We have been browsing the writing sites and bookstores for reference we could get to help us on our journey to writing a sellable biography. I already have a subject or two in mind to write about and have begun my research using some of the online research sites we have mentioned in our previous posts. It is almost time to bite the bullet and try to organize all this research into a cohesive form and write an outline for the book. And along the way, we discovered that we might need to invest in a decent photo program that can improve pictures that we have scanned to include in the story. Pictures are always great to tell another part of the story instead of just words so we have to figure in the cost of adding pictures if we want to publish the book in paperback form. But that is for another post.
I could only find one book about how to write a biography that didn’t involve school children lessons. It is written by a biographer. So, I guess I will have to invest it in next month.
How to Do Biography by Nigel Hamilton
“It is not surprising that biography is one of the most popular literary genres of our day. What is remarkable is that there is no accessible guide for how to write one. Now, following his recent Biography: A Brief History (from Harvard), award-winning biographer and teacher Nigel Hamilton tackles the practicalities of doing a biography in this first succinct primer to elucidate the tools of the biographer’s craft.
Hamilton invites the reader to join him on a fascinating journey through the art of biographical composition. Starting with personal motivation, he charts the making of a modern biography from the inside: from conception to fulfillment. He emphasizes the need to know one’s audience, rehearses the excitement and perils of modern research, delves into the secrets of good and great biography, and guides the reader through the essential components of life narrative.
With examples taken from the finest modern biographies, Hamilton shows how to portray the ages of man―birth, childhood, love, life’s work, the evening of life, and death. In addition, he suggests effective ways to start and close a life story. He clarifies the difference between autobiography and memoir―and addresses the sometimes awkward ethical, legal, and personal consequences of truth-telling in modern life writing. He concludes with the publication and reception of biography―its afterlife, so to speak.
Written with humor, insight, and compassion, How To Do Biography is the manual that would-be biographers have long been awaiting.”
There is only one National Organization/Group/Club specifically for Biographers in America. There is this International Biographers Organization below that operates in the U.S. and another one based in France.
Biographers Organizations
http://biographersinternational.org/
BIO activities include informing biographers on the craft of biography, by providing guidance on matters related to the researching, writing, and publishing of biography; helping them deal effectively with resources, subjects, technology, agents, editors, and publishers; encouraging public interest in and appreciation for biography; and conducting conferences, public discussion groups, and mentoring.
$45/year for writers making less than $25,000
Biographers International Organization will convene on the weekend of May 18–20, 2018 in Manhattan, for three days of discussion, camaraderie, and exploration.
We have added some new features to the website and updated it to make it look and feel more modern. Also, we have instituted a mobile theme for smartphones, iPads, etc. It does make the website a little more mobile friendly with an emphasis on pictures rather than words. Also, the Contact Us form and Pay Buttons do not show up on those pages so we have to switch them over to the regular form instead. So, if you are reading our website and click on these pages you will want to go down to the bottom and click on the button “View Non-Amp Website”. To be able to use the forms.
