Biographies tell a person's personality, life, and achievements. The biographical sketch is written shorter and more specific than that. This sketch should provide basic information about a person and a brief description of the person's character. A biographical sketch can be written to provide information about a historical person, or about yourself as a condition for applying for a job. Follow the easy steps below and you will be able to write an excellent biographical sketch.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Gathering Information
Step 1. Gather information about yourself
If you're writing a biographical sketch of yourself, you'll feel like you know what to write. However, you must write down everything you know about yourself before you can write an informative sketch. Here's what you can do:
- Make a list of the jobs you have done. Mark the most important jobs.
- Make a list of your achievements, whether in the form of publications, projects you lead, or promotions that you achieve.
- Write down the things you are proud of in your life.
- Write down some important personal details about yourself. Just mentioning where you live and family members may suffice, depending on the length of the words needed.
- Read past job applications to see different aspects of yourself that you emphasized in the past.
Step 2. Gather information about historical figures
Gathering information about historical figures will be more difficult than gathering information about yourself. However, if you are writing about someone you admire, it should be a fun and educational process. Here are some ways to get as much information about historical figures as possible:
- Research the person on trusted sites on the internet. If the person is famous enough, he or she will probably have a website.
- If you are at school and know a professor who specializes in historical figures, ask if the professor has time to answer some questions about a historical person.
- Go to the local library to read biographies of the person.
- Seek information from a variety of trusted sources to get an objective point of view on the subject. If you know specific information, reassure yourself by confirming the information with other sources.
- Choose an interesting experience that illustrates the main point you want to convey about the character's life. Gather details about the incident.
- Write a timeline from the character's life that will show information about the place and date of birth, where he lived, what he did throughout his life, and details of his death.
- Make a list of the character's jobs, desires, and accomplishments. You have to know the ins and outs of the person inside and out before starting to write your sketch.
Part 2 of 4: Reflecting on Information
Step 1. Reflect on your life
Once you've gathered enough information about yourself and have faith in your life and accomplishments, it's time to pause and think about which accomplishments or characters you would like to emphasize to your potential boss, and which aspects are less crucial to achieving your goals. You. Here's what you should do:
- Think about which characteristics you want to emphasize. If you want to show that you are a creative thinker, emphasize your unique projects or ideas. If you want to show that you can work with many people, emphasize the results of your successful group work.
- Think about aspects of your life that you don't need to talk about. A biographical sketch can be a page long or shorter. So you won't be able to include every single thing you do because you'll run out of space. Cross out the things you've done that aren't really relevant to the job you're applying for.
- Think of a perfect anecdote that demonstrates the quality you want to emphasize. You can think of several anecdotes and choose the best one. Keep in mind that anecdotes can only be used in longer biographical sketches.
- Think about the accomplishments and work experience you want to emphasize. You won't be able to include everything, so choose your most relevant work experience and proudest accomplishments to use in your biographical sketch.
Step 2. Reflect on the life of a historical figure
When you have done your research and gathered enough information about a historical figure, you should think about the meaning of the information to spot trends and so you can better understand what you can write about the character's life.
- Think about how the character of these historical figures was shaped by the times and their environment.
- Think about how that historical figure made a huge impact on the people around him, the general public, and future generations.
- Find out what accomplishments, work, and life experiences of the character you want to emphasize. Unlike a personal biographical sketch, you won't be interested in discussing the character's work experiences, but you will be more interested in discussing his or her romance, for example.
- Find out which qualities you would most like to emphasize. Are you attracted to the character's work ethic, sense of humor, or ambition? Whatever quality you want to focus on, make sure the facts you present can support it.
- Find the perfect anecdote to show the qualities of the character that you want to show.
Part 3 of 4: Writing a Biographical Sketch
Step 1. Start by creating an anecdote
If you still have room to write it, the anecdote should be placed at the beginning of the sketch so that it grabs the reader's attention and creates a picture of the character you are writing about. Remember that you should always write in the third person, even if you are writing about yourself. An anecdote can be a paragraph long, or even just a few sentences long, but it should convey a person's character and what makes him or her special.
- Clarify who this person is. If you're writing about yourself, it's easy to do. Unlike the case with biographical sketches which are a little more difficult. If you want to start writing a biography from an early age, such as writing an anecdote about Abraham Lincoln's childhood, you can surprise the reader by explaining who you are really talking about at the end of the anecdote.
- Tell the character of the character. If you want to show that the character is honest and trustworthy, make sure you tell a story to illustrate those qualities.
- Show the uniqueness of the character. Use specific details and catchy language to show the character's uniqueness that is different from others.
Step 2. Provide relevant information in the core section
Once you've caught the reader's attention, you'll need to provide concrete details to show the character as well as his twisty life and accomplishments and passions. Here are some things to consider:
- Be honest. Don't add false information just to impress the reader. Your goal is to tell things as they are.
- Be creative. Don't tell a story that readers must have heard. Find other ways to write down the same information, or ways to present information that readers are not used to hearing.
- If you are writing a biographical sketch of yourself, provide relevant information about your job position, type of job, and your accomplishments and expectations. You can limit personal information in this sketch, as your employer will focus more on information about work experience.
- If you're sketching a historical figure, describe the places where he was born and died, his passions, accomplishments, and how he shaped society. You can also provide personal information about the character.
- Remember to describe everything about the character in chronological order, so readers can read your writing in a more structured way.
Step 3. Finish the sketch with a strong lettering
Once you've grabbed the reader's attention and provided enough information about the person you're writing about, you should end your sketch with clarity and confidence. You can summarize your ideas in a sentence or two. Here's how to do it:
- If you're writing a sketch about yourself, you can end it with personal information. State where you live, work, and your family.
- If you're writing about a historical figure, let the reader think about the impact that character made on society.
Part 4 of 4: Revising the Biographical Sketch
Step 1. Improve the writing result
After you have written a biographical sketch, you should revise it to ensure that your writing is of the required length, that your writing meets the target, and that your writing flows well. Taking the time to revise your sketch can help convey a message and emphasize the appropriate qualities of yourself or a historical figure. Here's what you can do:
- Reread your writing at least twice. First reading, don't mark anything, but make mental notes on the parts that sound silly. The second reading, read with a pen and mark areas that need to be expanded or deleted, or phrases that sound strange. Upgrade those parts.
- Read your writing aloud. This will ensure that your writing flows smoothly and that the reader can understand the characters you are writing about.
- Make sure the sketch you write meets your personal goals. Recall a quality or personal experience you want to emphasize about the person you are writing about. Does your sketch focus on these qualities, or does your writing give the reader a different impression of the character?
- Make sure your writing is the right length. You'll feel that every sentence is crucial information, but your readers and potential employers won't be impressed if you test their patience by writing too much.
- Leave the sketch for a few days. When you go back to reading it, you'll feel detached from every word you wrote so you can see what was good and what was bad.
Step 2. Edit your work
Once you feel like your biographical sketch has improved and doesn't need any major changes, it's time to upgrade your sketch at the sentence level. Editing will require you to divide the sketch parts sentence by sentence to increase clarity, precision, and brevity. Here's what you can do:
- Cut long sentences that are not easy to read to improve the smooth flow of sentences.
- Replace frequently used vocabulary with more descriptive vocabulary. Find a more interesting word for "good".
- Delete uninteresting or off-topic sections.
- Correct all grammar and punctuation errors.
Step 3. Ask other people for their opinion
When you are confident in your revisions and edits, you should ask others for their opinion before you share your writing with the world. If you're trying to publish biographical sketches of historical figures, you'll want to know if your writing is as strong as you think it is. To bring your biographical sketch to the job market, you'll need to find out if your writing can make you look like a convincing candidate. Below are some people who can help you:
- Ask a friend who is reading carefully if your writing is lively, informative, and has a good flow.
- Ask an expert in the field of writing. If you're writing a biographical sketch, ask a historian or professor, and if you're writing a personal sketch, send it to someone who works in your field (but not to someone who would consider you hiring).
- Ask someone who has written many biographical sketches and knows what makes your writing great.
- Ask a friend who is a scribe or grammar expert.
Tips
- Read other biographical sketches before starting to write your own. This will give you an outline of what kind of writing you should write.
- If you're writing a biographical sketch of yourself, you shouldn't exceed the word limit, even if it's just a few words. As a result, potential employers will think you can't follow the rules or can't sum up stories well.
