19 Unique Ideas For Writing A Biography That You’ve Never Tried Before!

Writing biographies is really an impressive talent. Not everyone is an expert in it. 

It’s all about creativity and storytelling in an engaging way. Are you fond of writing biographies? 

If yes! Then it’s great, life-writing is a very interesting form of writing.

Can anyone write a biography? Anyone! You don't need special training. 

If you have a passion for storytelling, you're already halfway there. 

Many famous biographies were written by ordinary people with a strong interest in their subject

A general survey shows that around 60% of biography readers choose the genre for the inspiration and motivation they gain from learning about others' lives and achievements.

In this article, I'll share some different and interesting ideas that help to make your biography unique and engaging.

Keep reading to know more about life-writing!

19 creative biography writing ideas to add depth into the story

Here are some unique ideas for writing biographies. Curious to know? Read below to gain more useful information.

1. Look around for interesting subjects

Subject is the first thing on which your whole biography is based on. As it is the main character in the story, it's crucial to choose it wisely. 

A subject should be interesting to read and will influence your reader. 

This could be a historical figure, a public personality, a family member or you can write your own story.

If you look around carefully, you may find an interesting character in your neighborhood. 

The key is to choose someone with:

• Vast life experiences
• Tragic events
• The influence they had on others.

Don’t forget to get permission from the subject before starting to write. 

If the subject is not alive, ask the closest person from your subject like a daughter, son, brother, friend etc.

It is illegal to write without proper permission so if you don’t get any permission, look for a different subject.

For example:

Writing about Martin Luther King Jr. He was a powerful civil rights leader who fought for the equality of Black Americans. His speeches and actions changed history, making him an inspiring figure to learn about.

2. Clarify the purpose of writing biography on specified subject

This part is a crucial step in biography writing. 

You have to establish a clear purpose for the biography. Ask yourself, are you writing to:

• Highlight the subject’s achievements
• Mention their struggles and problems
• Provide a comprehensive account of their life

You have to understand a purpose and audience will give you a clear narrative, tone, style and content selection.

Let’s have an example of the main event in the life of Khalid Ibn e Al-Waleed, a Muslim commander, is to defeat the Roman Empire in Yarmouk. 

But he took part in other hundred wars also. 

Now it is up to you to choose what you are gonna talk about in your biography.

You can talk about the battles he fought against the Roman Empire specifically, or you can discuss a comprehensive view of his chivalry by taking all the wars under consideration. 

It’s all up to you to choose something specific to talk about.

3. Collect your subject’s information

Collect information from any source possible related to your subject. 

If the subject is alive, conduct interviews, if not, then ask their friends or family.

• Primary sources: Personal interviews, diaries, letters, and official documents.
• Secondary sources: Books, articles, and other biographies.
• Online resources: Reputable websites, digital archives, and databases.

Confirm the information from multiple sources to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Be at the places where they were and meet the people they met. Like a school, club, or residential area. It will give you a clear narrative of the personality. 

Let’s say If your subject went to Oxford University for higher studies, go there and relive his journey for a better understanding of the emotions they were feeling. 

Talk to their teachers, fellow students, juniors and the staff.

4. Develop a timeline of events

Organize the key events of the subject’s life in chronological order. Place events according to the sequence they happened in time.

For example:

1. Start with the birth
2. Mention primary education
3. Higher education
4. Then a short love story
5. Marital events etc.

This timeline will serve as the layout of your biography, helping you structure the narrative and identify important turning points in the subject's life.

5. Start with an engaging opening

Always take the start of a story with a strong opening that hooks the reader. This could be a

• A pivotal moment in the subject's life
• An intriguing event
• A thought-provoking question

If you are writing about Neil Armstrong, the first person to step on the Moon, you have to start with his journey to the Moon. 

Then you can tell your readers how he became an astronaut. The opening should give readers a sense of why this person's story is worth telling.

6. Write about all the aspects of subject’s life

This part is the most challenging aspect of writing a biography. It is like capturing the subject’s shadow in your words. 

So readers can imagine the personality while reading your words.

• Pay attention to their manner of speaking
• Capture their beliefs
• Reflect on their emotional responses

This will bring the subject to life on the page and create a more engaging reading experience. Let’s say you can write how Muslim writers mention their Holy Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH). They have written about His dressing sense, His way of talking, His daily routine, and even the number of white hairs He had.

7. Create picture with words in the mind of reader

Write in a way that can paint a picture in your readers' minds. They should understand what your subject was feeling at that time. For this:

• Define the surroundings of your subject with events
• Explain the socio political environment of the timeline
• Add the experiences of others during the phase

Your readers should not only read, they should experience the story through the subject’s eyes. 

Like imagine you are writing about a war veteran, create the war scenes with your words. 

You can tell the number of fatalities in their squad, the cut-off in the communication system, the scarcity of food, and all.

Your readers will be able to sense fear in the environment you are writing about.

8. Keep your views neutral

You can develop a sense of liking or disliking while studying the subject, but it is very important to maintain objectivity and stay neutral. You must:

• Present a balanced view of the subject's life
• Including both their strengths and weaknesses
• Avoid idolizing or vilifying the subject

Whenever an English writer compiles a biography of a Viceroy commissioned in British India, they always mention the revolutions their commanders brought to India. 

While Indian writers define their personalities as cruel and greedy leaders.

Present every fact without any preference or favoritism and let readers form their own opinions based on the information you provide.

9. Incorporate different points of view

Include multiple perspectives to add depth and richness to your biography. This could involve:

• Interviewing people who had different types of relationships with the subject, such as family members, colleagues, and friends.
• Reading books written by different writers

These varied perspectives can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the subject's character and actions. Like Isaac Newton is always praised for his discoveries in physics. However, some perspectives say that he stole these ideas from other scientists.

10. Keep the tone like an engaging story

Write the biography like a story as it is more likely to engage readers than a dry recitation of facts. 

As a famous writer, Joseph Campbell once said, “People forget facts, but they remember stories”.

For this do:

• Incorporate dialogues
• Include descriptions of the environments
• Add scenes to create a vivid reading experience

Join the events of the subject's life in a cohesive and compelling story. 

11. Don’t exaggerate the life-happenings

Your writing should have the right balance between detail and conciseness. 

• Avoid unnecessary information
• Focus on the most significant and interesting aspects of the subject's life
• Be concise in your descriptions

While it's important to provide enough detail to paint a complete picture, dragging can overwhelm your reader. 

You can say that nobody wants to know the number of steps Hitler had to climb to reach his room, nobody cares how many shoes King Edmund Ironside had, and no one will be interested in reading that there were rats in the house of Albert Einstein.

So do not bother mentioning these unnecessary details! Keep writing in a smooth flow.

12. Celebrate their contributions and achievements

Highlighting the subject’s major accomplishments not only acknowledges their hard work but also gives readers a clear view of their impact in their field or community. Recognizing achievements also lets readers understand the ways this person has left a tangible mark on the world.

Take, for instance, a biography of Dr. Ahmed, a researcher who developed a breakthrough in cancer treatment. 

His contributions to medical research have improved countless lives, reduced suffering, and pushed the boundaries of what’s possible in medicine. 

Dr. Ahmed might have received prestigious awards and recognitions, but his true achievement is in the lives he has saved. 

When you share his story, you celebrate not only his dedication and intellect but also the profound impact of his work, honoring the legacy he has created.

13. Focus on important events

Identify recurring events in the subject's life. Use these events to define the personality you are presenting in your words. These might include:

• Personal relationships
• Professional achievements
• Philosophical beliefs

These themes will help readers create an image of your character and understand it better. 

Like talking about the benevolence of a leader, mention his love life, and his behavior with family and friends. 

It will spread a sense that your subject was a lovely person.

14. Include supporting materials to enhance authenticity

If you find any supporting material in your narrative, include them in your work for additional context. These materials could be:

• Photographs
• Letters
• Documents

These materials can help readers visualize the subject's life and add credibility to your writing. 

Be sure to properly attribute and cite any sources you use. 

If you mention that Napoleon Bonapart was 5'2”, attach an image to ensure credibility. Readers will be able to acknowledge your fact.

15. Mention the legacy of your subject

A powerful biography not only recounts a person's life but also reflects on their legacy.

Describe how the subject’s actions and achievements have impacted others and how they should be remembered today.

Reflecting on the subject's legacy can provide a meaningful conclusion to your biography and leave readers with a lasting impression.

For example: 

The legacy of Albert Einstein is the theories he proposed in the early 1900s. Mention the latest discoveries and inventions which were made using his theories.

16. Highlight the subject’s motivation and values

Every person has core motivations and values that guide their decisions, shape their ambitions and ultimately define who they are. 

When writing a biography, capturing these driving forces gives readers a glimpse into the "why" behind the person's actions.

For example, let’s say you’re writing about a social worker named Clara who has dedicated her life to helping underprivileged children. Her motivation might stem from a difficult childhood where she lacked access to resources. 

Her values of empathy, equality and resilience might have led her to pursue a career in social work. 

By sharing her story, you’re not just explaining what she does but why she’s deeply committed to it. 

Through her story, readers understand that her work isn’t just a job, it's her life’s purpose, rooted in her own experience of hardship.

17. Explore their failures and what they learned

Everyone has encountered failures, even those who appear outwardly successful.

Showing the challenges someone has faced, and more importantly, the lessons they’ve drawn from those experiences, makes them relatable and shows their growth. 

Failure is often the foundation of wisdom and resilience.

Imagine a scenario where you’re writing about an entrepreneur named Jake who launched a tech startup in his 20s that ultimately failed. 

He poured his savings into it, worked long hours, but the business didn’t take off. 

Rather than quitting, Jake learned valuable lessons about market research, customer feedback, and financial management. 

These insights helped him succeed in his next venture, which turned into a multi-million-dollar company. 

By sharing Jake’s early failure, you’re illustrating that success often comes from perseverance and that his achievements are the result of lessons learned the hard way.

Try to present all this scenario as an inspirational story to inspire others to work hard.

18. Show their impact on others

A biography becomes much richer when it highlights the positive impact a person has had on those around them. 

This can be through mentorship, community work, innovative ideas, or even small acts of kindness that left a lasting impression.

For example, suppose you’re telling the story of a teacher named Ms. Harper who taught for over 30 years.

She may have inspired thousands of students, instilling in them a love for literature and critical thinking. 

You could include quotes from her former students, like one who went on to become a published author and credits Ms. Harper for helping her find her voice. 

By focusing on how she touched others’ lives, readers see that Ms. Harper’s impact extends beyond her classroom; it's in the careers, passions, and lives of the students she influenced.

19. Edit and revise to compile the life-writing

Compile your first draft and then sleep on it. Take some time to edit and revise.

• Look for areas where you can tighten the narrative
• Improve clarity
• Enhance the overall flow of the biography

Consider seeking feedback from beta readers or a professional editor!

By the way there is one secret to share with you that wherever you are stuck while writing a biography then don’t get worried. Just take help from an AI story maker.

This AI tool helps you to generate an engaging story by following your instructions.

Conclusion

So, do you like the discussed ideas? If you like the above unique ideas then try it once while writing your next biography. 

These help you to make your life-writing engaging and easy to understand.

The only thing is to just mainly focus on your story and write accordingly to all perspectives. 

Don’t always try to write your first draft perfectly. 

Mistakes are always a lesson so keep practicing and where you are stuck , don't panic and take help from AI tools to work in a flow. 

Keep practicing and write numbers of engaging biographies!

FAQs

What are the main ideas of the biography?

A good biography presents the facts about a person's life including what the subject did and how he or she made a difference in the world.

What is a basic biography?

A biography is simply the story of a real person's life. It could be about a person who is still alive, someone who lived centuries ago, someone who is globally famous, an unsung hero forgotten by history, or even a unique group of people.

What is an interesting start of a biography?

Consider starting your biography with a dramatic event, a surprising fact, or a thought-provoking question.