bring out the qualities or adjectives chosen above?
• What life events or world events shaped the individual or brought out the best in them?
• Did they face obstacles or take some risks in life? How did they handle the obstacles and did they happen to be lucky?
• What impact did they have in the world? Did they add value to the way people view certain aspects of life? Did they come up with a thing, idea or way of action that transformed the way things are handled or rather done in their societies or world in general?
• Carry out some additional research on the internet to answer some of the questions mentioned above. Ensure that you find information that will help you tell a story that many will love.
• After getting everything in order, you can proceed to write the biography. We have provided sample biographies in this site that you could check out in order to get the drift.

Biography templates

A biography template is meant to specifically aid a writer come up with an excellent biography. For this purpose to be achieved the writer needs to get his/her hands on a high-quality biography template, just like the ones provided on this site.

The best biography templates should provide clear instructions, and this should be in great detail to avoid the risk of the writer missing out some important facts. The templates available on this site will help you capture all of the details.

The biography templates should also be precise and avoid beating around the bush. Going round one idea or item will make the biography boring to read and it is prudent for the writer to be straight to the point. By doing this it will be easier for the readers to skim through and find the details they might be interested in with lots of easy. The writer will also save his/her time and concentrate on writing other things.

The general sections of any biography as outlined by our sample biographies will have;

• The name of the person
• A picture of the person
• An account of their early life
• The person’s family life
• The major achievements of the person
• The three main interesting qualities or facts about the individual

A professional Biography Template

A professional biography is a statement that could either be short or long that is written about a person, business or company. It should be engaging, informative and interesting for the readers to identify with the person or business entity being talked about. It has a sales pitch that is a little bit different. A professional biography template is meant to ease the process of generating printed professional biographies especially for an individual who wants to reach a lot of people or institutions.

Elements that should be captured in a professional biography are:

• A summary of one’s early life in a sentence or two, make it interesting
• Then information touching on your education, mention any academic awards or the clubs and societies that you were part of. Any work experience while in school.
• Talk about how creative and innovative you are with coming with solutions to the problems that you have faced as an individual, mention any situation that you were self-reliant in coming up with solutions
• Mention qualities that make you stand out for instance, being independent, principled or discerning to increase your trustworthiness.

The following tips will enable you to come up with the best professional biography;

• Be brief and precise to the point. This is to enable the reader to easily and quickly get to know about you.
• Be spontaneous in your writing
• Be as expressive as possible and avoid too much of self-editing while drafting the professional biography in the initial stages to capture as much information as possible
• Be friendly but not too informal
• Be as interesting as you could in order to get the attention of many people out there
• Write it in third person. Talk about your life as if someone else were describing it.

This site offers you a professional biography template that could aid in making the generation of professional biographies an easy and less time consuming task. You can also check out sample bios to figure out how to go about the whole process of coming up with a professional biography.

Personal Biography Template

A personal biography is a short account of who you are, your credentials and your notable accomplishments in life. Personal bios ought to be short, precise and relevant to your target audience. The use of personal statistics such as hobbies or family should be avoided. A personal biography template will help one to easily and conveniently come up with personal bios.

The key elements in a personal biography are;

• Give an introduction of yourself. Remember to write it in third person and include the year that your professional career started to be relevant. You could give a list of any relevant specializations in your field.
• State your educational facts and credentials. Mention the degrees that you have pursued and the respective institutions. Add any relevant experiences you have that are required for your career and mention the name of the society that you are legally a member of.
• Proceed to outline any notable achievements or awards you have earned in your practice. Remember that the information ought to be relevant to the audience being addressed. If you happen to be an author you could mention the magazines or any publishing house that has recognized your works.
• Your conclusion should mention any upcoming projects or works in progress that people should lookout for in the near future. Don’t forget to mention your current place of residence .

As you age, it is good to keep on updating your biography to reflect who you are at present time. You can make use of the personal biography template offered by this site to easily and in a more convenient way generate your own biography without missing out on the important details.

We also provide sample biographies to give you a feel of what your end draft should look like. If you have kids and you want to let them in on famous historical figures, this site offers biographies for kids. These will help them know the notable people who help shape the world to what it has become to be.

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Free Editable Biography Graphic Organizer Examples

A biography graphic organizer is an excellent tool for historians, educators, students, and professionals. Making a graphic organizer create someone's biography is hard and takes time, and using templates and examples is the most efficient way to create these graphic organizers. Here, we will talk about biography templates, how to write a biography with EdrawMax Online, and a few example topics.

1. What is Biography Graphic Organizer

A biography graphic organizer visually represents a person's biography from a third-person perspective. We use it to brainstorm and organize essential information about people, historical figures, characters in novels and movies. Most of the biographies we create or read are typically based on famous people. Still, you can create a biography of anyone with key information about their lives and major events. It helps you visualize details about someone’s early life, adult life, family life, and related exciting facts.

2. The Biography Graphic Organizer Examples

You can use biography graphic organizers to gather key information about any person, and you can arrange that information logically based on the major events and that person's life. It is easy to read and understand someone's biography; however, making a biography is entirely different. It takes a lot of time to write a memoir, and without a proper template, you will also have to put in extra effort to do the framework. There are many formats of biography templates, each with its uses and benefits. Check out our biography graphic organizer examples will help to pick a suitable template for your task.

Example 1: Biography Graphic Organizer

A biography graphic organizer depicts a person's biography by gathering their major life events and organizing them logically to represent their various life aspects. You can use various graphic organizers to create a biography, such as a pamphlet. There are three sides to this template, one with different information about a person's biography. Teachers use such templates to give assignments and tests to their students. The person's picture and intro go on the first page with the writer's name. We got the bibliography and blank space for the teacher's comments on the second page. The person's key facts and family details are on the last page of the pamphlet.

Example 2: Free Printable Biography Graphic Organizer

You can easily create someone's biography with a free printable biography graphic organizer. There is no standard format to make a biography, and that is why you can use various graphic organizers such as broachers or charts. This template follows a simple layout with the important person's name at the top. After that, there are empty boxes where you can enter the person's date of birth and death in question. There are three blank areas labeled as facts. Here you can write three major events or key points about the person. In the end, you can write about the lesson you learned from this biography

Example 3: Biography Graphic Organizer PDF

A biography graphic organizer PDF is best when you don't know how much information you will add to the biography. People use it to make worksheets to organize and gather all the information about the important person. These templates come with their benefits, such as no space limit. You can expand your worksheets with incoming data, unlike those graphic organizers where you get limited space to write details and information. The person's name goes at the center of the chart. At the top, we got some relevant information, such as their background and major accomplishments.

Example 4: Biography Graphic Organizer Middle School

A biography graphic organizer in middle school is an excellent tool for students to gather information of the important personalities they read about in their books or novels and create a biography. A Martin Luther King biography is typical for middle school students. This template comes with a picture of the important person, and key information goes to the boxes around the image. You start with writing the birth and death date of the person. Write their famous quotes and give a little intro to why that person is famous. You can add some character traits to make it perfect.

Example 5: Graphic Organizer for Biography

This is a standard graphic organizer for biography. It comes in a simple format with the writer's name at the top. After that, there is the person's name or the title of your biography. You start introducing that person by listing some information about that person early. There is also an option to add a picture on the right side. After the early life comes the major events of their family life. There is also bank space to write the accomplishments that made this person famous. You can end the biography by listing a few interesting facts about that person.

Example 6: Stalin Biography Report Graphic Organizer

This is a complete Stalin biography report graphic organizer template. If you are writing a Stalin biography, then use this template and modify the text, and you get a perfect memoir. The template follows the standard format of listing the writer's name above the topic title and person's name. There is blank space for you to write about that person's early and family life. In the accomplishments section, you write about the reason for that person being famous and their deeds. Close your biography with a list of interesting facts.

Example 7: Free Biography Graphic Organizer

A free biography graphic organizer is a standard tool students use to create biographies for their assignments. Most students use free templates such as this one to complete projects, and it helps them gather information about the famous person and organize it without wasting their time creating a framework from scratch. Any student can make a biography by writing the correct details and information in the right boxes. The name and title go at the top, and there is a blank space to write the date and destination of birth and death. Then, you got a huge area to write the accomplishments of the famous person.

Example 8: Biography Graphic Organizer 3rd Grade

A biography graphic organizer 3rd grade helps primary school students write biographies of famous people and characters from movies and novels in the correct format. Teachers use these templates to improve their students' reading and writing skills. The biography starts with the writer's and the famous person's name at the top. The students write a summary about that person's life like an intro, and there is also bank space to add that person's photograph. After that, students list some key facts, write some of their quotes and end the biography with some exciting events in that person's life.

Example 9: Biography Writing Graphic Organizer

You can structure information for brainstorming sessions and idea generation with a cluster word web. It also helps create outlines for various writings and pre-write your presentations or reports. The number of clusters in your diagram depends on your ideas and critical elements. You don't have to follow a specific format and limit the number of items you add to your diagram. In this example, the main idea is at the centre, with related details and themes in a logical structure.

3. How to Write a Biography

Follow these steps to learn how to write a biography.

Step 1 : Create a graphic organizer yourself or customize a template to gather and organize information about the important person.

Step 2 : You can gather key information by researching multiple resources and collecting data to conduct comprehensive and efficient research.

Step 3 : Collaborate with your peers to do your thesis and create a proper framework before writing the biography.

Step 4 : Create a timeline and add your ideas to the biography.

Step 5 : Add key information about that person's life, achievements, the reason for success and exciting facts.

4. Topics for Biography

The topic for biography depends on the name of the person you plan to write about. You can write about famous people and characters from movies and novels. If you can't find a suitable person, you can write about historical figures or people who made huge contributions to humanity. You can also base your title on people who discovered new lands and invented new technology. Here are some famous biography topics.

• Albert Einstein
• Alexander Fleming
• Alexander Graham Bell
• Alexander the Great
• Amelia Earhart
• Benjamin Franklin
• Charles Lindbergh
• Clarence Birdseye
• Eli Whitney
• Elie Wiesel
• George Washington Carver

5. Online Biography Maker

A biography graphic organizer is a fantastic tool that helps gather, organize and visually represent key information about famous and influential personalities. Teachers use these graphic organizers to give their students home assignments and test papers that help improve their writing and storytelling skills. EdrawMax is the best biography maker with creative customizing tools and features that makes your job much easier. It comes with a comprehensive template and symbol library that you can employ with a few clicks. It also gives you the option to export your diagram in any format you want.

6. Key Takeaways

A biography graphic organizer is commonly used to conduct research about famous and famous people and visualize the key information about their life. Historians and professionals use it to create autobiographies and generate timelines. You can learn everything you need to know from our biography examples. It makes it easy to understand someone's life achievement; however, it is hard to make a graphic biography organizer. EdrawMax Online is the best online biography maker. You can use its templates to make any online to save your time and effort. It supports various document formats and creative customization tools. Find more graphic organizer templates in the templates community.

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FREE Biography Templates & Examples

A biography is a written account of a person’s life story, career, or expertise in a particular field or industry. It is factual and focuses on major professional accomplishments and goals, academic achievements, work experience, and skills. It is commonly used in various professional contexts, such as websites, resumes, social media profiles, conference programs, or business introductions. It is written in a storytelling format to make it exciting and engaging to the audience, which can be employers, clients, and collaborators. It can be one page or multiple pages.

Did you know? A study by TheLadders determined that, on average, recruiters spend 6 seconds reviewing a resume before deciding whether to assess it further. This emphasizes the need for a brief, concise, and engaging bio.

While traditional biographies are popular among popular personalities like world leaders, artists, actors, and people with remarkable contributions to society, anyone can write a professional biography. The goal of having professional bios is to increase the author’s visibility and credibility.

Also, it is a tool to market their expertise in a particular field and introduce themselves to prospective clients, employers, and collaborators. Additionally, it can indicate the author’s values, mission, and value to gain the reader’s trust and attract like-minded individuals and entities. These are elements that can give professionals a competitive edge over their peers.  

Statistical Insight: According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 57% of employers are less likely to interview an applicant if they do not have an online presence. This illustrates the importance of a bio on social platforms.

Download Free Templates

Following are the biography templates:

First-Person Bio Vs. Third-Person Bio

This article will explain what information to include in a professional bio and provide a Biography template and free examplethat readers can reference to ensure they write effective biographies that benefit their careers and help them expand their professional network.

A first-person bio is written in the first person, and thus uses the pronouns I and me. Such a bio is typically more personal and conversational and is thus meant for informal platforms such as social media profiles and personal websites.

A third-person bio is written in the third person, so the pronouns he, she, or they are used. It is more objective and formal and is used in formal and professional contexts such as job applications and company websites. As a result, determining which type of biography to use requires assessing the situation and context.   

What are Biography Templates?

A biography template is a pre-designed document outlining the format and structure of a biography.

It contains headings and sections of key components of a bio, such as major life events, educational background, expertise, career achievements, and skills. There are multiple benefits to using templates to create professional biographies. Because they are pre-formatted, information can be presented in a professional and logical manner, ensuring that readers do not miss any important details.

When used as guides, they are useful and time-saving tools that help individuals create biographies easily. Templates can also be personalized to add unique components, such as any special skills, certifications, or experiences. 

Essential Components of a Professional Bio

This section delves into the vital components of a professional bio, exploring how each element contributes to presenting a strong professional identity and capturing the attention of the intended audience.

Introduction

• Name: Start with your full name.
• Current role or professional tagline: Identify your current position or what your expertise is.
• Location: Mention where you are based.

Jane Doe is a leading cybersecurity expert based in San Francisco, California.

• Origin: Give details about your upbringing, origins, or cultural background if they are important to understanding who you are.
• Education: Discuss any educational credentials that are important to your bio.

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jane holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from MIT.

Career Journey and Achievements

• Career progression: Talk about your journey—how you started, how you got where you are, and any pivotal moments.
• Achievements: Highlight key accomplishments in your career, major projects, or notable clients. Emphasize the results.

Jane started her career as an intern at XYZ Corp., rapidly advancing to a team lead position due to her innovative thinking and exceptional problem-solving skills. Under her leadership, her team successfully thwarted a series of potential cyberattacks.

Current Role

• Position and responsibilities: Explain your current role, what you do, and perhaps any special projects you’re working on.
• Skills and strengths: Highlight your unique skills, talents, or experiences that make you stand out.

Currently, as a cybersecurity consultant at ABC Solutions, Jane oversees the security policies of numerous high-profile organizations, ensuring their systems are impenetrable to threats. She stands out in the field due to her expertise in encryption and intrusion detection systems.

Personal Life (optional)

• Hobbies or interests: If it is appropriate and adds something to the bio, do not hesitate to include some personal details about your life outside of work.

When she is not safeguarding networks, Jane enjoys exploring the Californian wilderness and volunteering at her local animal shelter.

Contact Information or Next Steps

• Contact: Tell the reader how they can contact you or learn more about your work.
• Call-to-action: Call-to-action might involve looking at your most recent project, reading your blog, setting up a consultation, etc.

To learn more about Jane’s work or schedule a consultation, please visit her website at www.website.com.

Third Person Pronouns

Remember to use the third person when writing your bio. It makes it easier for others to use your bio in a professional context, and it allows the text to speak for you rather than appearing as though you are speaking about yourself.

Make sure it is a bio that you believe accurately represents who you are and what you have accomplished thus far in your life and career.

Professional Biography Template

[Your Name]: Professional Biography

1. Opening Statement

Start with your current role and the name of your organization. It is often most effective to write in the third person.

“[First name] [Last name] is currently the [Job Title] at [Company Name]…”

2. Professional Background and Achievements

Describe your work history and most notable accomplishments in reverse chronological order. You may want to include:

The name and type of organizations you have worked for (industry, public/private, size)

The roles you have held and your main responsibilities

Key achievements or projects you have worked on

Any promotions or recognitions you have received

“Prior to [Current Company], [First Name] worked at [Previous Company] as a [Previous Job Title], where she spearheaded… Her efforts led to…”

3. Education and Credentials

List any relevant degrees or certifications you hold. This could include:

Undergraduate/graduate degrees and the schools you attended

Continuing education courses or certifications

Any professional designations you have earned

“[First name] holds a Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in [field] from [University Name]. Additionally, she has attained certification in…”

4. Skills and Specializations

Highlight the skills and areas of expertise that distinguish you from others. These might include:

Technical skills or tools you have mastered

Languages you speak fluently

Specialized knowledge or expertise you have

“[First name] is proficient in… She has an in-depth knowledge of… Her specialized skills include…”

5. Personal Details and Hobbies (Optional)

If appropriate, you may want to share some details about your life outside of work. This could help make your bio more relatable and engaging. 

“When not at work, [First name] enjoys… She also devotes time to…”

6. Contact Information

Finally, include the best way to contact or connect with you.

“For further information or to connect, you can reach [First name] at [Email Address] or find her on [LinkedIn/Twitter/other professional platforms].”

Please keep in mind that a professional biography should be updated regularly, especially as your roles, responsibilities, and achievements evolve over time.

Biography Examples

Examples of biography are given below:

Personal biography example

Let us imagine a fictional character named John Smith, a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker. A sample bio of this individual is provided below:

John Smith is a renowned entrepreneur and motivational speaker based in New York City, NY.

Raised in a small town in Texas, John received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, setting the foundation for his innovative journey into entrepreneurship.

John’s business career began in the heart of Silicon Valley, where he led a fledgling tech start-up from a five-person team to a multinational corporation in less than a decade. His visionary approach and relentless dedication led his company, TechInnovate, to be named Forbes’ “Fastest Growing Tech Company” in 2021.

Currently, John serves as the CEO of TechInnovate, where he oversees strategic growth initiatives and continues to foster a culture of innovation. His distinctive leadership style and expertise in business strategy have been recognized in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, and Harvard Business Review.

Aside from his career, John is a dedicated triathlete and an avid reader, believing that a strong body and a keen mind are essential for maintaining his fast paced lifestyle. He actively supports several charities, including Education for All, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational resources for underprivileged children.

Visit www.johnsmith.com to learn more about John’s work, to attend one of his motivational talks, or to explore potential collaboration opportunities.

Remember that your personal biography should be an accurate reflection of you, your experiences, and your professional journey. Feel free to adjust the template as needed based on your specific needs and context.

Personal bio (brief version)

I am Mary Riley, a human resources manager at Farewell Freight and Cargo. I have been in the HR sector for eight years. I enjoy using my human resource management, conflict resolution, and active listening skills to provide and maintain a healthy and productive workplace. I have a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Columbia. I have received the company’s Employee of the Year honors two years in a row, which I am very proud of.  

From a young age, I always exhibited good management skills. I remember being the football team’s captain in middle school. I enjoyed managing the players and motivating them to succeed. I strongly believe in working to realize my full potential in any field. As a result, I aim to run my own travel company. This is because I enjoy traveling and have come to appreciate the learning opportunities realized when traveling. I would like to help others come across such opportunities. I always engage with people through my email ( [email protected] ) and do not shy from reaching out. 

Professional Bio Example

John Smith: Professional Biography

Opening Statement

John Smith is currently the Chief Technology Officer at TechFirm Innovations, a leading tech company specializing in software development and cybersecurity solutions.

Professional Background and Achievements

Prior to joining TechFirm Innovations, John served as the Senior Software Developer at DataFlow Networks, where he led a team responsible for developing and maintaining major components of the company’s product suite. His innovative strategies contributed to a 30% improvement in product performance, earning him the ‘Employee of the Year’ award in 2021. Earlier in his career, John was a Junior Software Engineer at Systems Pro, where he refined his skills in coding and debugging.

Education and Credentials

John holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from Stanford University. In addition, he is a certified Scrum Master and has earned a Professional Certification in Machine Learning from Coursera.

Skills and Specializations

John is proficient in a variety of programming languages, including Python, Java, and C++. He has in-depth knowledge of machine learning algorithms, agile methodologies, and cybersecurity protocols. His specialized skills include data analysis, system architecture design, and project management.

Personal Details and Hobbies

Outside of his professional life, John is an avid reader, with a keen interest in science fiction and technology-focused literature. He also enjoys hiking and photography, often merging his passions by documenting his various wilderness expeditions.

Contact Information

For further information or to connect, you can reach John at [email address] or find him on LinkedIn at [link].

This example biography gives a comprehensive view of John Smith’s professional journey, highlighting his skills, achievements, and personal interests in a clear and engaging manner.

Professional bio (biref example)

James Sutton Professional Bio

James Sutton is an experienced physics teacher with 10 years of active teaching in high school. Currently, he teaches at Richmond High School in Mystic City, Arkansas. More than 1200 students have passed through his guidance. He is qualified to create engaging and productive lesson plans and assessments and coach students on the various principles of physics. He is an active listener and a social person. These skills have helped him build beneficial rapport with his students throughout the years. He has an undergraduate degree in math and physics. He has a master’s in physics from the University of Princeton in London. 

His dream was to study in Europe. A dream he came to achieve during his college education. His life has been greatly influenced by this because it showed him that goals can be achieved if they are pursued and that dreams are legitimate. He values learning and believes that information should be shared with everyone without limitations. To address this, he operates a website ( www.learnall.com ) where he publishes his curriculum and notes for learners to access for free. He urges anyone interested in and willing to learn physics and math to visit the site. 

Key Takeaways

• You can write a personal or professional biography to provide insight into who you are as a person and summarize your professional achievements and goals. 
• A biography can be written from a first-person or third-person perspective, depending on its objective and use. 
• You can use a template to write a biography to ensure you capture all the key information and ensure it is professionally presented. 
• The key elements of any bio are the introduction, professional experience, educational background, personal background, values, passions, interests, and a call to action. 
• Bios are uploaded to a person’s professional portfolio, social media profiles, personal website, or for a job application. 
• It is important to update your bio regularly to ensure it contains current and accurate information. 

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Personal Biography Template

A Personal Biography Template is a structured format that guides you in capturing the essence and highlights of an individual's life journey. To simplify this task, we've designed a user-friendly template that's now accessible in Word and Google Docs. Dive in and craft your unique story with ease!

About this Template

Contents of the template:.

• Front Page Design Area : Personalize with name, photo, and a signature quote.
• Introduction : Quick snapshot including basic details and an introductory paragraph.
• Early Life Section : Detail out family background, childhood memories, and educational background.
• Career Milestones : List down significant professional achievements, jobs, and current endeavors.
• Personal Interests and Hobbies : Space to share passions, hobbies, and leisure activities.
• Challenges and Overcoming Adversities : Discuss personal and professional setbacks and how they were faced.
• Personal Anecdotes and Stories : Share light-hearted, insightful or transformative moments.
• Quotes and Reflections : List down notable sayings and reflections.
• Photo Gallery : A visual journey through various life stages with captions.
• Legacy and Contact : Concluding section to wrap up the biography.

Why Use This Template:

• Ease of Use : Simply fill in your details, and the structure guides you through every life stage.
• Consistency : It ensures a uniform format for everyone, making it look professional and organized.
• Time-saving : Instead of starting from scratch, this template provides a clear roadmap to follow.
• Versatility : Suitable for a range of biographical needs, from personal to professional.
• Professionals : Creating a detailed account of their career journey for networking or job applications.
• Authors/Writers : Crafting an author bio for book jackets or promotional materials.
• Personal Uses : Documenting family stories, memories, or life achievements, possibly for family archives or personal websites.
• Speakers & Presenters : Sharing their life and achievements with an audience before an event or presentation.
• Academics : Preparing a biography for lectures, courses, or academic profiles.

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What is a Personal Biography?

How is a personal biography written, what does the outline of a personal biography look like.

• Your name: Include your full name as the first element in the personal biography. This establishes your identity and serves as an introduction.
• Your parent’s details or family details (if any): Optionally, you can include brief information about your parents or family background to provide context or showcase any notable familial connections.
• Your place of birth or living (if that’s something you would want to add in): If relevant, mention your place of birth or current place of residence. This adds a personal touch and helps readers connect with your background.
• Your education early at school: Highlight your educational journey during your early schooling years, including notable schools attended, academic achievements, or any significant experiences during this period.
• Your education later in life: Outline your educational pursuits beyond the early school years, such as higher education, specialized training, certifications, or any notable degrees earned.
• Your childhood interests: Share the interests or hobbies you pursued during your childhood, which might have influenced your personal or professional development.
• Your job titles: List the job titles or roles you have held throughout your career, emphasizing positions of significance or relevance to your field or industry.
• Your interests and hobbies: Highlight your current interests and hobbies, demonstrating a well-rounded personality and providing insight into your passions outside of work or studies.
• Your awards and achievements: Enumerate any notable awards, honors, or achievements you have received in your personal, academic, or professional life. This showcases your accomplishments and areas of excellence.
• Your academic and professional past: Provide an overview of your academic and professional history, including key milestones, notable projects, or experiences that have shaped your journey.
• Your plans for the future: Discuss your aspirations and goals for the future, such as career objectives, educational pursuits, or personal ambitions. This highlights your drive and motivation.
• Your ultimate passion: Identify and describe your ultimate passion, whether it is a specific cause, creative endeavor, or professional pursuit that truly fuels your enthusiasm.
• Things that govern your life: Briefly mention the guiding principles, values, or beliefs that influence your decisions and actions in life, showcasing your personal philosophy or ethics.
• Things you want to achieve in life: Share your broader life goals or aspirations, beyond specific career objectives, expressing the impact you hope to make or the legacy you want to leave.

Things to Avoid in a Personal Biography

• Don’t stretch unimportant details too much, focus on the catchy stuff only (no one is interested in why you shifted from one apartment to another to another unless the details are compelling)
• Don’t stick to the dates so much (did the subject buy his first piano on the fifth of June or on the eighth?! Let us help: No one cares!)
• Never makeup stuff that you are unsure about, do your research well
• Don’t forget to add emotions to your biography. Who would want to read your life’s chronological order of events?! Make it interesting!
• Avoid excessive self-promotion or bragging. Instead, focus on presenting your accomplishments in a humble and genuine manner.
• Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be easily understood by the general audience. Keep your language accessible and engaging.
• Don’t overlook proofreading and editing. Ensure your biography is free from grammatical errors, typos, or formatting issues that may distract readers.
• Avoid including irrelevant or outdated information. Keep your biography focused on recent and relevant experiences, skills, and achievements.
• Don’t forget to tailor your biography to the specific audience or purpose. Adapt your content to resonate with the readers and align with the goals of the biography.

Writing an Attention-Grabbing Personal Biography: Examples and Guidance

Infusing your biography with unique qualities and values.

• Embrace Your Uniqueness: Highlight your authentic self. Identify your unique qualities, experiences, and perspectives that set you apart from others. Showcase your individuality and allow it to shine through your writing. Emphasize what makes you special and valuable to your target audience.
• Define Your Personal Values: Clearly articulate your core values and beliefs. By expressing your values in your biography, you demonstrate integrity and establish a connection with like-minded individuals or organizations. Align your values with your desired career path and emphasize them as a guiding force in your life and decision-making.
• Showcase Your Expertise and Strengths: Identify your areas of expertise and strengths, and showcase them in a good way. Highlight specific achievements, projects, or experiences that demonstrate your competence and skills. By presenting yourself as an expert in your field, you differentiate yourself and position yourself as a go-to resource.
• Tell Your Compelling Story: Craft a narrative that tells your unique story. Share personal anecdotes or turning points in your life that have shaped your journey. By sharing your challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned, you create an emotional connection with your readers. This storytelling aspect adds depth and authenticity to your personal brand.
• Consistency Across Platforms: Ensure consistency across your online presence and offline interactions. Align your biography with your social media profiles, personal website, and other professional platforms. Maintain a cohesive brand message and visual identity that reinforces your unique value proposition.
• Cultivate a Professional Image: Consider how you present yourself visually in your personal biography. Use professional photos and design elements that reflect your personal brand. Create a visually appealing layout that resonates with your target audience and reinforces your desired image.

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

About Dario Villirilli

Editor-in-Chief of the Reedsy blog, Dario is a graduate of Mälardalen University. As a freelance writer, he has written for many esteemed outlets aimed at writers. A traveler at heart, he can be found roaming the world and working from his laptop.

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

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While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

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Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character development to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in the middle of the action  in medias res, Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to publish your own  biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and edit your own manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing applications , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

Continue reading

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So you are about to make that really big conference presentation in front of loads of people who barely know you. It is at times like this that you’d need that short and simple biography that will help the audiences know just who you are so that they can connect with your presentation well. You can compose biographies about veterans in military forces (e.g., air force, navy), ministry executives in government, personal trainers in fitness, physicians in medical fields, and much more.

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Biography Graphic Organizer

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• 28+ Blank Check Template – DOC, PSD, PDF & Vector Formats
• 39+ Funeral Program Templates in PDF | MS Word | Pages | Google Docs | AI | InDesign | Publishertest
• 55+ Download Flyer Templates – Word, PSD, Publisher
• 44+ Blank Bookmark Templates
• 51+ Meeting Agenda Templates – PDF, DOC
• 12+ Landscaping Estimate Templates – DOC, PDF, Excel
• 50+ Incident Report Templates – PDF, Docs, Apple Pages
• 23+ Word Procedure Templates
• 35+ Fact Sheet Templates – PDF, DOC, Apple Pages, Google Docs
• 40+ Blank Voucher Templates – Illustrator | InDesign | MS Word | Pages | Photoshop | Publisher | PDF
• Annual Report Template – 57+ Free Word, Excel, PDF, PPT, PSD
• 27+ T-Shirt Order Form Templates – PDF, DOC
• 29+ Outline Templates – PDF, DOC
• 32+ Blank Family Tree Templates
• 15+ MS Word Table of Contents

File Formats

Google docs templates, excel templates, powerpoint templates, google sheets templates, google slides templates, pdf templates, publisher templates, psd templates, indesign templates, illustrator templates, pages templates, keynote templates, numbers templates, outlook templates.

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