If you are a student, you may be required to write a biography paper at some point. This paper will typically focus on an important individual in your field. It’s a common assignment in many different subjects.
Of course, that doesn’t mean every student will find it easy. Some students who are otherwise intelligent and talented may simply lack strong academic writing skills. Thus, they aren’t sure how to go about drafting a strong biography assignment.
In the meantime, if you’re struggling with a biography assignment, keep these tips in mind. Following them will boost your odds of writing a strong essay.
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Choose a Subject
Choosing your subject should always be the first step in this process. In some instances, your professor may assign you a specific topic. However, it’s common for professors to allow students to choose their own subjects when writing biographies.
Choosing the subject first is important because it allows you to avoid wasting time during the research phase. Instead of trying to find a subject through your research, you can simply begin researching the subject you know you’ll be covering.
It’s also a good idea to contact your professor with your idea before starting to work on the paper. After all, instructors read many essays. You want yours to stand out. If you choose a subject that others have not covered before, your instructor may be more impressed than they would be if you handed in yet another paper on a popular subject. Checking with your professor to find out if your idea is unique is a smart move.
That said, it also helps to write about a person you are genuinely interested in. You’re simply more likely to stay motivated throughout the process if you enjoy writing about this particular subject.
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Conduct Research
You want to get all of your research done before you write your essay. First, you don’t want to choose a subject and begin drafting a paper, only to find there isn’t enough material out there for you to complete the assignment. Conducting research first lets you know you’ve chosen a subject you can successfully write a full essay on.
Additionally, when you have done all your research ahead of time, you can write the actual paper much more quickly than you would if you were constantly stopping to do more research during the drafting phase.
It’s also necessary to understand what your professor expects from this assignment. Some biographies are simply meant to be general overviews of a person’s life. Others are meant to focus on specific events or achievements in that individual’s life. Others may require students to explain how their subject contributed to a particular field or industry. If you feel as though the assignment is too vague, ask your professor for clarification. This will help you conduct proper research.
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Create an Outline
An outline is an essential component in any strong essay. At the lower grade levels, teachers may actually require students to provide outlines before completing their papers. However, by the time you reach the university or college level, instructors often do away with this requirement. That results in many students skipping this crucial step.
An outline is helpful because it allows you to arrange all your points in logical order. This makes it easier to draft an essay that flows smoothly. More importantly, when you have an outline indicating how you are going to organize the points you include in your paper, writing the actual paper is virtually as simple as filling in the blanks.
It’s also worth noting that your outline shouldn’t merely include what points you’re going to be making in your biography. It should also include what research you are going to cite in order to support those points. This prevents you from struggling to remember how you planned on using a particular source in the essay.
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Draft the Paper
Once you have an outline, all you have to do is write your paper.
Just focus on getting your thoughts down in your first draft. Yes, you should strive for grammatical accuracy and generally strong writing, but you’ll also be revising the essay. Once the first draft is complete, you can check it for areas that need improvement.
Break this down into steps for the best results. Check it once for spelling and grammatical errors, once for formatting issues, and once for concision. Your professors want you to make your points as effectively as possible without being wordy. Thus, it helps to go through your essay and find areas where you can eliminate words or sentences that don’t support the overall paper.
Again, if you’re struggling with this type of assignment, you can benefit from purchasing a customized paper through this site and its huge team of professional academic writers. Whether you’re not sure what topic to write on, not sure how to format a biography, or not sure how to start conducting research, an affordable sample will make for a very helpful resource.
