A non-fiction genre of writing is called "Biographies and Autobiographies".
Biographies are pieces of writing that tell about someone’s life - They are usually written about famous people. It can be long or short, but it is typically written by a different author than the person the story is about. They are written in THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW, using “he or she”.
Autobiographies are stories written by the person it is about. That is, they are telling their own story of their life, including interesting facts, discussing who they are and what they have achieved, lessons they have learned and sharing what is important to them. Autobiographies are written sometimes to share important information or to motivate others to achieve what they have! (Maybe make lots of money!) They are written in FIRST PERSON POINT OF VIEW, using “I”.
Write your own AUTOBIOGRAPHY! Or, a BIOGRAPHY on someone else!
Here are some examples of Biography Books you can check out for inspiration!
A biography or autobiography can be a few sentences long, or a whole page!
It can also be a poem!
PART A:
You can write these poems about your friends, family, even characters in a book!
You don’t have to follow this pattern exactly - feel free to add lines, change words, and create a new ending or beginning!
Start with brainstorming a list of things you know about the person/character- likes, dislikes, words to describe him/her, and memorable things that they have done or are unique to them.
Here is a sample pattern for a BIO (short for biography) POEM:
1st Line: : First name
2nd Line: Four (4) Traits (good descriptive words about that person
3rd Line: related to _____________________________________
4th Line: who cares deeply about __________________________
5th Line: who feels _____________________________________
6th Line: who needs ____________________________________
7th Line: who gives _____________________________________
8th Line: who fears _____________________________________
9th Line: who wants ____________________________________
Last Line: now living in ___________________________________
Here is an Bio poem I have written as an example:
Harry,
Courageous, lonely, sneaky, loyal
Nephew of the Dursleys
Who cares deeply about Quidditch
Who feels misunderstood
Who needs his Nimbus 2000
Who gives his friends hope
Who fears “He who must not be named”
Who wants to find the Deathly Hallows
Who hides a secret
Now living in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
By Ms. Yacey
You can use this pattern to write a descriptive “I am” poem. You can share with others the things that are important to you, and they can get to know you better!
1st Line: Begin with the words, “I am”
2nd Line: Write three (3) nouns you feel strongly about
3rd Line: Write a complete sentence about two things you have strong
feelings about.
4th Line: Begin with three nouns describing qualities you look for in other people.
End this sentence with, “are important to me.”
5th Line: Write a sentence describing something you like about yourself
6th Line: Write a sentence describing something you dislike or something you
are not an expert at
7th Line: Start this sentence with “But....” and show how something positive can
link with the negative from line 6.
8th Line: Write a short sentence describing something you really like.
9th Line: Write a short sentence describing something that you really dislike.
Last Line: End the poem with, “This is me. I am!”
Here is an example of my AUTOBIO POEM :
I AM …............
Sunshine, good books, sandals
I like sleeping in and good coffee
Honesty, laughter and kindness are very important to me.
I like the colour of my eyes.
I get stressed out easily by silly things.
But I always help out a friend in need.
I love zebra print
I hate getting scared
Making sure I do a good job every day is very important to me.
This is me……. I AM!
- By Ms. Yacey
Or, you can just write it like a story!
PART B:
How to Write a Biography
- First, select a person you are interested in and would like to learn more about.
- Find out the basic facts of the person's life. Searching on the internet is sometimes a good start, or if you can, prepare a list of questions to ask the person directly if it is someone you know.
- Think about what else you would like to know about the person, and what parts of the life you want to write most about. Some questions you might want to think about include:
- What makes this person special or interesting?
- What kind of effect did he or she have on the world? other people?
- What are the adjectives you would most use to describe the person?
- What examples from their life show those qualities?
- What events changed this person's life?
- Did he or she overcome obstacles? Take risks?
- Would the world be better or worse if this person hadn't lived? How and why?
- Do additional research at your library, on trusted Internet websites to find information that helps you answer these questions and tell an interesting story.
- Write your biography. Start with an interesting beginning or a quote from the person. Many biographies are written in Chronological Order, which means you start at the very beginning of their life, and write about events and details in the order that they happened, right up until the present.
How to Write an Autobiography
You are the biggest expert on you! You may want to start with a timeline of your life to help you with brainstorming. Or you can just jot down things about you, ask your family what you were like as a baby/child, and mark down important dates and important events that you have experienced or participated in.
Things to consider:
- What makes you special and interesting?
- What words would you use to describe yourself?
- What things have you done in your life that represent these qualities?
- Who is important to you in your life, and what has their influence been?
- What have you learned and would like others to know?
- Where do you see your life going in the future?
Create your own timeline:
http://www.timetoast.com/
A speaker's exact words (also called dialogue) must be surrounded by quotation marks.