early life biography questions

120 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Someone About Their Life

When embarking on the journey of interviewing someone about their life, we delve into the rich tapestry of their experiences, beliefs, and lessons learned. This collection of questions serves as a key to unlocking the treasure trove of stories that every individual carries.

These queries are designed to navigate through the chapters of one’s existence, from the innocence of early childhood to the wisdom that comes with reflecting on the future. Engage with these prompts to discover the essence of a person’s life story and craft a narrative that is both profound and enlightening.

Table of Contents

Early Life and Family Background

Can you share where and when you were born?
What memories do you have of your childhood home?
How would you describe your family dynamic as a child?
Do you have any siblings, and what were your relationships like with them?
What were your parents’ professions, and how did they influence you?
Are there any particular family traditions that influenced your upbringing?
What is your earliest memory?
Did you have any pets growing up?
What activities or hobbies did you enjoy as a child?
How did your family celebrate holidays or special occasions?
Who were your role models within your family, and why?
Was there something unique about your family’s cultural background?
What was your favorite thing to do with your family?
Did you face any hardships during your early years?
How do you think your upbringing has shaped the person you are today?

Education and Career Development

What was your favorite subject in school and why?
Did you participate in any extracurricular activities or sports?
Who was your favorite teacher, and what impact did they have on your life?
What level of education have you achieved, and how did you decide on that path?
How did you get into your current profession or line of work?
What jobs have you held, and what lessons did you learn from them?
Have you had any mentors in your professional life?
What are you most proud of accomplishing in your career?
Did you have a career plan, and how did you follow or deviate from it?
How do you balance your work life with your personal life?
What’s the most challenging aspect of your career?
Have you worked abroad, and if so, what was that experience like?
In your view, what constitutes success in a career?
Have you ever had to make a significant career change?
What advice would you give to someone starting in your field?

Personal Philosophies and Values

What personal values are most important to you?
Have your values changed over the years, and why?
What life philosophy do you live by?
How do you define happiness?
What do you believe is the purpose of life?
How important is spirituality or religion in your life?
How do you approach making difficult decisions?
What have you learned about yourself through your relationships with others?
In terms of legacy, what do you want to be remembered for?
How do you deal with regret or mistakes?
What does success mean to you outside of your career?
How do you handle stress or anxiety?
What practices do you follow to maintain mental and emotional well-being?
What role do politics or social issues play in your life?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Major Life Events and Turning Points

Can you describe a pivotal moment in your life?
How did a significant loss affect your life perspective?
What life event has brought you the most joy?
Has there been an unexpected turn in your life that you now see as a blessing?
Were there any historical events that significantly impacted your life?
Can you talk about a major accomplishment and how you achieved it?
How did becoming a parent (if applicable) change your life?
Was there a point when you had to make a tough choice that altered your life’s direction?
How has your life been different from what you imagined as a young person?
Can you share a time when you took a big risk?
What has been your most significant career milestone?
Have you ever moved to a new place and started over? What was that like?
Can you tell me about a time when you overcame a major obstacle?
Have you ever pursued a dream or goal against all odds?
What is one event you wish you could relive, and why?

Relationships and Community Connections

Who has been the most influential person in your life outside of your family?
Can you describe a friendship that has greatly impacted you?
How do you contribute to or participate in your community?
What role have your friends played throughout your life?
Have you been involved in volunteer work or activism?
How has your perspective on relationships changed over time?
What is the key to maintaining long-lasting relationships, in your opinion?
Can you talk about a time when a community came together to support you or others?
Have you ever felt isolated or disconnected? How did you overcome that?
How do you nurture new relationships?
What do you treasure most about your community?
How do you resolve conflicts within your personal relationships?
Is there someone you’ve lost contact with whom you’d like to reconnect?
How do you decide who to trust?
Can you share a story about a personal connection that taught you a valuable lesson?

Challenges and Overcoming Adversities

What was the most challenging period in your life?
How have difficult times shaped who you are today?
Can you tell me about a time when you failed at something important to you?
What was the biggest risk you’ve taken that didn’t pay off?
How do you cope with setbacks or disappointments?
Can you share a personal challenge that you’re proud to have overcome?
Who or what gave you strength during tough times?
Has there been a challenge that you’ve faced repeatedly, and how have you approached it?
How do you manage to keep a positive outlook during times of crisis?
What strategies do you use to regain motivation after a setback?
Have health issues ever been a major challenge for you?
What was a crucial turning point in overcoming a particular adversity?
What is the hardest lesson you’ve had to learn in life?
How have difficult experiences contributed to your growth?
In what ways have your struggles brought about positive changes in your life?

Creativity and Passions

What hobbies or activities do you feel most passionate about?
How do you cultivate your creative side?
Can you share an example of a project you worked on that was driven by passion?
Was there ever a time when you had to fight for your creative ideas?
How do you find inspiration for your creative endeavors?
What does creativity mean to you, and why is it important in your life?
Are there any creative pursuits you wish you had the time or resources to explore?
How do you overcome creative blocks?
What’s a passion project you’ve always wanted to start?
How do you integrate your passions into your daily life?
Can you describe a time when you shared your passion with others?
What creative achievement are you most proud of?
Has your creativity ever been misunderstood or undervalued?
How have your passions changed or evolved over the years?
What advice would you give to someone trying to pursue their creative interests?

Reflections and Look to the Future

Looking back, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
What are you most looking forward to in the future?
Are there any dreams or goals you still wish to accomplish?
What are your hopes for your family and loved ones?
How do you want the next generations to remember this time period?
What changes do you hope to see in the world within your lifetime?
How do you plan to spend your retirement or later years?
Is there anything you want to change about your current lifestyle?
What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
How do you stay informed and plan for the future in a rapidly changing world?
Do you have a bucket list, and if so, what’s on it?
What role do you think technology will play in shaping the future?
How do you keep a forward-thinking mindset?
What innovation or advancement are you most excited to see develop?
How do you envision your community or society evolving?

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i make the interviewee feel comfortable when discussing their life.

Establish a rapport with the interviewee before diving into deeper questions.
Be empathetic and respectful, giving them control over how much they wish to share.
Ensure a private and quiet setting for the conversation where the interviewee feels at ease.

What should I avoid when asking questions about someone’s life?

Steer clear of intrusive or sensitive topics unless the interviewee has expressed a willingness to address them.
Avoid yes or no questions that might limit the depth of the conversation.
Do not push for details if the interviewee is reluctant to share certain aspects of their life.

How do I know if a question is appropriate or not?

Consider the comfort and cultural background of the individual.
If in doubt, ask the interviewee if they are comfortable answering a particular type of question.
Observe body language and cues to gauge if the interviewee might feel uneasy.

Final Thoughts

Interviewing someone about their life is akin to painting a portrait with words. The questions I have curated for you will help to reveal the subject’s deeper layers, highlight pivotal moments, and honor the unique journey of the individual.

Through this discerning exploration, you’ll not only have a series of responses but a narrative that resonates with the authentic human experience. The stories uncovered may surprise, inspire, or even challenge us, but they will certainly enrich our understanding of the diverse tapestry of human life.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

As you found this post useful...

Share it on social media!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Bea Mariel Saulo

Legacy Video Production

50 Biography Questions

Have you ever wanted to know what your mother was like as a child? Where your grandfather was from? How your parents met? Below are 50 Biography Questions to ask your parents or grandparents to learn more about their life stories and your family history.

As a Legacy Video producer , I ask over 100 questions in an interview so be sure to add your own to the list. And don’t forget to ask follow-up questions!

What is your full name?
When were you born?
Where were you born?
Were you named after anyone?
What is/was your mother’s name?
What is/was your mother’s maiden name?
Where was she from?
What do you now about your mother’s early years?
What were your mother’s parents’ names?
Where were they were from?
What did they do for a living?
Do you know any more about your mother’s family history?
What was/is your father’s name?
Where was he from?
What do you know about your father’s early years?
What were your father’s parents’ names?
Do you know any more about your father’s family history?
How did your parents meet?
Do you have any siblings?
Where did you grow up?
Describe the neighborhood/s.
Describe your childhood home/s.
What schools did you attend?
What were your favorite subjects?
Did you have any chores?
How did you spend your free time?
Did you have any summer or after school jobs?
How would you describe yourself as a child?
What role did religion play in your life?
What values were important to your parents?
What did you father do for a living?
How did you mother spend her days?
Was there a significant event in your early years that shaped who you are today?
Did you go college?
If so, how did you pay for school and how much was it?
How did you decide on your career?
Describe your career.
What career advice would you give to your grandchildren?
How did you meet your spouse?
What was your first impression of him/her?
Describe your wedding .
List the names and birthdates of your children.
How did having children change your life?
What advice would you give your grandchildren on parenting?
What do you most admire about your spouse?
What advice would you give your grandchildren on marriage?
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
What values do you wish you passed on to your children?

For ways to record your parent or grandparent’s stories, visit my post: ‘Recording a Grandparent’s Stories’.

For tips on interviewing a parent or grandparent, visit my post: ‘Interviewing a Grandparent’.

Or let us do the work for you!

~ Legacy Videos ~

Give your parent or grandparent the gift of a lifetime by capturing their life story for your family to know!

Here at Family Tree Video we produce Legacy Videos, modern-day memoirs that weave a filmed interview with a parent or grandparent together with family photos, documents, maps and other memorabilia. The result is a beautiful “moving portrait” capturing your loved one as they recount their life story, family history and memories – a gift your family will treasure for generations to come.

To learn more about capturing your parent or grandparent’s life story in a Legacy Video , visit FamilyTreeVideo.com .

Family Tree Video LLC Legacy Video Production Since 2008

Susan Saunders (312) 402-6406

Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Instagram! ’50 Biography Questions’

“There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots, and the other, wings.” H. S. Carter

Legacy Videos

Capturing life stories and family history for future generations, ~ the gift of a lifetime ~.

Family Tree Video Video Biographies ~ Video Memoir ~ Family History Video Family Documentaries ~ Anniversary Videos Video Tributes ~ Heirloom Videos 50 Biography Questions ~ Legacy Videos ~

351 Life Story Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

Categories: Family Storytelling , Interviews & Questions
Tags: Questions to Ask

Ask people these 351 life story questions for storytelling.

What questions do you ask people when interviewing them about their life stories? What writing prompts do you use to write their story? In this article, I have included 351-plus writing prompts and questions to interview others and write their stories. They are a little random, but you get an idea of what you can discuss. I would encourage you to add questions that come to you.

Using Open-ended Questions

You will note that many of the questions are open-ended questions. I believe open-ended questions are the best type of questions to ask others. Open-ended questions allow people to tell stories they want to share. An example of open-ended questions are:

What did you like to do when you were a little girl?
What did you do on your first date?
Where do you like to go for a vacation?
Who is your favorite author, and why?
What some of your favorite experiences with your mom and dad?

When I interviewed my dad, I lived in a different state. I asked my dad if I could set up a series of telephone interviews that I could record. I chose to break up the interview into 10 60- to 90-minute sessions over six weeks. Each talk focused on a different time period or topic of his life. At the end of each interview, I outlined what I wanted to cover in the following interview to give my dad time to ponder what stories he wanted to share. During our interviews, he shared many personal stories that I had never heard. We laughed, cried, and shared many precious and tender moments.

I have prepared a couple of other resources that will provide value in interviewing for and writing individual, personal, and family narratives: “ Complete Guide for Conducting Oral History Interviews ” and “ Complete Guide to Writing A Personal Narrative .”

351 Life Story Questions to Ask Others

These 351 writing prompts and questions are part of a 28 article, 108 category series entitled “ 7,500-plus Questions About Life to Ask People When Writing Narratives .” I have divided the writing prompts and questions to ask others into the following categories. Click on the category to be taken to the questions.

Early Years

School years-elementary school, school years-jr. high school, school years-high school, school years-college/university/trade school, grandparents, spouses parents, professional/career, military and war, personal experiences, request for artifacts.

What is your full name, and why were you named that? (Maiden name for females)
Who are your parents and your grandparents? a. Your parents? Please give full names. b. Your grandparents? Please give full names.
What is your place of birth?
What are your birth date and year?
Were you named after someone?
Where did you live during your early years?
What are the earliest memories of your home?
Did you have any nicknames as you were growing up? a. If yes, what would you like to share about the nickname?
What chores did you have as a child? a. What memories do you have about your chores? b. Which chore did you dislike and why?
What kind of books did you like to read? a. Did you have a favorite book or books series? b. Why did you like the books?
What was your nighttime routine for going to bed? a. What memories would you like to share?
Did you have favorite songs that you liked to sing?
Why type of toys did you like to play with as a child?
What types of games did you like to play? a. Indoors? b. Outdoors? c. Boardgames?
What were your favorite foods as a child? Explain. a. Was there ever a time when you did not have enough to eat? Explain.
What did you want to become when you grew up? (e.g., policeman, fireman, nurse, doctor)
Who was the oldest person you remember as a child? a. What do you remember?
Did you ever have any childhood diseases (e.g., measles, mumps, chickenpox) growing up? What do you remember?

Return to questions list.

Where did you go to elementary school?
What was the school like?
Who were your friends in elementary school?
What are your favorite memories about your friends?
Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
Were you ever bullied in elementary school? Explain.
What memories do you have about elementary school?
How did you go to school?
Did you eat lunch at school or go home?
What did you like to play?
What did you like to do after school?
What other memories would you like to share?
Where did you go to school in Jr. High or Middle School?
Who were your friends in Jr. High school?
Were you ever bullied in Jr. High? Explain.
What memories do you have about Jr. High school?
What classes did you like most and why?
What type of classes did you take for your elective classes? (e.g., band, shop, home education)
Did you participate in after-school activities like sports, marching band, cheer or other activities? What are your memories?
Were there any dress fads during your school years?
What other memories about Jr. High would you like to share?
Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
Describe yourself in High School.
Where did you go to school in High School?
Who were your friends in High school?
Were you ever bullied in high school? Explain.
What memories do you have of High School?
What classes did you like most and why? Least, and why?
What type of classes did you take for your elective classes?
What kind of grades did you get in your classes?
Did you participate in after-school activities like sports, marching band, cheer or other activities? What memories do you have?
Did you date during High School? What were their names? What memories would you like to share?
What did you wear to school? Describe it.
What other memories about High School would you like to share?
Did you and your friends have special hang-outs where you liked to spend time?
How many years of education have you completed?
Did you attend any school or training after high school?
What can you tell me about your education?
Why did you choose it as your field of study?
Did you graduate? What memories would you like to share?
Describe yourself as a young adult.
Did you date as a youth? a. How older were you had your first date? b. What do you remember about your first date? c. Who was your first date?
When did you first meet your spouse? a. Where was it? b. What do you remember about the first meeting? c. Describe your time dating? d. What attracted you to that person? e. Describe your time together. a. Describe them. f. How long did you know them before you got married? g. Describe your wedding proposal.
Where and when did you get married? (Include date, place, church, etc.)
Describe your wedding day and ceremony.
Who was there? Best Man, Bride’s Maid, other wedding party members?
Did you have a honeymoon? a. Where did you go?
How would you describe your spouse(s)?
What do (did) you admire most about them?
How long have (were) you married?
When and where did your spouse die? a. How died? b. Where buried?
What advice would you give to your child or grandchild on their wedding day?
Have you ever been divorced? What can you share?
Do you have children?
What are their names, birth dates and birthplaces?
What is the story behind each name you gave your children?
Did you adopt any children? a. Can your share your experiences of adoption?
Describe the memory about learning you were going to be a parent for the first time?
What memories do you have about each child?
Describe the personalities of your children.
What are some of the most memorable experiences you had with your children/family?
What memorable experiences did you have with each child?
What is some funny, humorous experience you had with your family?
What were some trying times as a family? Explain? a. What did you do to overcome the time? b. How did it affect your family?
What did you find most challenging about raising children?
What do you consider to be rewarding about being a parent?
How would you describe your parenting style as a parent?
What are the lessons you learned as a parent?
What were your happiest moments as a parent?
Where were your saddest moments as a parent?
What would you like to do over if you could as a parent?
How did you treat each child?
What do you consider to be the most complex decisions you made as a parent?
What do you regret most as a parent?
Who influenced you most as a parent?
What were your happiest moments as a family?
What were your tragic moments as a family?
Did you move as a family? Why and where? a. How did the move affect your family?
How did you first hear that you were a grandparent, and how did you feel about it?
What advice would you pass on to your children/grandchildren?
What can you tell me about your parents? a. What memories would you like to share about your mother? b. What memories would you like to share about your father? c. What memories would you like to share about your parents together?
Did your parents stay together, divorce or pass away? If yes, did they remember? a. What memories would you like to share? b. Did you have any stepparents? c. What memories would you like to share?
Do you remember hearing your parents describe their lives? a. What did they say?
When and where did your parents die? a. What do you remember about it? b. How they died, were hospitalized, buried?
Did your family belong to a religion? If yes, a. Did your parents and grandparents belong to the religion? b. Did you attend a church? c. What do you remember? d. Do you have any experiences you would like to share?
What can you remember about your grandparents? a. What memories would you like to share about each of your grandmothers? b. What memories would you like to share about each of your grandfathers? c. What memories do you have about your grandparents together?
Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? b. What did they say?
Do you remember your great-grandparents? a. What do you know about them?
Did you have any brothers and sisters? What were their names? a. What memories do you have about your brothers and sisters that you would like to share?
How did your family have fun when you were a child?
Where did your spouse’s parents live? a. What memories do you have about your spouse’s parents?
When and where did your spouse’s parents die? c. What do you remember about it? d. How did they die, were hospitalized, buried?
What details can you remember about the death of your spouse’s parents?
What was your chosen career?
Where did you receive training/education for your career?
How did you decide on a career?
What do you remember about your first job?
Where have you worked? City? Company? a. What were the jobs? b. What do you remember about each job? c. Has work provided a good living? d. Describe a typical day at work? e. What did you like most/least about work?
Did you have more than a career? Explain.
What are some of your most memorable experiences/projects? • Have you retired? When would you like to retire?
Did you serve in the military? a. What branch of the service did you serve? b. Why did you decide to join the military? c. When and where did you serve? d. Where were you trained? e. What was your training?
Where were you stationed during active military duty? a. Describe each post and what you did? b. What are your memories of active duty? c. Do you remember your units? If yes, what were they?
What was your highest rank?
Did you ever serve in the war? Which one (s)? a. WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan, or other? a. What were the circumstances? b. Were you in a combat or support role? c. What campaigns were you in? What was your role in the campaign?
Would you be willing to share your experiences and memories of war? a. If yes, where would you like to begin? b. Were you injured in war? Explain.
How did your time in the military affect you? Explain.
By what name/nickname do your friends call you? Does the name have a special meaning?
What name are you known by among family?
As you look back on your life, what would you consider to be the most important ____? Why? Explain your memories. a. Inventions? News events? World events? Politics? Technology advances?
Talk about the differences in today’s life compared to the time as a child?
Did you or your family experience events like prohibition, the depression, war? Explain. What do you remember?
Have you had any health problems over the years? a. What were the health issues? b. When did the health issue arise? c. How did they affect your life? d. Where they heredity? e. What are they?
What do you do regularly for exercise?
Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, what for? a. Have you ever had surgery? b. What for? c. Do you or have you ever had habits that you would consider wrong? Explain? d. Do you still have them, or did you overcome them? Explain.
Have you been a victim of crime? a. What happened? b. How did the incident affect your life?
Have you ever been in a severe accident?
Has anyone ever saved your life? a. Describe.
How would you describe yourself politically? b. Are you Conservative or Liberal, and why?
Who would you consider to be your good/best friend (s)? a. What are their names? b. How long have you known them? c. What do you like about them? d. What do you do together? a. What would your friend say about you?
Have you ever met anyone that you would consider being a soul mate or kindred spirit? a. Who were they? b. Explain why you felt a special bond with them?
What were the most (i.e., challenging, meaningful, troubling) decision(s) you have made in your life? Explain. a. What was the outcome? b. Do you consider the outcome to good or bad? Why?
Who do you consider the most influential individuals in your life? a. Who were they? b. What did they do that influenced your life?
What do you consider to be the essential advice you have received in life? a. Did you take that advice? b. What was the outcome? Explain.
Is there anything you would change about yourself? Why? Explain.
Describe moments/memories in your life when you were most stressed?
What do you consider to be the tough times in your life? Why? Explain. a. What helped you get through the period? b. How did the experience affect you for good or bad?
Describe times when you were scared? What happened?
Have you ever played a musical instrument? a. If yes, what kind? Describe your experience.
Are you or would you consider yourself to be creative? Explain.
Have you ever made something for someone else? Explain?
What types of service have you provided others? a. How does it make you feel? b. What were the outcomes of your service?
What are moments in life when others served you? a. What was the most memorable time? b. What were the outcomes of the service?
How would you describe your sense of humor?
Have you ever played a practical joke on someone? a. Describe that experience and what you did.
What type of activities have you enjoyed as an adult? a. Recreation? Hobbies? Personal enrichment? Relaxation? b. What did you like about each activity? c. A most memorable experience with each activity?
When you were not working, what did you like to do?
What would you consider to be the most exciting/wonderful experience in your life?
Did you ever meet anyone famous? Who? a. Describe the experience.
Have you ever belonged to any organizations or groups? a. What the group about? b. What drew you to join the group? c. What are your memorable experiences in the group? d. Are you still a member? If not, explain.
Have you ever been awarded a price or award as an adult? Explain. a. What did you have to do to earn the award?
Describe a time in your life when you felt most happy or at peace? a. Where were you, and what were you doing?
Describe the beautiful place you have ever visited, and what was it like?
Have you ever taken an extended trip or vacation? a. Where did you go? b. What did you do?
What do you consider to be your favorite vacation? a. Where did you go, and why was it special?
Do you have a place that is special to you where you like to visit? a. Where is it? b. Why is the place special? c. Can you share your memories?
Have you ever had a pet? a. What was the animal? b. What was the name of the animal? c. How did the pet become part of your life? d. Do you have a favorite story about your pet?
What is on your bucket list of things still to do? Why?
Is there a time in your life that you would consider to be most memorable?
What or who is your favorite and why: a. Animal? Artist? Athlete? b. Author? Boardgame? Book? c. Candy? Card game? Color? d. Cookie? Desert? Drink? e. Ice cream flavor? Flower? Fruit? f. Holiday? Meal? Movie star? g. Movie? Musical group? Musical instrument? h. Painting? Poem? Poet? i. Restaurant? Season? Singer? j. Song? Sport? Style of music? k. Tree? TV program? Vegetable?
How would you describe each member of your family? a. Mother? b. Father, c. Siblings (brothers/sisters)? d. Children?
Who fits the following descriptions and why? a. Animal lover? Best cook? Best gardener? Best housekeeper? b. Best looking? Best memory? Best storyteller? Biggest tease? c. Calmest? Funniest? Hardest worker? Most athletic? d. Most colorful? Most creative? Most frugal? Most generous? e. Most mischievous? Most politically active? Most reclusive? f. Most relaxed? Most sociable? Quietest? Shortest? g. Tallest? Wildest lifestyle?
Do you have any artifacts like letters, journals, photos, movies, videos or audio recordings of older family members that can help tell your story?
Would you allow me to make copies (e.g., Photograph, scan, read)?

409 Friendship Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

264 Historical Event Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)
155 Personality Trait Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)
What You Can Learn from an Oral History Interview
7 Step Color-coded Filing System for Storytelling
Meaning of Each Religious Emblem of Belief for U.S. Military Headstones
9 Steps to Writing Your Personal Narrative
How to Create A Christmas Treasure Hunt (Tutorial and Examples)

We love writing stories. The mission of Begin My Story is to help and inspire you to write the stories that matter to you. Every life is a story worth remembering. We believe the stories you write will make a difference and have the power to connect, inspire, challenge, and help us not forget.

Questions to Ask

Thank you for Subscribing!

Close and Return to Site

Writer | Biography | Creative Nonfiction

Interviewing for biography: interrogation, conversation, and the in-between

Which questions to ask start by considering what you’re hoping to achieve with your interview and then decide which approach is most appropriate, whether it be structured, unstructured or semi-structured, chronological, emotive or narrative. let’s take a deeper look..

Man and woman drinking tea near a window.

Before carrying out a biographical interview, it’s important to consider the approach you’ll take. This can be influenced by a number of factors, such as time, resources, topic, research agenda, accessibility, priority, comfort and willingness of your interviewee, even your ability to secure a work visa. Your approach will influence what information is gathered, with different approaches and questions leading to different results.

Interviewing for biography takes inspiration from the scientific approach of academia, the tenacity of journalism and the transparency of oral history. In ‘Life Story Interview’, Atkinson said, “the life story interview can be approached scientifically, but it is best carried out as an art”.

This article discusses different approaches to biographical interviews, including chronological, thematic, emotive and narrative interviews, as well as the choices between structured, semi and unstructured interviews.

Structured, semi and unstructured interviews

Highly structured interviews include questions which must be asked verbatim, without the inclusion of new or improvised questions. This style of interview fails to take into consideration the interviewee’s response and therefore fails to explore new avenues of discussion. It’s often used in academic and scientific research and can be particularly useful in biographical research when verifying information.

Svend Brinkman states that semi-structured interviews include the interviewer as part of the creation process. These interviews are useful in their ability to work with and build upon spontaneity, whilst keeping focused on the goals of the discussion.

In a semi-structured interview, you might have a list of questions, but when appropriate you might choose to ask unplanned questions to explore new avenues.

Unstructured interviews are often used in researching a life story. The interviewer takes a back seat and their main role is to listen. In unstructured interviews, the interviewer may not know in advance what to ask or what direction the interview will take. This is particularly useful in the first narrative interview, where the interviewer may be seeking to gain a broad perspective of their biographee’s life.

Each of these interview styles can be used in the following approaches, and it’s possible for biographers to utilise a variety of approaches when conducting interviews for biography. The choices will depend on your objectives: for example, to verify a timeline, a thematic approach may be suitable, and to elicit descriptions of a place, an emotive approach may be the best option.

Chronological

A chronological approach to biographical interviews involves starting the interview by asking about the interviewee’s early life, starting with their birth, moving through childhood and adolescence then into adult life until you reach the present day. The interviewer may even choose to start earlier, asking about the interviewee’s parents or grandparents, where their parents were born, where they lived, what they did for work and so on.

In ‘Questioning the Subject in Biographical Interviewing’, Jennifer Harding suggests that the chronological format is one that people come to expect, and that it works. Oral historian Donald Ritchie argues that people can easily recall their memories in chronological order, however Harding argues that interviewing with a chronological approach results in a summary — that the results are superficial and stereotypical.

In Doing Oral History , Ritchie cites Cathy Courtney, interviewer with British National Life Stories. Courtney said that in oral history, discussing the chronology first builds rapport for a deeper narrative discussion later and helps facilitate “the ramble, the anecdote, the digression” that is needed for an in-depth discussion.

Harding also argues that the chronological approach to interviewing gives the interviewee power to decide what will be discussed and that this approach is less of an invasion of privacy. Conversely, Harding also notes that this approach can be invasive, for example, if interviewees have had traumatic experiences as a child, starting with a chronological approach could “possibly cause the interviewee to close off and withdraw”.

In ‘The Life History Interview’, Erin Jessee notes that chronological interviewing can trigger distressing or culturally inappropriate memories. Jessee noted that her subjects found it “jarring and painful” to take a chronological approach, which often involved someone’s passing, so she changed her first question to something less structured, such as “tell me about your life” so that interviewees could “broach these memories on their own terms and in their own time”.

Following your preliminary research, it’s possible that you’ve observed themes in your subject’s life, and may wish to cover these in more detail.

Thematic questioning can focus on specific subjects or episodes, rather than looking at the interviewee’s entire life. Examples of themes include childhood, education, marriage, career, or perhaps something more specific, such as the day a person was in a car accident.

When interviewing young people leaving foster care, Harding noted that a thematic approach was a useful alternative to a chronological approach, due to their negative experiences of being in care.

Thematic interviews may take a less structured, narrative approach, with the interviewer asking questions and allowing the interviewee to speak at length. Ritchie suggests asking general, open-ended questions first, such as “please tell me about your childhood” before moving on to more specific questions such as asking which schools they attended.

Thematic approaches may not be suitable at times, such as when the interviewer knows little about the interviewee prior to meeting. This is unlikely to occur when interviewing the biographee, but might be the case when interviewing other individuals such as the subject’s family or friends.

Sociologist Gabriele Rosenthal notes that there is a downside to using a thematic approach during research interviews. When researching experiences in Hitler Youth, Rosenthal initially took a thematic approach by asking interviewees to tell her “their biographical experiences during childhood and in the years following the collapse of the Third Reich”. She later changed her approach to focus on the full life story first. She thought that initially asking people to tell their life tory was too demanding on them, that “they would not know what they should talk about and what they should leave out” but later she realised she had her “own blind spots”, for example, she didn’t explore their parents’ involvement in the Nazi party in enough detail.

Life writer Patti Miller suggests that a thematic approach “gets the job done, but the writing has a flatness”, because when we think thematically, the left side of the brain is used, the logical side, rather than the right, creative side. Miller suggests an alternative: the emotive approach.

In writing a biography, we seek not only facts, but also feelings, descriptions of place and people. Kolbert (cited by Ritchie) notes that people may find it easier to remember how they felt , compared to remembering facts from the same period. In collecting oral histories from immigrants, Kolbert said, they might “not remember their daughter’s phone number. But they do remember what it was like when they got off the boat”.

Ritchie shared how Robert Gildea asked an elderly interviewee if she had memories of the mayor in 1942: she replied that she did not, but when asked about life under German occupation, the “question triggered numerous memories of the war, the bombings, and the neighbours who had died, none of which she had forgotten”.

Miller suggests appealing to a person’s senses to access memories — strategies such as listening to music from a specific era, looking at photos, preparing and eating food from that time, searching for smells from that time, such as flowers, perfumes, spices; drawing or viewing maps, touching and exploring objects such as jewellery, furniture or watching tv programs from that time. In Doing Oral History, it’s mentioned that Barbara Myerhoff studied elderly Jews and noted that “their memories could be evoked by singing, dancing, smelling, and tasting”.

Narrative interviews tend to start with an unstructured approach before moving to a semi-structured format. Johnson and Rowlands note that subsequent interviews might be thematic, as the interviewer seeks to confirm or verify information or test theories.

Narrative interviews take a postmodernist approach to interviewing, acknowledging the subjective nature of truth. In The Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research, Holstein and Gubrium note that in narrative interviews, the interviewer and interviewee are “co-constructors of meaning” and meaning is discovered through their interaction, and similarly, Talmage states that the interviewer plays the part of “active listener and collaborating participant”. The resulting interview is a construct of the interaction between the interviewer and interviewee, that is, the interviewer is part of the interview.

Nobel Laureate and oral historian Svetlana Alexievich stated that there are at least three people present in this type of interview: the one talking now, the one the interviewee was at the moment of the event, and herself.

This subjective approach acknowledges that what the interviewee says has been filtered through today’s lens. Miller argues that this subjectiveness is more important than facts, and Alexievich stated that “feelings are reality”. Alexievich embraces subjectivity and said, “it is impossible to go right up to reality. Between us and reality are our feelings. I understand that I am dealing with versions, that each person has her version and it is from them, from their plurality and their intersections that the image of the time and the people living in it is born”.

In a narrative interview, Atkinson notes that the interviewer asks strategic, open-ended questions to encourage detailed, in-depth responses from the interviewee. Fontana refers to this as an unstructured or in-depth interview, where the interviewer has a goal of “allowing interviewees as much latitude as possible in answering OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS and going off in directions of their own.”

Oral historian Sherna Gluck said “the best oral history is a quasi-monologue on the part of the interviewee”. It may involve moving back and forth through time and the interviewee may make links between events and parts of their life.

Lillrank states that the idea that the interviewer can help the interviewee find their voice “is founded on the idea that when an interviewee tells about herself, it also invites increased self-reflection and awareness”. Atkinson tells us that “life storytelling is a process of personal meaning making” – telling a life story helps a person understand their own life over time, it helps them see connections. Svetlana Alexievich said that “as people narrate, people create, they ‘write’ their life”; and Birgitte Possing sees biography as a “story about and an interpretation of life”.

Jessee notes that a narrative approach gives power to interviewees to decide when they are comfortable discussing difficult topics. Jessee found that in her research of genocide, some interviewees found some topics were “incommunicable, unbearable, or irretrievable” and that by letting interviewees lead the interview, she could learn which topics “they found possible to narrate” and where she needed to exercise caution or more sensitivity.

Harding notes that this style of interview “requires a high degree of skill, confidence and experience in interviewing” — this style of interview can be unpredictable and present logistical challenges.

The subjective nature of narrative interviews is a sticking point for some. Some are reluctant to relinquish power to the interviewee to decide which events and memories are worth discussing.

How to get started in a narrative interview

As a biographer, your primary and secondary research will influence which questions you choose to ask in a narrative interview. Jessee states that the key with a narrative interview is to minimise interruptions and questions and to only ask enough to guide the interviewee.

Observe and listen to what they say, how they say it, what they focus on and which stories they omit from the discussion.

Consider starting with a broad, open-ended question. In conducting field research, Blee starts with one question, such as “Can you tell me how you got to where you are now?”. Sociologist Gabriele Rosenthal starts by seeking a life story. By asking a broad, open-ended question, interviewers are able to encourage their interviewee to talk about a wide range of topics and experiences.

Focus on listening and not interrupting. Take notes as appropriate, which can assist in deciding what follow up questions to ask.

Once your interviewee stops discussing the topic, ask another open-ended question or ask a specific follow-up question about what they have said. It’s a chance to ask for details and to clarify any points of confusion or contradiction.

Interviews may change direction. If the interviewee goes on a tangent, consider rolling with it. Johnson & Rowlands state that “such digressions or divisions are likely to be very productive, so the interviewer should be prepared to depart from his or her prepared plan and ‘go with the flow’” but still be “assertive enough to return the interview to its anticipated course when necessary”.

Before subsequent interviews, review your notes and develop questions based on these, including open-ended questions to facilitate discussion and also closed-ended questions to verify experiences discussed in the prior interview.

Talmage notes that depending on how many interviews you choose to do, later interviews are a useful opportunity to help your interviewee gain a clearer narrative, point out conflicts or alternative points of view.

Rosenthal notes that subsequent interviews are an opportunity to conduct thematic interviews. Following a thematic interview, Rosenthal asks questions based on a specific research agenda; she leaves these questions until the end, to ensure that during the first interview, the interviewee can decide which topics are relevant.

Next in this series: How to ask questions in a biographical interview.

Written by Melody Dexter

How to Write a Biography

Biographies are big business. Whether in book form or Hollywood biopics, the lives of the famous and sometimes not-so-famous fascinate us.

While it’s true that most biographies are about people who are in the public eye, sometimes the subject is less well-known. Primarily, though, famous or not, the person who is written about has led an incredible life.

In this article, we will explain biography writing in detail for teachers and students so they can create their own.

While your students will most likely have a basic understanding of a biography, it’s worth taking a little time before they put pen to paper to tease out a crystal-clear definition of one.

What Is a Biography?

how to write a biography | how to start an autobiography | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

A biography is an account of someone’s life written by someone else . While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction.

Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject’s life from the earliest days of their childhood to the present day or their death if the subject is deceased.

The job of a biography is more than just to outline the bare facts of a person’s life.

Rather than just listing the basic details of their upbringing, hobbies, education, work, relationships, and death, a well-written biography should also paint a picture of the subject’s personality and experience of life.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHIES

how to write a biography | biography and autobiography writing unit 1 | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

Teach your students to write AMAZING BIOGRAPHIES & AUTOBIOGRAPHIES using proven RESEARCH SKILLS and WRITING STRATEGIES .

Understand the purpose of both forms of biography.
Explore the language and perspective of both.
Prompts and Challenges to engage students in writing a biography.
Dedicated lessons for both forms of biography.
Biographical Projects can expand students’ understanding of reading and writing a biography.
A COMPLETE 82-PAGE UNIT – NO PREPARATION REQUIRED.

Features of a Biography

Before students begin writing a biography, they’ll need to have a firm grasp of the main features of Biography. An excellent way to determine how well they understand these essential elements is to ask them to compile a checklist like the one blow

At a minimum, their checklists should contain the items below. Be sure to help them fill in any gaps before moving on to the writing process.

The purpose of a biography is to provide an account of someone’s life.

Biography structure.

ORIENTATION (BEGINNING) Open your biography with a strong hook to grab the reader’s attention

SEQUENCING: In most cases, biographies are written in chronological order unless you are a very competent writer consciously trying to break from this trend.

COVER: childhood, upbringing, education, influences, accomplishments, relationships, etc. – everything that helps the reader to understand the person.

CONCLUSION: Wrap your biography up with some details about what the subject is doing now if they are still alive. If they have passed away, make mention of what impact they have made and what their legacy is or will be.

BIOGRAPHY FEATURES

LANGUAGE Use descriptive and figurative language that will paint images inside your audience’s minds as they read. Use time connectives to link events.

PERSPECTIVE Biographies are written from the third person’s perspective.

DETAILS: Give specific details about people, places, events, times, dates, etc. Reflect on how events shaped the subject. You might want to include some relevant photographs with captions. A timeline may also be of use depending upon your subject and what you are trying to convey to your audience.

TENSE Written in the past tense (though ending may shift to the present/future tense)

THE PROCESS OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY

Like any form of writing, you will find it simple if you have a plan and follow it through. These steps will ensure you cover the essential bases of writing a biography essay.

Firstly, select a subject that inspires you. Someone whose life story resonates with you and whose contribution to society intrigues you. The next step is to conduct thorough research. Engage in extensive reading, explore various sources, watch documentaries, and glean all available information to provide a comprehensive account of the person’s life.

Creating an outline is essential to organize your thoughts and information. The outline should include the person’s early life, education, career, achievements, and any other significant events or contributions. It serves as a map for the writing process, ensuring that all vital information is included.

Your biography should have an engaging introduction that captivates the reader’s attention and provides background information on the person you’re writing about. It should include a thesis statement that summarizes the main points of the biography.

Writing a biography in chronological order is crucial . You should begin with the person’s early life and move through their career and achievements. This approach provides clarity on how the person’s life unfolded and how they accomplished their goals.

A biography should be written in a narrative style , capturing the essence of the person’s life through vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and quotes. Avoid dry, factual writing and focus on creating a compelling narrative that engages the reader.

Adding personal insights and opinions can enhance the biography’s overall impact, providing a unique perspective on the person’s achievements, legacy, and impact on society.

Editing and proofreading are vital elements of the writing process. Thoroughly reviewing your biography ensures that the writing is clear, concise, and error-free. You can even request feedback from someone else to ensure that it is engaging and well-written.

Finally, including a bibliography at the end of your biography is essential. It gives credit to the sources that were used during research, such as books, articles, interviews, and websites.

Tips for Writing a Brilliant Biography

Biography writing tip #1: choose your subject wisely.

There are several points for students to reflect on when deciding on a subject for their biography. Let’s take a look at the most essential points to consider when deciding on the subject for a biography:

Interest: To produce a biography will require sustained writing from the student. That’s why students must choose their subject well. After all, a biography is an account of someone’s entire life to date. Students must ensure they choose a subject that will sustain their interest throughout the research, writing, and editing processes.

Merit: Closely related to the previous point, students must consider whether the subject merits the reader’s interest. Aside from pure labors of love, writing should be undertaken with the reader in mind. While producing a biography demands sustained writing from the author, it also demands sustained reading from the reader.

Therefore, students should ask themselves if their chosen subject has had a life worthy of the reader’s interest and the time they’d need to invest in reading their biography.

Information: Is there enough information available on the subject to fuel the writing of an entire biography? While it might be a tempting idea to write about a great-great-grandfather’s experience in the war. There would be enough interest there to sustain the author’s and the reader’s interest, but do you have enough access to information about their early childhood to do the subject justice in the form of a biography?

Biography Writing Tip #2: R esearch ! Research! Research!

While the chances are good that the student already knows quite a bit about the subject they’ve chosen. Chances are 100% that they’ll still need to undertake considerable research to write their biography.

As with many types of writing , research is an essential part of the planning process that shouldn’t be overlooked. If a student wishes to give as complete an account of their subject’s life as possible, they’ll need to put in the time at the research stage.

An effective way to approach the research process is to:

1. Compile a chronological timeline of the central facts, dates, and events of the subject’s life

2. Compile detailed descriptions of the following personal traits:

Physical looks
Character traits
Values and beliefs

3. Compile some research questions based on different topics to provide a focus for the research:

Childhood : Where and when were they born? Who were their parents? Who were the other family members? What education did they receive?
Obstacles: What challenges did they have to overcome? How did these challenges shape them as individuals?
Legacy: What impact did this person have on the world and/or the people around them?
Dialogue & Quotes: Dialogue and quotations by and about the subject are a great way to bring color and life to a biography. Students should keep an eagle eye out for the gems that hide amid their sources.

As the student gets deeper into their research, new questions will arise that can further fuel the research process and help to shape the direction the biography will ultimately go in.

Likewise, during the research, themes will often begin to suggest themselves. Exploring these themes is essential to bring depth to biography, but we’ll discuss this later in this article.

Research Skills:

Researching for biography writing is an excellent way for students to hone their research skills in general. Developing good research skills is essential for future academic success. Students will have opportunities to learn how to:

Gather relevant information
Evaluate different information sources
Select suitable information
Organize information into a text.

Students will have access to print and online information sources, and, in some cases, they may also have access to people who knew or know the subject (e.g. biography of a family member).

These days, much of the research will likely take place online. It’s crucial, therefore, to provide your students with guidance on how to use the internet safely and evaluate online sources for reliability. This is the era of ‘ fake news ’ and misinformation after all!

COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON INTERNET RESEARCH SKILLS USING GOOGLE SEARCH

how to write a biography | research skills 1 | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

Teach your students ESSENTIAL SKILLS OF THE INFORMATION ERA to become expert DIGITAL RESEARCHERS.

⭐How to correctly ask questions to search engines on all devices.

⭐ How to filter and refine your results to find exactly what you want every time.

⭐ Essential Research and critical thinking skills for students.

⭐ Plagiarism, Citing and acknowledging other people’s work.

⭐ How to query, synthesize and record your findings logically.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip #3: Find Your Themes In Biography Writing

Though predominantly a nonfiction genre, the story still plays a significant role in good biography writing. The skills of characterization and plot structuring are transferable here. And, just like in fiction, exploring themes in a biographical work helps connect the personal to the universal. Of course, these shouldn’t be forced; this will make the work seem contrived, and the reader may lose faith in the truthfulness of the account. A biographer needs to gain and maintain the trust of the reader.

Fortunately, themes shouldn’t need to be forced. A life well-lived is full of meaning, and the themes the student writer is looking for will emerge effortlessly from the actions and events of the subject’s life. It’s just a case of learning how to spot them.

One way to identify the themes in a life is to look for recurring events or situations in a person’s life. These should be apparent from the research completed previously. The students should seek to identify these patterns that emerge in the subject’s life. For example, perhaps they’ve had to overcome various obstacles throughout different periods of their life. In that case, the theme of overcoming adversity is present and has been identified.

Usually, a biography has several themes running throughout, so be sure your students work to identify more than one theme in their subject’s life.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip: #4 Put Something of Yourself into the Writing

While the defining feature of a biography is that it gives an account of a person’s life, students must understand that this is not all a biography does. Relating the facts and details of a subject’s life is not enough. The student biographer should not be afraid to share their thoughts and feelings with the reader throughout their account of their subject’s life.

The student can weave some of their personality into the fabric of the text by providing commentary and opinion as they relate the events of the person’s life and the wider social context at the time. Unlike the detached and objective approach we’d expect to find in a history textbook, in a biography, student-writers should communicate their enthusiasm for their subject in their writing.

This makes for a more intimate experience for the reader, as they get a sense of getting to know the author and the subject they are writing about.

Student Examples of Biography Writing

Year 5 Example
Year 7 Example
Year 9 Example

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll King: Elvis Presley”

Elvis Aaron Presley, born on January 8, 1935, was an amazing singer and actor known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Even though he’s been dead for nearly 50 years, I can’t help but be fascinated by his incredible life!

Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a tiny house with his parents and twin brother. His family didn’t have much money, but they shared a love for music. Little did they know Elvis would become a music legend!

When he was only 11 years old, Elvis got his first guitar. He taught himself to play and loved singing gospel songs. As he got older, he started combining different music styles like country, blues, and gospel to create a whole new sound – that’s Rock ‘n’ Roll!

In 1954, at the age of 19, Elvis recorded his first song, “That’s All Right.” People couldn’t believe how unique and exciting his music was. His famous hip-swinging dance moves also made him a sensation!

Elvis didn’t just rock the music scene; he also starred in movies like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.” But fame came with challenges. Despite facing ups and downs, Elvis kept spreading happiness through his music.

how to write a biography | A4H32CWFYQ72GPUNCIRTS5Y7P4 | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

Tragically, Elvis passed away in 1977, but his music and charisma live on. Even today, people worldwide still enjoy his songs like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Elvis Presley’s legacy as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll will live forever.

Long Live the King: I wish I’d seen him.

Elvis Presley, the Rock ‘n’ Roll legend born on January 8, 1935, is a captivating figure that even a modern-day teen like me can’t help but admire. As I delve into his life, I wish I could have experienced the magic of his live performances.

Growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis faced challenges but found solace in music. At 11, he got his first guitar, a symbol of his journey into the world of sound. His fusion of gospel, country, and blues into Rock ‘n’ Roll became a cultural phenomenon.

The thought of being in the audience during his early performances, especially when he recorded “That’s All Right” at 19, sends shivers down my spine. Imagining the crowd’s uproar and feeling the revolutionary energy of that moment is a dream I wish I could have lived.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical prodigy; he was a dynamic performer. His dance moves, the embodiment of rebellion, and his roles in films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock” made him a true icon.

After watching him on YouTube, I can’t help but feel a little sad that I’ll never witness the King’s live performances. The idea of swaying to “Hound Dog” or being enchanted by “Can’t Help Falling in Love” in person is a missed opportunity. Elvis may have left us in 1977, but he was the king of rock n’ roll. Long live the King!

Elvis Presley: A Teen’s Take on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Icon”

Elvis Presley, born January 8, 1935, was a revolutionary force in the music world, earning his title as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Exploring his life, even as a 16-year-old today, I’m captivated by the impact he made.

Hailing from Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis grew up in humble beginnings, surrounded by the love of his parents and twin brother. It’s inspiring to think that, despite financial challenges, this young man would redefine the music scene.

At 11, Elvis got his first guitar, sparking a self-taught journey into music. His early gospel influences evolved into a unique fusion of country, blues, and gospel, creating the electrifying genre of Rock ‘n’ Roll. In 1954, at only 19, he recorded “That’s All Right,” marking the birth of a musical legend.

Elvis wasn’t just a musical innovator; he was a cultural phenomenon. His rebellious dance moves and magnetic stage presence challenged the norms. He transitioned seamlessly into acting, starring in iconic films like “Love Me Tender” and “Jailhouse Rock.”

how to write a biography | Elvis Presley promoting Jailhouse Rock | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

However, fame came at a cost, and Elvis faced personal struggles. Despite the challenges, his music continued to resonate. Even now, classics like “Hound Dog” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” transcend generations.

Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is undeniable. He was known for his unique voice, charismatic persona, and electrifying performances. He sold over one billion records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling solo artists in history. He received numerous awards throughout his career, including three Grammy Awards and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Elvis’s influence can still be seen in today’s music. Many contemporary artists, such as Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake, have cited Elvis as an inspiration. His music continues to be featured in movies, TV shows, and commercials.

Elvis left us in 1977, but his legacy lives on. I appreciate his breaking barriers and fearlessly embracing his artistic vision. Elvis Presley’s impact on music and culture is timeless, a testament to the enduring power of his artistry. His music has inspired generations and will continue to do so for many years to come.

how to write a biography | LITERACY IDEAS FRONT PAGE 1 | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

Teaching Resources

Use our resources and tools to improve your student’s writing skills through proven teaching strategies.

BIOGRAPHY WRITING TEACHING IDEAS AND LESSONS

We have compiled a sequence of biography-related lessons or teaching ideas that you can follow as you please. They are straightforward enough for most students to follow without further instruction.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 1:

This session aims to give students a broader understanding of what makes a good biography.

Once your students have compiled a comprehensive checklist of the main features of a biography, allow them to use it to assess some biographies from your school library or on the internet using the feature checklist.

When students have assessed a selection of biographies, take some time as a class to discuss them. You can base the discussion around the following prompts:

Which biographies covered all the criteria from their checklist?
Which biographies didn’t?
Which biography was the most readable in terms of structure?
Which biography do you think was the least well-structured? How would you improve this?

Looking at how other writers have interpreted the form will help students internalize the necessary criteria before attempting to produce a biography. Once students have a clear understanding of the main features of the biography, they’re ready to begin work on writing a biography.

When the time does come to put pen to paper, be sure they’re armed with the following top tips to help ensure they’re as well prepared as possible.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 2:

This session aims to guide students through the process of selecting the perfect biography subject.

Instruct students to draw up a shortlist of three potential subjects for the biography they’ll write.

Using the three criteria mentioned in the writing guide (Interest, Merit, and Information), students award each potential subject a mark out of 5 for each of the criteria. In this manner, students can select the most suitable subject for their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 3:

This session aims to get students into the researching phase and then prioritise events and organise them chronologically.

Students begin by making a timeline of their subject’s life, starting with their birth and ending with their death or the present day. If the student has yet to make a final decision on the subject of their biography, a family member will often serve well for this exercise as a practice exercise.

Students should research and gather the key events of the person’s life, covering each period of their life from when they were a baby, through childhood and adolescence, right up to adulthood and old age. They should then organize these onto a timeline. Students can include photographs with captions if they have them.

They can present these to the class when they have finished their timelines.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 4:

Instruct students to look over their timeline, notes, and other research. Challenge them to identify three patterns that repeat throughout the subject’s life and sort all the related events and incidents into specific categories.

Students should then label each category with a single word. This is the thematic concept or the broad general underlying idea. After that, students should write a sentence or two expressing what the subject’s life ‘says’ about that concept.

This is known as the thematic statement . With the thematic concepts and thematic statements identified, the student now has some substantial ideas to explore that will help bring more profound meaning and wider resonance to their biography.

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 5:

Instruct students to write a short objective account of an event in their own life. They can write about anyone from their past. It needn’t be more than a couple of paragraphs, but the writing should be strictly factual, focusing only on the objective details of what happened.

Once they have completed this, it’s time to rewrite the paragraph, but they should include some opinion and personal commentary this time.

The student here aims to inject some color and personality into their writing, to transform a detached, factual account into a warm, engaging story.

Get our FREE Biography Writing Graphic Organizer

Use this valuable tool in the research and writing phases to keep your students on track and engaged.

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE

To Conclude

By this stage, your students should have an excellent technical overview of a biography’s essential elements.

They should be able to choose their subject in light of how interesting and worthy they are, as well as give consideration to the availability of information out there. They should be able to research effectively and identify emerging themes in their research notes. And finally, they should be able to bring some of their personality and uniqueness into their retelling of the life of another.

Remember that writing a biography is not only a great way to develop a student’s writing skills; it can be used in almost all curriculum areas. For example, to find out more about a historical figure in History, to investigate scientific contributions to Science, or to celebrate a hero from everyday life.

Biography is an excellent genre for students to develop their writing skills and to find inspiration in the lives of others in the world around them.

HOW TO WRITE A BIOGRAPHY TUTORIAL VIDEO

how to write a biography | YOUTUBE 1280 x 720 11 | How to Write a Biography | literacyideas.com

How to write an Autobiography

How to Write a Historical Recount Text

15 Awesome Recount & Personal Narrative Topics

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

70 Question Prompts to Capture Childhood Memories

Are you writing a personal memoir ? Prepping interview questions to record a grandparent’s life story ? Writing for self-reflection? Regardless of the situation, these life story questions are a great place to start if you want to reminisce about your formative years. All of our stories begin with childhood. Those early life experiences and the people who were around us significantly impact the people we become. So, grab a notebook, computer, typewriter, or video camera and dig into the prompts below. Enjoy the trip down memory lane!

Recording A Life Story with Storii

If you want to capture and preserve you or a loved one's answers to questions like these, check out Storii . Storii is a service that helps individuals and families create and store their memories to be treasured for generations to come. With Storii, receive up to three automated calls per week asking you life story questions. There's a huge list of prompts to choose from, but users can create custom questions as well. Responses are recorded, transcribed and stored to a secure profile. Download an audiobook life story or print off a life story book as a keepsake! ‍

What was your mother/father like when you were growing up?

What sights, sounds and smells remind you of your mother/father?

What do you know about your mother/father’s life before she had you?

What is one of the greatest lessons your mother/father has taught you?

Tell me about a favorite memory you have of your mother/father.

How would you describe your relationship with your mother/father growing up?

What do you admire most about your mother/father?

In what ways did your mother/father let you down?

If you were adopted, did you ever meet your biological parents? What do you know about them?

What were your siblings like?

Did you have a blended family? What was that experience like?

Describe your relationship with your siblings.

What did you and your siblings like to do together?

If you had multiple siblings, which one were you closest with growing up?

Describe a time you got in trouble with your sibling(s). What happened?

Do you think your siblings shaped who you became? How?

What do you think you were like as a brother or a sister?

Describe a favorite childhood memory with each of your siblings.

If you were an only child, what did you like and dislike about your experience?

Extended family

Who else in your family were you close with? Why?

What were family gatherings like? How often did they happen?

How did you spend holidays with your extended family?

What, if any, kind of family drama was there when you were growing up?

What vacations did you take growing up?

What was the best place you visited?

Describe a time when something went completely wrong while traveling.

Which family vacation was the most memorable and why?

When was the first time you flew on an airplane and what was it like?

What did your family like to do on vacation?

What was your favorite holiday growing up?

Which holidays did your family celebrate and how did they celebrate?

Did you have any family traditions associated with holidays?

What was the most memorable birthday gift you received as a child?

What was the most memorable Christmas gift you received as a child?

Are there any holiday memories that stick out in your mind?

How did you spend your summers growing up?

What was the best home you lived in growing up? What did you love about it? What was your neighborhood like? Did you have any interesting neighbors?

Did your family move around or stay put? What was that experience like?

Pick a house you lived in and describe it in as much vivid detail as possible. What stories could that house tell?

Did your family ascribe to any religion?

What role did this play in your life growing up?

How did your experiences as a child impact your own faith as you grew into adulthood?

What was the place of worship you attended like?

What memories do you associate with your family’s faith?

Early Years

What were you like as a child?

Do you know how you got your name?

What sorts of things filled your days as a child?

Are there any games or toys you particularly remember playing with?

Did you have any nicknames? How did that name come about?

Did you earn an allowance growing up? What did you spend your money on?

What is the happiest moment of your childhood?

What was the saddest moment of your childhood?

Adolescence

What were you like as a teenager?

What type of people did you hang out with in high school?

Did you have any significant relationships as a teenager? Who was your first kiss? How did it happen?

What kinds of jobs did you have during this time? What was your favorite?

Were there any adults that you really looked up to or admired?

What kinds of activities did you participate in?

When and how did you learn to drive? What was your first car like?

What was your experience of high school like?

Describe a rite of passage you experienced as a teenager.

What major world events do you remember during those years?

What is the happiest moment of your teenage years?

What was the saddest moment of your teenage years?

What did you think of the world at the time?

What was your favorite place to hang out with your friends?

What hopes or aspirations did you have for your adult years?

The Gift of Storii

Crunched for time? Storii's Life Story Calls makes it super simple to capture your loved one's memories and stories with virtually no effort on your part. Storii makes a great gift and enables people to build up a legacy over time to be cherished for many lifetimes.

Storii offers a Life Story Gift Box, which makes a great gift for grandparents . Your loved one doesn't need WiFi or a smartphone - Storii works with landline phones too! They receive calls on selected days and times asking meaningful life story questions. Their answers are recorded, transcribed and stored on their secure Storii profile. Recordings can be shared and downloaded with other family members who would enjoy hearing them too!

Our newsletter

Get great curated articles every week..

260 family history questions to interview yourself & others

Share this post.

family history , family stories , interviews , storytelling , writing prompts

Let’s be honest. Random record discoveries are exciting, and stories are hard to write. So it can be very tempting to get stuck in the research and leave the storytelling for someone else.

Nor are we all natural writers. Some people can tap out hundreds of words in half an hour or so, while it’s a much slower process for many others. I’m in the second camp for sure. For me, writing is always a struggle, no matter how many tips I follow.

So my trick is to let the research component do as much of the storytelling as possible. Sounds too good to be true, right? I promise it’s not, pinky swear.

When you don’t know what to write, answer a question.

The trick is to make sure you capture the answers as you research. After all, genealogy is just finding the answers to the thousands of questions you have about your ancestors.

So, as you make a discovery, write out the answer. That sentence or paragraph is a piece of the overall story. That way, when you are ready to write your family history you already have a rough first draft.

For example, I wanted to find out what happened to my Great Uncle John. One question was ‘did he emigrate?’ So I searched ship passenger lists until I found a match. The answer to the question was: “In October 1896, John Dwyer, his wife and their three children left Australia for a life in New Zealand.”

Of course, this prompts many other questions, but I now have that first sentence to tell part of his story. All I have to do now is add to it.

Interview Yourself

The best way to practice this method is to start with you. After all, it’s the topic you know the most about, right?

To help you out I’m sharing the top 260 questions that I use in my family history research. I’ve answered these myself and asked many of these whenever I interview distant (and not-so-distant) relatives. Either write your response or get creative and create an audio or video recording.

Share the story behind your name.
Did you like your name growing up? Do you like it now?
What was your nickname growing up? Do people still call you that today?
Who gave your childhood nickname? What is the story behind it?
What other nicknames have you had? Share the story behind each of those names.
Which nickname is your favourite?
Who else in your family shares the same name as you? What is their relationship to you?

Your Parents

Share the story of how and when your parents met.
The Engagement : When and where did your parents get engaged? How old were they?
The Wedding : When and where did your parents get married? How old were they?
Who gave the bride away?
Share your favourite photo of your parents at their wedding.
Who were the attendants/witnesses for your parents’ at their wedding?
What was their relationship to your Mum and Dad? (e.g. brother, sister, cousin, friend etc.)
Where was their wedding reception held?
Who made the wedding cake?
How many guests did they have?
Who made the wedding dress?
Share a story you’ve heard about your parents’ wedding day.
Did your parents have a honeymoon? Where did they go?
Where did your parents live after they married/met? How long did they live there? Did you ever live there too?
How many years have your parents been married?
What pet names/endearments did your parents’ have for each other?

More about your Mum and Dad

Answer the questions below separately for your Mum and Dad. So, you’ll have two sets of answers (Mum and Dad).

Share a story you’ve heard about your mother/father’s name.
Did your mother/father have a nickname? What did her/his siblings or parents call her/him?
What did you call your Mother/Father?
Where was your mother/father born?
Whereabouts did she/he grow up?
If your mother/father emigrated, when and why did she/he move here?
What did your Mum/Dad look like (e.g. height and build?)?
Do you know her/him eye colour?
How many siblings did she/he have? Name them in order of oldest to youngest.
Where did she/he go to school?
What was your Mum/Dad’s first job?
How much did she/he get paid?
What other jobs did she/he have during her/his working life?
Did she/he ever serve in the military? Which service and what rank did she/he achieve?
Did your Mum/Dad have any special talents? (e.g. painting, singing, dancing, sewing, baking, carpentry, gardening, swimming, running, etc)
Did she/he ever receive awards or commendation for anything she produced? Share what you know about the awards.
Who were your Mum/Dad’s closest friends? What did you call them?
What did you admire most about your Mother/Father?
Share your favourite memory of your Mum/Dad
Name your siblings oldest to youngest. Where do you fit in?
Which sibling were you closest too when growing up?
Which sibling are you closest to today?
Do your siblings have nicknames? What is the name and story behind it?
Growing up, did you a room with one of your siblings? Which one?
What is your favourite memory of sharing a room?
Which sibling was the most mischievous? Share a story about something they did.
responsible
Share your favourite photo of you with your siblings.
Share your favourite memory about each of your siblings.

Grandparents

Which of your grandparents have you met (inc. great-grandparents)?
Do you have anything mementos that belonged to one of your grandparents? What is it?

Answer the questions below separately for each set of grandparents. So, you’ll have two sets of answers (Mum’s parents and Dad’s parents)

Did you know your Mum/Dad’s parents?
Share your favourite memory of your grandparents.
Share your favourite photo of your Mum/Dad’s parents
How did your grandparents meet?
Where and when did they get married?
Share a story that you’ve heard about their wedding day.
How long were they married?
Share a photo from one of their milestone anniversary parties
Share a story (or two) your Mum or her siblings have told about their parents

How well do you know each grandparent

Answer these questions (64 to 80) about each of your grandparents, whether you met them or not. So, you’ll have four sets of answers (Mum’s mum, Mum’s Dad, Dad’s Mum and Dad’s Dad). You can also use these for great-grandparents if you have memories of them.

What did you call your grandmother/grandfather?
Share a story you’ve heard about your grandmother/grandfather’s name.
Where was he/she born?
Whereabouts did he/she grow up?
How many siblings did he/she have? List them in order of oldest to youngest.
Which of their siblings have you met?
If your grandmother/grandfather emigrated, what inspired her to move?
Hair Colour
Distinctive Features
Share your favourite memory of your grandmother/grandfather. Either yours or a story you’ve heard.
What occupations did he/she have during his/her working life?
Did he/she ever serve in the military? Which service? What years did he/she serve and what rank did he/she achieve?
Did your grandparent serve in any war? Which one and where were they located?
Were they awarded any medals or military honours for their service?
Have you heard stories about your grandmother/grandfather having any special talents? (e.g. painting, singing, dancing, sewing, baking, carpentry, gardening, swimming, running, etc)
Where did he/she die? How old were you?
Where are they buried?
Share a memory of the funeral or visiting their grave

Extended Family

Do you have a favourite Aunt or Uncle?
Have you met all of your Aunts and Uncle?
What do you remember the most about the Aunts and Uncles you’ve met?
Share your most memorable moments with your Aunts and Uncles.
Can you name all of your first cousins?
Have you met them all of your first cousins? Do you still stay in touch?

Interview yourself to capture stories from your family photos

Did any of your extended family live with you? (e.g. aunt, uncle, cousins, grandparents)
Which is your favourite family photo taken when you were growing up. What do you love about it?
Growing up, did food mostly come from the garden or the store?
What was your favourite meal growing up? Do you remember the last time you had it?
Who was the better cook, your Mum or Dad?
What were birthday and holiday celebrations like growing up?
Which holiday was your favourite? What did you like about it?
Do you still follow any of the holiday traditions from your childhood?
Every generation experiences fads (e.g. fashion, music, dancing etc.) . Which fads can you remember from your youth?
What time of year did your family go on vacation? (e.g. summer, Christmas etc)
Where did your family go on vacations?
Which was your favourite (or the most memorable) family vacation?
Which was the first film you saw at a cinema or drive-in?
What was it like going to the cinema or drive-in for the first time?
Do you remember the first book you read? What was it?

Early years

What story do your Mum or older siblings tell about your birth?
Did you have a favourite toy? Who gave it to you? Do you still have it?
Share a photo of you as a baby.
Where was your childhood home?
Did you share a room or have one of your own?
Which sibling/s was your roommate?
Other than homework, what daily or weekly chores did you have as a child?
Which chore did you hate doing? What would you do to avoid it?
What were your favorite toys? Do you still have any of them?
What were some of your favorite childhood games.
How did you spend your evenings as a child? (e.g. reading, watching TV, listening to the radio, doing homework)
Did you have a childhood bedtime? Do you remember what it was?
Did your Mum or Dad ever read you and your siblings a bedtime story? Do you remember any of those stories?
Share a favourite memory from your childhood.
Share a photo of you as a child.

Young adult

Did you have a part-time job? Where was it? Do you remember how much it paid?
Did you and your friends have a special hangout where you liked to spend time?
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
Who was your favourite singer or band? Did you ever see them perform live?
Which was the first concert that you went too? When and where was that?
What was the first record/cassette/cd that you purchased?
Were you ever one of the dancers for a music show? Which show?
In high school, how did you typically spend evenings and weekends?
As a teenager, did you have a curfew? What was it?
When did you learn to drive?
How old were you when you got your license?
What was your first car? Is there a photo?
Share a photo of you from these years.
What did you wear on your first ever day of school? Is there a photo?
What do you remember about your last ever day of school? Is there a photo?
Name all of the schools that you attended.
Which school was your favourite?
What is the most memorable thing about your school years?
Which sports teams where you on?
What was your greatest achievement during your school years?
Are you still friends with anyone you knew in school?
Which university or college did you attend?
What did you study at college? Which qualification did you achieve?
Have you done additional study since leaving college/university? What did you study?

Answer the questions below for both all levels of school. So, you’ll have two sets of answers (primary and secondary)

How did you get to primary/secondary school every day? (e.g. walk, bus, bike etc.)
Which year did you start primary/secondary school?
How old were during your first year of primary/secondary school?
What were your favourite subjects?
Who were your favourite teachers?
Who was your best friend in primary/secondary school? Are you still friends today?
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did it happen?
How many places have you worked?
Which was your favourite place to work?
What has been your main occupation? (e.g. accountant, teacher, landscaper etc.)
Was your occupation something you ‘fell into’ or did you strategically work towards that career? If the latter, what made you choose that occupation?
Are you or have you been self-employed/had your own business? What was the business?
Are you still friends with anyone you met through any of your jobs?
Have you ever served on committees for organisations or the local council?
Share a favourite memory from each job you’ve had during your working life.
Where was your first job? What was your role there?
How old were you when you started working?
Do you remember how much you were paid?
How did you spend your first paycheck?
How long did you stay at that first job?
What do you remember the most about that job?

Volunteering

What volunteer positions have you held?
Why did you choose those organisations?
How did volunteering make you feel?
Share a story about something significant from your volunteer work.

Military service

Did you serve in the military? Which service?
What years did you serve?
What rank did you achieve?
Have you received any medals/awards/commendations?
Share your favourite memory from your military service.

Interview yourself to capture stories about family weddings

Relationships

How did you meet people? (e.g. dances, friends of friends, online)
What is the funniest story you have from your dating life?

Your first time dating

How old were you the first time you went on a date?
What was their name?
Were you nervous?
Did they meet your parents before you went out?
Where did you go on that date?

Your forever partner

How did you meet your spouse/significant other?
Do you have pet names/terms of endearment for each other? What are they?
What did you do for your first date?
When and where did you get engaged?
How long did you know each other before getting engaged?
Share your memory of how the proposal happened.
When and where did you get married?
Who were the attendants/witnesses?
Where was the wedding reception held?
Who made your wedding cake? What type of cake was it?
Share a memorable moment about your wedding.
Share your favourite photo of your wedding.
Was there a honeymoon? Where did you go?
Where did your spouse/significant other grow up?
How many siblings does your spouse/significant other have?
What is your spouse/significant other’s occupation?
Where was your first home together? How long did you live there?
Share your favourite memory about finding your first family home.
How many children do you have?
What are their names? List them in order of oldest to youngest.
Why those names? Share the story behind each name.
Do any of them share a room with a sibling? Who shares with who?
How do you spend family time with your children? (e.g. reading, watching TV, seeing movies, playing board games, hiking, picnics etc.)
Which card or board games are family favourites?

Answer these questions (202 to 209) for each of your children.

What are their favorite toys?
Other than homework, what daily or weekly chores does he/she have to do?
Which chore do they have doing? What do they do to avoid it?
Does your son/daughter have any special talents? (e.g. painting, singing, dancing, sewing, baking, carpentry, gardening, swimming, running, etc)
Share your favourite story of your son/daughter.
How long have you been in your current home?
Which towns have you lived in throughout your life?
Where was your favourite place to live? What made it special?
How old were you when you left home?
Did you share with friends or rent an apartment by yourself? Which city was it in?
How much was the rent on that first place? What year was it?
Share your favourite memory from living in that place.
What age were you when you purchased a house/apartment? Which city was it in?
What did you love about that house/apartment? What did you hate?
Have you lived in other countries? Which ones?
How were apartments different when you lived overseas? (e.g. smaller, larger, expensive etc.)
Share a favourite story from each country that you’ve lived in.
Where else would you like to live but haven’t had the opportunity?

How old were you when you got your first passport?
Which country was the first stamp in your passport?
How many countries have you spent time in?
Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did go?
Do you prefer hotels, caravans or camping?
Have you ever traveled by yourself or always with others?
What was your most memorable vacation of all time? Where was it? Who was there?
Which places have been your favourite to visit?
Which place were your least favourite to visit?
Where have you been that you’d like to revisit?
Share a favourite memory from your travels
Share a story about the worst experience you had while traveling?

Miscellaneous

Have you ever been a part of an audience for a TV show? Which show?
Where you a member of the local library growing up or throughout your life?
Do you have a favourite book? What is it?
Do you remember when you first read your favourite book?
Who are some of your other favourite authors or books?
Have you ever been to a drive-in? What do you remember about it?
Did you ever have a crush on a movie star or musician? Who was it?
Do you have a favourite film? What is it?
What are some of your other favourite films
Do you have a favourite flower? What is it?
Are you a sports fan? What sport and which teams do you follow?
How many and what types of animals have you had as pets?
Was there a favourite pet?
Share a favourite memory about one of your pets.
Name your hobbies? (e.g. painting, sewing, baking, carpentry, gardening, genealogy etc)
Have you won any awards for anything produced from your hobbies?
When did you discover that you were talented at that hobby?
Name five to ten people who have influenced you throughout your life.
Share a story about how each of those people influenced you.
Which significant local or global events have happened during your lifetime? (e.g. Vietnam War, 9/11 NYC terrorist attack, the fall of Berlin Wall, Port Arthur massacre, etc)
Share a story about what you remember about each event.
If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?
Has anyone in your family patented an invention? What was it?
Do you have any politicians, sports stars or celebrities in your family? Name names!
Have you ever had your photo in the newspaper? What was it for?
You can meet one of your ancestors and get the answer to one question. Who is the ancestor and what is the question?

Storytelling by answering questions

When you aren’t sure how to start telling a story, ask and answer a question. I find it’s the quickest way to work out what you know and want to say.

Like all other skills, writing gets easier the more that you do it. So, practice by answering questions about yourself. You’ll find your writing style as well as create an intriguing read for your descendants.

Don’t forget to snag the printable PDF with the full list of questions to interview yourself. Then cross off the items as you answer them, or even add new ones that you think.

Discover more

Your daily dose of inspiration

Organise your genealogy discoveries, track what you’ve found and decide where to look next.

50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History

ThoughtCo / Nusha Ashjaee

Genealogy Fun
Vital Records Around the World
American History
African American History
African History
Ancient History and Culture
Asian History
European History
Latin American History
Medieval & Renaissance History
Military History
The 20th Century
Women's History
Certificate in Genealogical Research, Boston University
B.A., Carnegie Mellon University

A great way to uncover clues to your family history or to get great quotes for journaling in a heritage scrapbook is a family interview. By asking the right open-ended questions, you're sure to collect a wealth of family tales . Use this list of family history interview questions to help you get started, but be sure to personalize the interview with your own questions as well.

Questions About Their Childhood

What is your full name? Why did your parents select this name for you? Did you have a nickname ?
When and where were you born?
How did your family come to live there?
Were there other family members in the area? Who?
What was the house (apartment, farm, etc.) like? How many rooms? Bathrooms? Did it have electricity? Indoor plumbing? Telephones?
Were there any special items in the house that you remember?
What is your earliest childhood memory?
Describe the personalities of your family members.
What kind of games did you play growing up?
What was your favorite toy and why?
What was your favorite thing to do for fun (movies, go to the beach, etc.)?
Did you have family chores? What were they? Which was your least favorite?
Did you receive an allowance? How much? Did you save your money or spend it?
What was school like for you as a child? What were your best and worst subjects? Where did you attend grade school? High school? College?
What school activities and sports did you participate in?
Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?
Who were your childhood heroes?
What were your favorite songs and music genres?
Did you have any pets? If so, what kind and what were their names?
What was your religion growing up? What church, if any, did you attend?
Were you ever mentioned in a newspaper?
Who were your friends when you were growing up?

Questions About the Family

What world events had the most impact on you when you were a child? Did any of them personally affect your family?
Describe a typical family dinner. Did you all eat together as a family? Who did the cooking? What were your favorite foods ?
How were holidays (birthdays, Christmas, etc.) celebrated in your family? Did your family have special traditions?
How is the world today different from what it was like when you were a child?
Who was the oldest relative you remember as a child? What do you remember about them?
What do you know about your family surname ?
Is there a naming tradition in your family, such as always giving the firstborn son the name of his paternal grandfather?
What stories have come down to you about your parents? Grandparents? More distant ancestors?
Are there any stories about famous or infamous relatives in your family?
Have any recipes been passed down to you from family members?
Are there any physical characteristics that run in your family?
Are there any special heirlooms , photos, bibles, or other memorabilia that have been passed down in your family?

Questions About Their Adult Life

What was the full name of your spouse? Siblings? Parents?
When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on dates?
What was it like when you proposed (or were proposed to)? Where and when did it happen? How did you feel?
Where and when did you get married?
What memory stands out the most from your wedding day?
How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
What do you believe is the key to a successful marriage?
How did you find out you were going to be a parent for the first time?
Why did you choose your children's names?
What was your proudest moment as a parent?
What did your family enjoy doing together?
What was your profession and how did you choose it?
If you could have had any other profession, what would it have been? Why wasn't this your first choice?
Of all the things you learned from your parents, what do you feel was the most valuable?
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
What is the one thing you most want people to remember about you?

While these questions make great conversation starters, the best way to uncover the good stuff is through more of a storytelling session than a Q&A.

College Interview Questions
Discussion Questions to Use in English Conversation
50 General Book Club Questions for Study and Discussion
24 Journal Prompts for Creative Writing in the Elementary Classroom
Fun Family History Activities for Family Reunions
Common Application Essay Option 3 Tips: Challenging a Belief
Asking Questions in English
Celebrate Family History Month and Explore Your Lineage
Make a Memory Book for Your Family
10 Interview Questions You Can Ask the Interviewer
Fun March Writing Prompts for Journaling
The Importance of Answering Questions in Complete Sentences
What Is an Autobiography?
'To Kill a Mockingbird' Book Club Discussion Questions
February Writing Prompts
How to Keep a Reading Log or Book Journal

Create new account
Reset your password

Ready to unlock all our resources?

Interviewing to write a biography

How well do your children know the biographical details of your life, or their grandparents'? Do you yourself know how family friends met their partners, what their favourite subject was at school or what their first job was?

Download a FREE Creative Writing toolkit!

KS1 & KS2 workbooks
Bursting with fill-in prompt sheets and inspiring ideas
Story structure tips, style guides and editing suggestions

Help your child learn about the features of biographical text by encouraging them to interview family members, friends and neighbours and write up their findings as a biography .

The interviews don't need to take place face-to-face, but they will reinforce the bonds between your child and the important adults in their life (plus everyone likes to discuss their favourite sweet from their childhood or why they loved or loathed one of their teachers!).

If your child is interviewing a grandparent or older adult, here are a few questions they might like to ask (they can be adapted for different ages and stages). They might like to take notes during their conversation, or record a video or phone call to listen to later and work from.

Where and when were you born?
How did your parents choose your name? Did you have any childhood nicknames, or did you have nicknames which particular groups of people in your life used, like your family or school friends or work colleagues?
Where did you grow up? Did you live in one house or different places?
What schools did you go to? Were they close or far away, and which was your favourite? Do you remember any teachers you loved (or hated!)?
What was your favourite subject at school?
Did you learn anything off by heart, like a poem or your times tables, that you still use today?
Did your family have any pets?
Did you have a favourite book or TV series?
Who were your best friends growing up and what did you like to do together?
What were your favourite snack, meal, pudding and drink?
Did you have any family traditions?
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What was your favourite family holiday and why was it great?
Did you play any sports at school, or go to any after-school clubs or classes?
After you finished school did you start working or go to university?
What was your first job?
During your adult life have you lived in different places?
How did you meet Grandma / Grandpa? Can you remember when you first saw them?
How did you get engaged to be married or start living together?
What was your favourite age to be, and why?
What are you most proud to have done in your life?

You can download some decorated templates with questions for the World's Best Grandma or queries for a Brilliant Grandpa from Ohio Health.

They can also get some interview tips from journalist Nelufar Hedayat:

Writing a biography resources

When it comes to writing up all the facts they've learned, your child will need to take notes and then plan their writing.

Biography subjects are usually famous people like scientists, entertainers, explorers, artists or campaigners. Some of the famous people covered in the primary curriculum, which your child might enjoy researching and writing about, are: Archimedes , Julius Caesar , Boudica , Alfred the Great , King Henry VIII , Queen Elizabeth I , Sir Francis Drake , William Shakespeare , Mary Queen of Scots , Christopher Columbus , Leonardo Da Vinci , Galileo Galilei , Guy Fawkes , Robert Hooke , Sir Isaac Newton , Lord Nelson , the Duke of Wellington , Queen Victoria , Florence Nightingale , Mary Seacole , Isambard Kingdom Brunel , George Stephenson , Dr Edward Jenner , Mary Anning , the Wright brothers , Thomas Edison , Winston Churchill , Anne Frank , Queen Elizabeth II , Albert Einstein , Dr Martin Luther King , Nelson Mandela .

They might also like to complete some extra biography-writing tasks with a non-fiction Biography Writing resource pack from Puffin Books .

Give your child a headstart

FREE articles & expert information
FREE resources & activities
FREE homework help

Introduction to Biographies

A biography is an account of someone’s life that is told by someone else. It can be about a famous person or about an ordinary person who has done interesting things. Biographies usually center around a person’s life and positive ways that they have contributed to the world. They are a great way for kids to learn about elements of nonfiction, organization, research, and expository writing. It is also fun to learn about someone who has made a difference! The following activities will provide students with many different ways to organize information and show what they have learned.

Student Activities for Biographies

Writing Biographies - Childhood and Education

Essential Questions for Biographies

Where and when was this person born?
What was this person’s childhood like?
What kind of education did this person have?
What is/was this person’s family life like?
What are/were this person’s accomplishments?
What positive contributions has this person made to the world?
Why did I choose this person?

Why Create Biographies?

When someone has a biography written about them, it is because they have done something in their life that others consider to be quite important--important enough to learn and write about! Usually the person has done something positive and admirable and is an inspiration to others.

In order to create a biography, students will learn about the person’s early life, childhood, education, family, and accomplishments. It is also important for the student to be able to express why they chose this person, and the impact this person has made on the world or the student’s life in particular. For example, students can ask: what can I learn from this person? What mistakes has this person made that I can relate to and grow from? How has this person inspired me?

When reading about and researching a person, students will encounter at least one theme, or recurring main idea, in a biography. The following is a list of potential themes:

Sometimes life is tough and it takes strength to keep going.
Believe in yourself and others will believe in you.
No matter how many times you fail, never give up.
The most difficult times in life can inspire others.
Always have hope and stay positive.
Know your worth: don’t let anyone drag you down.

Students should pay attention to what they think the theme is and be able to explain how they can learn from the person they are researching. Themes also make it much easier for students to present their chosen person's life as a narrative rather than a collection of facts.

Along with being able to identify the theme, there are certain elements of the biography genre that always need to be included in research if the information can be found. These elements are:

Date and place of birth (and death, if applicable)
Educational background
Family life, either past, current, or both
Adult life: job and current location, if applicable
Major accomplishments

Other information like fun facts, quotes by or about the person, and photographs may also be included in the biography.

While researching an influential person , students will learn not only about the individual, but about many ways one person can change or contribute to the world. Learning about others helps us find the positive power within ourselves, and motivates us to be the best people that we can be. It is important for the student to fully be interested in learning about the person, so it is best if students choose on their own. Teachers may want to provide a list to help narrow down the choices by focusing on categories such as sports figures, entertainers, inventors, political figures, historical figures, change-makers, or someone the student knows personally. This way, they can make the biographies relevant to the unit they're teaching or the time of year!

How To Teach Biographies in an Elementary School

Explore life events in the story.

Start by talking about the key life events in the biography with students. Consider birth date, family life, education, jobs, and personal events. Guide students through the key life events in chronological order.

Talk About Themes

After they understand the event’s in a person’s life, you can lead them to discuss themes, or what they learn about life from the biographical story. Common themes include making a difference, overcoming obstacles, and always have hope.

Connect to Student's Life

Have students use a Venn Diagram to connect with the person in the biography. They can share things they have in common in the middle of the circles, and things that are different about each of them on the outside.

Draw it Out

Let students draw a body biography in order to understand the person more fully. Have them fill in body parts, such as putting what the character loves in the heart area, and drawing what the person thinks about up in the head.

Frequently Asked Questions about Biographies

How do biographies help students understand how individual people relate to the world around them.

When we read a story about how one person lived their life, we can better understand the power within ourselves and see how our lives matter. Every person influences the world around them.

What are some common themes that run through biographies?

Many biographies teach lessons such as how to overcome obstacles, believing in yourself, and making the most of what you have.

What universal elements are found in almost all biographies?

Most biographies explain a person’s birth and death dates (if they have died), what their childhood was like, their education, their work accomplishments and their personal or familial accomplishments.

Why should we read biographies?

When we read about other people's struggles and triumphs, we see what we have in common and are able to see the importance of our own life.

• GDJ • License Free for Commercial Use / No Attribution Required (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0)
• ElisaRiva • License Free for Commercial Use / No Attribution Required (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0)

Try 1 Month For

30 Day Money Back Guarantee New Customers Only Full Price After Introductory Offer

Learn more about our Department, School, and District packages

Albert Einstein

next >>>, growing up and early life.

Growing up Einstein
Education, the Patent Office, and Marriage
The Miracle Year
Theory of General Relativity
Academic Career and Nobel Prize
Leaving Germany and World War II
More Discoveries
Later Life and Death
Albert Einstein Quotes and Bibliography

IMAGES

Questions To Ask Someone For A Biography
Biography Worksheet Examples
CHECKLIST : BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY Text
Biography Questions Worksheet
10 Social Studies Biography Passages with Questions by Mrs Reed's Resources
12 Biography Worksheets For Students / worksheeto.com

VIDEO

Michael Holliday
EARLY LIFE, BIOGRAPHY &CAREER OF SONIA UCHE, AGE, EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, RELATIONSHIP STATUS
One Question
Best Gk question with answers, improve your Gk, #gk #upsc #shorts #viralshorts
Che Guevara
Questions to Ask Your Family

COMMENTS

PDF Life Interview Questions
What day of the week was it? Did your parents tell you anything about the day you were born? Where were you born? Why were you given the first (and middle) name(s) that you have? What's your first, most vivid memory? What was the apartment or house like that you grew up in? How many bedrooms did it have?
40 Biography Questions to Ask When Writing Biography Reports
40 Biography Questions that Kids Can Ask When Writing Biography Reports. Social Studies. When teaching kids about history, few topics captivate and engage young learners more than biographies. Kids love learning about real people who have made a difference in our lives. Asking the right questions is key for students as they explore the life ...
How to Write a Biography in 8 Steps (The Non-Boring Way!)
Here are the topics a biography typically covers: Early life and background: Provide context about the subject's upbringing, family, ... Develop a list of well-thought-out questions that cover key aspects of their lives and experiences, including questions about your subject's youth, family, achievements, and life transitions or struggles. ...
50 Interview Biography Questions With Example Bios
Personal background questions. You can include a few personal details in a professional biography to tell the reader about your background, passions and personality. You can choose to add personal details that relate to your current career to promote cohesion in your biography. Here is some personal information you can include: What is your name?
PDF Possible Questions for A Life History Interview
As an example of how you can ask very detailed questions on a topic you are particularly interested in, here are some model questions from Paul Thompson's book The Voice of the Past , (2d ed., p. 299):
120 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Someone About Their Life
120 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Someone About Their Life. When embarking on the journey of interviewing someone about their life, we delve into the rich tapestry of their experiences, beliefs, and lessons learned. This collection of questions serves as a key to unlocking the treasure trove of stories that every individual carries. These ...
50 Biography Questions
50 Biography Questions. Have you ever wanted to know what your mother was like as a child? Where your grandfather was from? How your parents met? Below are 50 Biography Questions to ask your parents or grandparents to learn more about their life stories and your family history. As a Legacy Video producer, I ask over 100 questions in an ...
Life Interview Questions
The sample questions provided here are grouped into several topic areas: life events - childhood; life. events - adulthood; identity; the present; aging; and life lessons and legacies. Depending on the purpose of your interview, various questions may be more or less useful. No single set of questions will elicit all the stories you might be ...
351 Life Story Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)
These 351 writing prompts and questions are part of a 28 article, 108 category series entitled " 7,500-plus Questions About Life to Ask People When Writing Narratives .". I have divided the writing prompts and questions to ask others into the following categories. Click on the category to be taken to the questions.
Interviewing for biography: interrogation, conversation and the in
A chronological approach to biographical interviews involves starting the interview by asking about the interviewee's early life, starting with their birth, moving through childhood and adolescence then into adult life until you reach the present day. The interviewer may even choose to start earlier, asking about the interviewee's parents ...
How to Write a Biography: 6 Tips for Writing Biographical Texts
A biography usually structures the main points of a person's life in chronological order. Knowing the order of key events before you start writing can save you the hassle of having to reorganize your whole story later. 5. Use flashbacks. While writing the text of your biography, you may want to intercut between an experience from your subject ...
How to Write a Biography
A biography is an account of someone's life written by someone else.While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction. Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject's life from the earliest days of their childhood to the present day or their death if the subject is deceased.
70 Question Prompts to Capture Childhood Memories
Storii is a service that helps individuals and families create and store their memories to be treasured for generations to come. With Storii, receive up to three automated calls per week asking you life story questions. There's a huge list of prompts to choose from, but users can create custom questions as well.
11 Tips On How To Write A Personal Biography + Examples
2. Introduce yourself… like a real person. This is one of the most important pieces of understanding how to write a personal biography. Always start with your name. When many people start learning how to write a bio, they skip this important part. People need to know who you are before they learn what you do.
260 family history questions to interview yourself & others
Storytelling by answering questions. When you aren't sure how to start telling a story, ask and answer a question. I find it's the quickest way to work out what you know and want to say. Like all other skills, writing gets easier the more that you do it. So, practice by answering questions about yourself.
50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History
A great way to uncover clues to your family history or to get great quotes for journaling in a heritage scrapbook is a family interview. By asking the right open-ended questions, you're sure to collect a wealth of family tales.Use this list of family history interview questions to help you get started, but be sure to personalize the interview with your own questions as well.
Interviewing grandparents and parents
Interviewing to write a biography. Writing an in-depth profile of a grandparent or family friend will help your child develop interview skills, learn to write up notes and introduce them to family heritage, stories and legends that they might never have heard! Use our suggested questions to help set up a conversation to remember.
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison (born February 11, 1847, Milan, Ohio, U.S.—died October 18, 1931, West Orange, New Jersey) American inventor who, singly or jointly, held a world-record 1,093 patents. In addition, he created the world's first industrial research laboratory. The role of chemistry in Thomas Edison's inventions. How Thomas Edison changed the world.
William Shakespeare's Life and Times: Early Life
William Shakespeare's Life & Times Early Life. Early Life. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, a small town in the middle of the English countryside. His father, John Shakespeare, was a glover and public servant with social ambitions, as suggested by his marriage to Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to-do farmer.
Biography Activities & Lesson Plans
A biography is an account of someone's life that is told by someone else. It can be about a famous person or about an ordinary person who has done interesting things. Biographies usually center around a person's life and positive ways that they have contributed to the world. They are a great way for kids to learn about elements of ...
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver (born 1861?, near Diamond Grove, Missouri, U.S.—died January 5, 1943, Tuskegee, Alabama) was a revolutionary American agricultural chemist, agronomist, and experimenter who was born into slavery and sought to uplift Black farmers through the development of new products derived from peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Uskup, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, North Macedonia), on August 26, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and ...
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong (born August 5, 1930, Wapakoneta, Ohio, U.S.—died August 25, 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio) was a U.S. astronaut, and the first person to set foot on the Moon.. Early life and career. Neil Armstrong was the eldest of three children born to Viola Louise Engel and Stephen Koenig Armstrong, a state auditor.
Biography: Albert Einstein
Growing Up and Early Life. Where did Albert Einstein grow up? Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. His father, Hermann, managed a featherbed business in Ulm, which was situated on the River Danube in southern Germany. Around a year after Albert was born, his father's featherbed business failed and the family moved to ...

120 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Someone About Their Life

Early Life and Family Background

Education and Career Development

Personal Philosophies and Values

Major Life Events and Turning Points

Relationships and Community Connections

Challenges and Overcoming Adversities

Creativity and Passions

Reflections and Look to the Future

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I avoid when asking questions about someone’s life?

How do I know if a question is appropriate or not?

Final Thoughts

50 Biography Questions

~ Legacy Videos ~

Legacy Videos

Family Tree Video Video Biographies ~ Video Memoir ~ Family History Video Family Documentaries ~ Anniversary Videos Video Tributes ~ Heirloom Videos 50 Biography Questions ~ Legacy Videos ~

351 Life Story Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

Using Open-ended Questions

351 Life Story Questions to Ask Others

Early Years

Categories:

You might also like:

409 Friendship Questions to Ask People (Storytelling)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

Other Links

Thank you for Subscribing!

Interviewing for biography: interrogation, conversation, and the in-between

Structured, semi and unstructured interviews

Chronological

How to get started in a narrative interview

How to Write a Biography

What Is a Biography?

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHIES

Features of a Biography

The purpose of a biography is to provide an account of someone’s life.

BIOGRAPHY FEATURES

THE PROCESS OF WRITING A BIOGRAPHY

Tips for Writing a Brilliant Biography

Biography Writing Tip #2: R esearch ! Research! Research!

Research Skills:

COMPLETE TEACHING UNIT ON INTERNET RESEARCH SKILLS USING GOOGLE SEARCH

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip #3: Find Your Themes In Biography Writing

BIOGRAPHY WRITING Tip: #4 Put Something of Yourself into the Writing

Student Examples of Biography Writing

Teaching Resources

BIOGRAPHY WRITING TEACHING IDEAS AND LESSONS

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 1:

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 2:

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 3:

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 4:

BIOGRAPHY LESSON IDEA # 5:

Get our FREE Biography Writing Graphic Organizer

WRITING CHECKLIST & RUBRIC BUNDLE

HOW TO WRITE A BIOGRAPHY TUTORIAL VIDEO

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO BIOGRAPHY WRITING

How to write an Autobiography

How to Write a Historical Recount Text

15 Awesome Recount & Personal Narrative Topics

Personal Narrative Writing Guide

70 Question Prompts to Capture Childhood Memories

Recording A Life Story with Storii

Extended family

Early Years

Adolescence

The Gift of Storii

Our newsletter

260 family history questions to interview yourself & others

Interview Yourself

Your Parents

More about your Mum and Dad

Grandparents

How well do you know each grandparent

Extended Family

Early years

Young adult

Volunteering

Military service

Relationships