a biography structure

How to Write a Biography in 8 Steps (The Non-Boring Way!)

Compelling biographies help us better connect with others while fostering empathy and understanding. Discover the steps to write one that captivates your audience!

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Have you ever been captivated by someone’s life story? From the ancient tales of great conquerors to the modern accounts of influential figures, biographies have enchanted readers and viewers for centuries. 

The stories of real people’s lives not only entertain and educate but also provide a unique window into the human experience. In fact, according to research 1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8796048/ , human stories like biographies can help us better connect with others while fostering empathy and understanding.

In this article, let’s dive into how to write a compelling biography, from the research phase to delivery.

What Are the Key Elements of a Biography?

The key elements of a well-written biography bring characters to life. They include thorough research, relevant interviews, clear structure, captivating prose, compelling themes, and a balance between objectivity and empathy. 

• Thorough research: Helps create an accurate portrayal of your subject
• Relevant interviews: Insights help provide a deeper understanding of your subject
• Clear structure: Helps you outline your ideas for a compelling narrative
• Captivating prose: Provides descriptive language to paint a picture of your subject
• Compelling themes: Showcases the motivations and desires behind your subject
• A balance between objectivity and empathy: Keeps biases in check and allows your subject to shine for who they are

As you develop your biography, remember that these stories hold an enduring appeal because they offer people an opportunity to explore the depths of the human psyche, unravel extraordinary accomplishments, and discover the vulnerabilities and triumphs of individuals who have left their mark on the world. 

Here are the topics a biography typically covers:

• Early life and background : Provide context about the subject’s upbringing, family, and cultural influences.
• Achievements and milestones: Highlight notable accomplishments, contributions, and significant events throughout their life.
• Challenges and struggles: Explore the obstacles they faced, the lessons learned, and how they overcame adversity.
• Personal characteristics: Describe their personality traits, values, beliefs, and motivations that shaped their actions and decisions.
• Impact and legacy: Discuss the lasting influence and contributions of the subject, both during their lifetime and beyond.

Ready to start crafting your biography? Find greater success with this helpful goal-setting resource!

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Let’s look at the six key elements of a well-written biography more closely and the steps you can follow to develop your own.

How to Write a Biography in 8 Steps Using Key Elements

Choose your presentation format.

Presenting your biography can take on various forms, the most traditional being written form. The basis for this article assumes you’re writing a conventional biography; however, this foundation can also help you create a multimedia presentation or website as well. 

Consider these various formats to present your biography:

• Traditional Written Biographies: This classic approach provides a comprehensive account of a person’s life through the written word. Traditional biographies can be published in print or ebooks , allowing readers to engage deeply with the subject’s story.
• Multimedia Presentations: In the digital age, multimedia presentations offer a dynamic way to present biographies. Incorporate audio, video, photographs, and interactive elements to enhance the audience’s experience.
• Online Platforms: Online platforms, such as blogs or dedicated biography websites, provide accessible avenues for sharing biographies. They allow for easy updates, reader engagement, and the incorporation of multimedia elements. 

Choose your subject and conduct research

To create a vivid and accurate portrayal of a person’s life, conduct extensive research. Dive into archives, read letters, examine diaries, explore photographs, and immerse yourself in the historical and cultural context surrounding your subject. This will help you unearth the small details that breathe life into your biography. 

Whether you’re writing a biography about a historical figure, contemporary icon, or everyday individual, you’ll want to consider the different factors to focus on. Here are some examples of three types of individuals and the kind of research that will be most helpful.

• Historical Figures: When writing about historical figures, immerse yourself in their era. Understand the social, political, and cultural forces that shaped their lives. I recommend visiting your local library and connecting with a research librarian for support. Otherwise, other tools for historical research include Google Scholar. Analyze primary sources and multiple perspectives to present a well-rounded account.
• Contemporary Icons: Biographies of modern icons offer a chance to delve into their ongoing impact. Conduct interviews or gather insights from their close associates to understand their present-day influence. Stay current with the latest developments, and be prepared to update your work as the subject’s story unfolds.
• Everyday Individuals: Biographies need not be reserved for the famous. Every day individuals possess stories that can be just as compelling. Uncover the extraordinary within the ordinary, highlighting the struggles, triumphs, and personal growth of individuals who might otherwise remain unsung.
• Yourself! Want to write a biography on yourself? Autobiographies are a great way to explore who you are. Get ready to do some serious self-reflection with the steps below.

Pro Tip: Compile your research digitally using helpful cloud filings systems like Google Drive , OneDrive , or Dropbox . Organize your files by category, including information about their youth, family, achievements, and life lessons. You may also choose to write down research references or collect paper clippings on note cards, categorizing your physical files of research along the way.

Develop compelling themes and motifs 

Identify overarching themes or motifs that emerge from the subject’s life. These could be resilience, ambition, love, or societal change. Weave these elements into the narrative, highlighting their significance and impact on the person’s journey. Here are some examples:

• Overcoming Adversity: These biographies feature perseverance, resilience, and determination. Examples include Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, and Malala Yousafzai.
• Pursuit of Excellence: These biographies highlight people who have worked tirelessly to achieve their goals. Examples include Steve Jobs, Serena Williams, and Michael Jordan.
• Quest for Knowledge: These biographies focus on the curiosity that led to significant contributions to our world. Examples include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Charles Darwin.
• Personal Transformation: These biographies explore a change in beliefs, values, or priorities. Examples include Malcolm X, Oprah Winfrey, and Maya Angelou.
• Legacy and Impact: These biographies examine a body of work that made a lasting contribution to society. Examples include Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi.

Conduct relevant interviews 

Whenever possible, seek firsthand accounts from those who knew or interacted with the subject. Conduct interviews with family members, friends, colleagues, or experts in the field. Their insights and anecdotes can provide a deeper understanding of the person’s character and experiences.

When conducting interviews for a biography, consider the following tips to ensure a productive and insightful conversation:

• Familiarize yourself with the interviewee’s background and accomplishments.
• 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.
• Begin the interview by establishing a comfortable and friendly atmosphere to put the interviewee at ease.
• Show genuine interest in their story and listen actively to their responses.
• Ask open-ended questions encouraging detailed and reflective responses.
• Avoid yes/no questions and ask for their insights, memories, and personal perspectives.
• Some topics you might consider for your questions include early life, achievements, challenges, motivations, values, relationships, lessons learned, and advice.
• Pay close attention to the interviewee’s answers, body language, and tone of voice.
• Ask follow-up questions to clarify or delve deeper into specific topics.
• Show empathy and understanding, creating a safe space for the interviewee to share personal or sensitive information.
• Remain flexible during the interview, allowing the conversation to flow naturally.
• Be prepared to deviate from your prepared questions if unexpected but relevant topics arise.
• Respect the interviewee’s boundaries and be mindful of any topics they may not wish to discuss.
• Take thorough and organized notes during the interview to capture important details.
• Consider recording the interview (with permission) to ensure accurate quotes and references.
• Ask for permission to follow up with additional questions or for clarification.
• Doing a biography on yourself? Ask yourself deep questions to harvest new stories and anecdotes.

Remember, the goal of the interview is to gather valuable information and personal perspectives that will contribute to the authenticity and depth of your biography. Approach the interview process with sensitivity, respect, and genuine curiosity about the interviewee’s life and experiences.

Develop a clear structure

Outline your biography, ensuring a logical and engaging narrative flow. Consider the chronological order, significant milestones, and turning points in the subject’s life. Organize your gathered information to capture the essence of their journey while maintaining a compelling rhythm throughout. 

A good outline for a biography can vary depending on the specific subject and the desired structure of the narrative. However, here’s a general outline that can serve as a starting point:

A. Introduction

a) Hook or engaging opening to capture the reader’s attention

b) Background information (birthplace, date, family, etc.)

c) A brief overview of the subject’s significance or why they are worth exploring

B. Early Life and Background

a) Childhood and upbringing

b) Influences, such as family, education, or cultural factors

c) Formative experiences or events that shaped the subject’s character or interests

C. Major Achievements and Milestones

a) A chronological exploration of the subject’s notable accomplishments, contributions, or milestones

b) Focus on key moments or achievements that highlight their impact or significance.

c) Provide context and details to paint a vivid picture of their achievements

D. Challenges and Obstacles

a) Discussion of the challenges, setbacks, or adversities the subject encountered

b) How they overcame obstacles or grew through difficult experiences

c) Insights into their resilience, determination, or problem-solving abilities

E. Personal Life and Relationships

a) Exploration of the subject’s relationships, such as family, friends, or romantic partners

b) Insights into their personal joys, struggles, or transformative experiences

c) How their personal life intersected with their professional or public achievements

F. Legacy and Impact

a) Examination of the subject’s lasting influence, contributions, or impact on society

b) Discuss how their work or actions continue to resonate or shape the world today

c) Reflection on their legacy and the lessons we can learn from their life story

G. Conclusion

a) Summarize the key aspects of the subject’s life and their significance

b) Provide a final reflection or insight on their overall journey or impact

c) Leave the reader with a lasting impression or call to action

Pro Tip: Looking for help drafting an outline to get you started? Use free tools like ChatGPT to jumpstart your outline by putting in a prompt request like, “Write an outline for a biography about X, including any relevant details on the subject that should be included.”

Craft captivating prose

Employ descriptive language to transport readers into the subject’s world. Paint vivid portraits of their physical appearance, mannerisms, and surroundings. Use sensory details to evoke emotions and create a strong connection between the reader and the subject. 

Here are some examples:

• “She was a force of nature, with a fierce determination and an unwavering commitment to justice.” (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)
• “His piercing blue eyes seemed to look right through you, and his voice had a commanding presence that demanded attention.” (Winston Churchill)
• “She moved with a grace and elegance that belied her inner strength and resilience.” (Audrey Hepburn)
• “His rugged features and piercing gaze made him a natural leading man, but it was his depth and vulnerability that set him apart.” (Marlon Brando)
• “She had a contagious energy and a magnetic personality that drew people to her like a moth to a flame.” (Princess Diana)
• “His quiet intensity and unwavering dedication to his craft made him one of the greatest artists of his time.” (Leonardo da Vinci)

Action Step: While writing descriptive prose takes some practice, it’s an art you can master with little creative writing skills. To help you write descriptive prose, practice closing your eyes and imagining your subject. 

• What expression is on their face? 
• How are they dressed? 
• What does their body language express? 
• How do they smell? 
• How do they make you feel? 
• How do they make others feel? 
• What’s in their surroundings? 
• What are they doing with their hands? 
• What do you imagine they’re thinking about? 

With questions like these, you’ll start to use descriptive language to bring your subject to life.

Build a balance of objectivity and empathy

Strive for an objective portrayal while infusing empathy and understanding into your writing. Remain aware of biases and preconceived notions, giving your subject the space to shine in their unique light. 

To check yourself, filter your writing and interviewing with these tips:

• Verify Information: Cross-reference information from various sources to ensure accuracy. Use tools like Fact Check Explorer to fact-check claims, dates, and events to avoid errors or inaccuracies that could skew the narrative. 
• Multiple Perspectives: Seek out different viewpoints on the subject. This includes interviewing or reaching out to people with significant interactions or relationships with the subject. Incorporating diverse perspectives can counterbalance biases and provide a broader understanding.
• Empathetic Listening: During interviews or conversations, practice active listening and empathize with the interviewee’s experiences and emotions. This allows you to understand the subject’s perspective and incorporate their insights and feelings into the narrative.
• Contextualize Emotions: When sharing the subject’s emotional experiences or personal struggles, provide sufficient context and background. This helps readers understand the motivations and circumstances behind their actions and allows for empathetic understanding without veering into excessive sentimentality.
• Credible Interpretation: While interpreting the subject’s thoughts, motives, or intentions, be clear about what is factual and what is speculative. Clearly distinguish between evidence-based information and your interpretations to maintain objectivity.
• Respect Boundaries: Be mindful of the subject’s privacy and any requests they may have regarding sensitive or personal information. Respecting their boundaries shows empathy and allows for a respectful portrayal while maintaining the necessary level of objectivity.
• Acknowledge Limitations: Recognize that achieving complete objectivity in a biography is challenging. Biases can inadvertently seep into the narrative. However, by being aware of your biases and consciously presenting a fair and balanced account, you can mitigate their influence.

Respect truth, privacy, and sensitivity

Remember, writing biographies carries ethical responsibilities. It’s important to maintain accuracy through credible research and gain consent while being sensitive to controversial or difficult topics. Here are some considerations:

• Accuracy: Maintain a commitment to truth and accuracy. Verify facts and corroborate information from multiple sources to ensure the reliability of your narrative. Cite your sources and be transparent about any uncertainties or gaps in knowledge.
• Privacy and Consent: Respect the privacy of living individuals mentioned in your biography. Seek consent when sharing personal details or sensitive information. Balance the subject’s right to privacy with the importance of honesty and transparency.
• Sensitivity: Approach sensitive or controversial topics with care and empathy. Consider the potential impact of your words on the subject’s loved ones or affected communities—present differing perspectives without sensationalism or bias.

Writing a Biography FAQs

The length of a biography can vary greatly, depending on the subject and the depth of exploration. Some biographies span a few hundred pages, while others extend to multiple volumes. Focus on capturing the subject’s life’s essence rather than strictly adhering to a predetermined length.

Some common mistakes to avoid when writing a biography include the following: Lack of thorough research or reliance on a single source. Inaccurate or misleading information. Excessive personal bias or projection onto the subject. Neglecting to verify facts or failing to cite sources. Poor organization or a disjointed narrative flow. Neglecting to balance objectivity with empathy. Overloading the biography with irrelevant details or digressions. Failing to respect privacy or ethical considerations.

While chronological order is commonly used in biographies, it is not required. Some biographers employ a thematic approach or explore specific periods or events in the subject’s life. Experiment with different structures to find the most engaging way to tell your subject’s story.

The purpose of writing a biography is to capture and share an individual’s life story. Biographies provide insights into a person’s experiences, achievements, and challenges, offering readers inspiration, knowledge, and understanding. They preserve the legacy of individuals, contribute to historical records, and celebrate the diversity of human lives.

When choosing a subject for your biography, consider someone who inspires you, interests you, or has significantly impacted society. It could be a historical figure, a contemporary icon, or even an everyday individual with a remarkable story. Choose a subject with sufficient available information, access to primary sources or interviews, and a narrative that resonates with you and potential readers.

Key elements to include in a biography are: Early life and background: Provide context about the subject’s upbringing, family, and cultural influences. Achievements and milestones: Highlight notable accomplishments, contributions, and significant events throughout their life. Challenges and struggles: Explore the obstacles they faced, the lessons learned, and how they overcame adversity. Personal characteristics: Describe their personality traits, values, beliefs, and motivations that shaped their actions and decisions. Impact and legacy: Discuss the lasting influence and contributions of the subject, both during their lifetime and beyond.

Including personal anecdotes can add depth and humanize the subject of your biography. However, be selective and ensure that the stories are relevant, contribute to understanding the person’s character or experiences, and align with the overall narrative. Balancing personal anecdotes with factual information is critical to maintaining accuracy and credibility.

Conducting research for a biography involves exploring a variety of sources. Start with primary sources such as personal papers, letters, journals, and interviews with the subject or people who knew them. Secondary sources such as books, articles, and academic papers provide additional context and perspectives. Online databases, archives, libraries, and museums are valuable resources for finding relevant information.

Consult a wide range of sources to ensure a comprehensive and accurate biography. Primary sources, such as personal documents, letters, diaries, and interviews, offer firsthand accounts and unique insights. Secondary sources provide broader context and analysis, including books, articles, scholarly works, and historical records. Remember to evaluate the credibility and reliability of your sources critically.

Organize the information in your biography logically and engagingly. Consider using a chronological structure, starting with the subject’s early life and progressing through significant events and milestones. Alternatively, adopt a thematic approach, grouping related information based on themes or significant aspects of their life. Use clear headings, subheadings, and transitions to guide readers through the narrative flow.

Writing Biographies Key Takeaways

In summary, take note of these ideas and tips before you start writing your biography:

• Biographies hold enduring appeal, offering a glimpse into the human experience across time.
• Thorough research, interviews, and captivating prose are essential for crafting compelling biographies.
• Ethical considerations, such as accuracy, privacy, and sensitivity, are crucial when writing about real people’s lives.
• Choose subjects that genuinely inspire and resonate with you.
• Immerse yourself in the subject’s world to understand their motivations and challenges.
• Develop strong research skills and utilize a wide range of sources.
• Craft a compelling narrative that engages readers from the very first page.
• Seek feedback from trusted sources to refine your writing and storytelling abilities.
• Continuously explore new biographies to broaden your understanding of different styles and approaches.
• Embrace the unique voice and perspective you bring to the storytelling process.

Writing a biography book? Check out this helpful article, How to Write a Book: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Start Writing !

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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?

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 childhood to the present day or, if the subject is deceased, their death.

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.

Full Biographies

Teaching unit.

Teach your students everything they need to know about writing an AUTOBIOGRAPHY and a BIOGRAPHY.

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Features of a Biography

Before students begin writing a biography, they’ll need to have a firm grasp of the main features of a 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

Their checklists should contain the items below at a minimum. 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 summarising the biography’s main points.

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 clarifies 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 students wish 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!

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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.

Biography Examples For Students

• 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.

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.”

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.

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, then prioritise and organise events 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.

A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING BIOGRAPHIES

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.

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

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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

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

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jun 30, 2023

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

1. Seek permission when possible 

2. research your subject thoroughly, 3. do interviews and visit locations, 4. organize your findings, 5. identify a central thesis, 6. write it using narrative elements, 7. get feedback and polish the text.

FREE RESOURCE

Biography Outline Template

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

While you technically don’t need permission to write about public figures (or deceased ones), that doesn't guarantee their legal team won't pursue legal action against you. Author Kitty Kelley was sued by Frank Sinatra before she even started to write His Way , a biography that paints Ol Blue Eyes in a controversial light. (Kelley ended up winning the lawsuit, however).  

Whenever feasible, advise the subject’s representatives of your intentions. If all goes according to plan, you’ll get a green light to proceed, or potentially an offer to collaborate. It's a matter of common sense; if someone were to write a book about you, you would likely want to know about it well prior to publication. So, make a sincere effort to reach out to their PR staff to negotiate an agreement or at least a mutual understanding of the scope of your project. 

At the same time, make sure that you still retain editorial control over the project, and not end up writing a puff piece that treats its protagonist like a saint or hero. No biography can ever be entirely objective, but you should always strive for a portrayal that closely aligns with facts and reality.

If you can’t get an answer from your subject, or you’re asked not to proceed forward, you can still accept the potential repercussions and write an unauthorized biography . The “rebellious act” of publishing without consent indeed makes for great marketing, though it’ll likely bring more headaches with it too. 

✋ Please note that, like other nonfiction books, if you intend to release your biography with a publishing house , you can put together a book proposal to send to them before you even write the book. If they like it enough, they might pay you an advance to write it.  

Book Proposal Template

Craft a professional pitch for your nonfiction book with our handy template.

Once you’ve settled (or not) the permission part, it’s time to dive deep into your character’s story.  

Deep and thorough research skills are the cornerstone of every biographer worth their salt. To paint a vivid and accurate portrait of someone's life, you’ll have to gather qualitative information from a wide range of reliable sources. 

Start with the information already available, from books on your subject to archival documents, then collect new ones firsthand by interviewing people or traveling to locations. 

Browse the web and library archives

Put your researcher hat on and start consuming any piece on your subject you can find, from their Wikipedia page to news articles, interviews, TV and radio appearances, YouTube videos, podcasts, books, magazines, and any other media outlets they may have been featured in. 

Establish a system to orderly collect the information you find 一 even seemingly insignificant details can prove valuable during the writing process, so be sure to save them. 

Depending on their era, you may find most of the information readily available online, or you may need to search through university libraries for older references. 

For his landmark biography of Alexander Hamilton, Ron Chernow spent untold hours at Columbia University’s library , reading through the Hamilton family papers, visiting the New York Historical Society, as well as interviewing the archivist of the New York Stock Exchange, and so on. The research process took years, but it certainly paid off. Chernow discovered that Hamilton created the first five securities originally traded on Wall Street. This finding, among others, revealed his significant contributions to shaping the current American financial and political systems, a legacy previously often overshadowed by other founding fathers. Today Alexander Hamilton is one of the best-selling biographies of all time, and it has become a cultural phenomenon with its own dedicated musical. 

Besides reading documents about your subject, research can help you understand the world that your subject lived in. 

Try to understand their time and social environment

Many biographies show how their protagonists have had a profound impact on society through their philosophical, artistic, or scientific contributions. But at the same time, it’s worth it as a biographer to make an effort to understand how their societal and historical context influenced their life’s path and work.

An interesting example is Stephen Greenblatt’s Will in the World . Finding himself limited by a lack of verified detail surrounding William Shakespeare's personal life, Greenblatt, instead, employs literary interpretation and imaginative reenactments to transport readers back to the Elizabethan era. The result is a vivid (though speculative) depiction of the playwright's life, enriching our understanding of his world.

Many readers enjoy biographies that transport them to a time and place, so exploring a historical period through the lens of a character can be entertaining in its own right. The Diary of Samuel Pepys became a classic not because people were enthralled by his life as an administrator, but rather from his meticulous and vivid documentation of everyday existence during the Restoration period.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on as many secondary sources as you can find, you’ll want to go hunting for stories first-hand from people who are (or were) close to your subject.

With all the material you’ve been through, by now you should already have a pretty good picture of your protagonist. But you’ll surely have some curiosities and missing dots in their character arc to figure out, which you can only get by interviewing primary sources.

Interview friends and associates

This part is more relevant if your subject is contemporary, and you can actually meet up or call with relatives, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors, or any other person related to them. 

In writing the popular biography of Steve Jobs, Walter Isaacson interviewed more than one hundred people, including Jobs’s family, colleagues, former college mates, business rivals, and the man himself.

🔍 Read other biographies to get a sense of what makes a great one. Check out our list of the 30 best biographies of all time , or take our 30-second quiz below for tips on which one you should read next. 

Which biography should you read next?

Discover the perfect biography for you. Takes 30 seconds!

When you conduct your interviews, make sure to record them with high quality audio you can revisit later. Then use tools like Otter.ai or Descript to transcribe them 一 it’ll save you countless hours. 

You can approach the interview with a specific set of questions, or follow your curiosity blindly, trying to uncover revealing stories and anecdotes about your subject. Whatever your method, author and biography editor Tom Bromley suggests that every interviewer arrives prepared, "Show that you’ve done your work. This will help to put the interviewee at ease, and get their best answers.” 

Bromley also places emphasis on the order in which you conduct interviews. “You may want to interview different members of the family or friends first, to get their perspective on something, and then go directly to the main interviewee. You'll be able to use that knowledge to ask sharper, more specific questions.” 

Finally, consider how much time you have with each interviewee. If you only have a 30-minute phone call with an important person, make it count by asking directly the most pressing questions you have. And, if you find a reliable source who is also particularly willing to help, conduct several interviews and ask them, if appropriate, to write a foreword as part of the book’s front matter .

Sometimes an important part of the process is packing your bags, getting on a plane, and personally visiting significant places in your character’s journey.

Visit significant places in their life

A place, whether that’s a city, a rural house, or a bodhi tree, can carry a particular energy that you can only truly experience by being there. In putting the pieces together about someone’s life, it may be useful to go visit where they grew up, or where other significant events of their lives happened. It will be easier to imagine what they experienced, and better tell their story. 

In researching The Lost City of Z , author David Grann embarked on a trek through the Amazon, retracing the steps of British explorer Percy Fawcett. This led Grann to develop new theories about the circumstances surrounding the explorer's disappearance.

Hopefully, you won’t have to deal with jaguars and anacondas to better understand your subject’s environment, but try to walk into their shoes as much as possible. 

Once you’ve researched your character enough, it’s time to put together all the puzzle pieces you collected so far. 

Take the bulk of notes, media, and other documents you’ve collected, and start to give them some order and structure. A simple way to do this is by creating a timeline. 

Create a chronological timeline

It helps to organize your notes chronologically 一 from childhood to the senior years, line up the most significant events of your subject’s life, including dates, places, names and other relevant bits. 

You should be able to divide their life into distinct periods, each with their unique events and significance. Based on that, you can start drafting an outline of the narrative you want to create.  

Draft a story outline 

Since a biography entails writing about a person’s entire life, it will have a beginning, a middle, and an end. You can pick where you want to end the story, depending on how consequential the last years of your subject were. But the nature of the work will give you a starting character arc to work with. 

To outline the story then, you could turn to the popular Three-Act Structure , which divides the narrative in three main parts. In a nutshell, you’ll want to make sure to have the following:

• Act 1. Setup : Introduce the protagonist's background and the turning points that set them on a path to achieve a goal. 
• Act 2. Confrontation : Describe the challenges they encounter, both internal and external, and how they rise to them. Then..
• Act 3. Resolution : Reach a climactic point in their story in which they succeed (or fail), showing how they (and the world around them) have changed as a result. 

Only one question remains before you begin writing: what will be the main focus of your biography?

Think about why you’re so drawn to your subject to dedicate years of your life to recounting their own. What aspect of their life do you want to highlight? Is it their evil nature, artistic genius, or visionary mindset? And what evidence have you got to back that up? Find a central thesis or focus to weave as the main thread throughout your narrative. 

Or find a unique angle

If you don’t have a particular theme to explore, finding a distinct angle on your subject’s story can also help you distinguish your work from other biographies or existing works on the same subject.

Plenty of biographies have been published about The Beatles 一 many of which have different focuses and approaches: 

• Philip Norman's Shout is sometimes regarded as leaning more towards a pro-Lennon and anti-McCartney stance, offering insights into the band's inner dynamics. 
• Ian McDonald's Revolution in the Head closely examines their music track by track, shifting the focus back to McCartney as a primary creative force. 
• Craig Brown's One Two Three Four aims to capture their story through anecdotes, fan letters, diary entries, and interviews. 
• Mark Lewisohn's monumental three-volume biography, Tune In , stands as a testament to over a decade of meticulous research, chronicling every intricate detail of the Beatles' journey.

Finally, consider that biographies are often more than recounting the life of a person. Similar to how Dickens’ Great Expectations is not solely about a boy named Pip (but an examination and critique of Britain’s fickle, unforgiving class system), a biography should strive to illuminate a broader truth — be it social, political, or human — beyond the immediate subject of the book. 

Once you’ve identified your main focus or angle, it’s time to write a great story. 

While biographies are often highly informative, they do not have to be dry and purely expository in nature . You can play with storytelling elements to make it an engaging read. 

You could do that by thoroughly detailing the setting of the story , depicting the people involved in the story as fully-fledged characters , or using rising action and building to a climax when describing a particularly significant milestone of the subject’s life. 

One common way to make a biography interesting to read is starting on a strong foot…

Hook the reader from the start

Just because you're honoring your character's whole life doesn't mean you have to begin when they said their first word. Starting from the middle or end of their life can be more captivating as it introduces conflicts and stakes that shaped their journey.

When he wrote about Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild , author Jon Krakauer didn’t open his subject’s childhood and abusive family environment. Instead, the book begins with McCandless hitchhiking his way into the wilderness, and subsequently being discovered dead in an abandoned bus. By starting in medias res , Krakauer hooks the reader’s interest, before tracing back the causes and motivations that led McCandless to die alone in that bus in the first place.

You can bend the timeline to improve the reader’s reading experience throughout the rest of the story too…

Play with flashback 

While biographies tend to follow a chronological narrative, you can use flashbacks to tell brief stories or anecdotes when appropriate. For example, if you were telling the story of footballer Lionel Messi, before the climax of winning the World Cup with Argentina, you could recall when he was just 13 years old, giving an interview to a local newspaper, expressing his lifelong dream of playing for the national team. 

Used sparsely and intentionally, flashbacks can add more context to the story and keep the narrative interesting. Just like including dialogue does…

Reimagine conversations

Recreating conversations that your subject had with people around them is another effective way to color the story. Dialogue helps the reader imagine the story like a movie, providing a deeper sensory experience. 

One thing is trying to articulate the root of Steve Jobs’ obsession with product design, another would be to quote his father , teaching him how to build a fence when he was young: “You've got to make the back of the fence just as good looking as the front of the fence. Even though nobody will see it, you will know. And that will show that you're dedicated to making something perfect.”

Unlike memoirs and autobiographies, in which the author tells the story from their personal viewpoint and enjoys greater freedom to recall conversations, biographies require a commitment to facts. So, when recreating dialogue, try to quote directly from reliable sources like personal diaries, emails, and text messages. You could also use your interview scripts as an alternative to dialogue. As Tom Bromley suggests, “If you talk with a good amount of people, you can try to tell the story from their perspective, interweaving different segments and quoting the interviewees directly.”

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These are just some of the story elements you can use to make your biography more compelling. Once you’ve finished your manuscript, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback. 

If you’re going to self-publish your biography, you’ll have to polish it to professional standards. After leaving your work to rest for a while, look at it with fresh eyes and self-edit your manuscript eliminating passive voice, filler words, and redundant adverbs. 

Then, have a professional editor give you a general assessment. They’ll look at the structure and shape of your manuscript and tell you which parts need to be expanded on or cut. As someone who edited and commissioned several biographies, Tom Bromley points out that a professional “will look at the sources used and assess whether they back up the points made, or if more are needed. They would also look for context, and whether or not more background information is needed for the reader to understand the story fully. And they might check your facts, too.”  

In addition to structural editing, you may want to have someone copy-edit and proofread your work.

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Importantly, make sure to include a bibliography with a list of all the interviews, documents, and sources used in the writing process. You’ll have to compile it according to a manual of style, but you can easily create one by using tools like EasyBib . Once the text is nicely polished and typeset in your writing software , you can prepare for the publication process.  

In conclusion, by mixing storytelling elements with diligent research, you’ll be able to breathe life into a powerful biography that immerses readers in another individual’s life experience. Whether that’ll spark inspiration or controversy, remember you could have an important role in shaping their legacy 一 and that’s something not to take lightly. 

Continue reading

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How to Outline a Biography

Last Updated: July 4, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 52,616 times.

Writing a biography can seem daunting, as you are trying to explore the entirety of someone's life on the page. The key to writing a good biography is outlining it before you dive in. A strong, detailed outline will work through key events chronologically. To outline a biography, start by discussing early life and childhood. Then, go into adulthood and current life, or later life and death if the person is no longer alive.

Discussing Early Life and Childhood

• For example, you may write, “RuPaul Andre Charles, born November 17, 1960 in San Diego, California.”

• For example, you may write, “RuPaul's mother, Ernestine Charles, was from Louisiana. RuPaul's father was Irving Charles. They divorced in 1967.”

• For example, you may write, “RuPaul grew up in San Diego, California and moved to Atlanta, Georgia with his sister when he was 15.”

• For example, you may write, “At 15 years old, RuPaul attended a performing arts school in Atlanta. After he graduated, he focused on his budding stage career, opting not to attend college.”

• For example, you may write about the person's experience with abuse at the hands of a parent. Or you may mention that the person struggled with a learning disability in middle school that would go undiagnosed until later in their life.

Outlining Adulthood

• For example, you may write, “Martha Graham went to Brown University from 1967-1981, majoring in dance. She worked under famous dancers and choreographers in the performance industry at Brown. She graduated with honors.”

• For example, you may write, “Martha Graham met choreographer Dash Nam in a dance class at Brown. They became romantic and professional partners, collaborating on a number of early performances. Nam would later play a major role in Graham's performing company in New York City.”

• For example, you may write, “Martha Graham worked as a bartender while at Brown to support herself. She then created performances for a small stipend until she was able to open her own performing company in 1987 with the help of Dash Nam.”

• For example, you may write, “Martha Graham was rejected from several major dance companies and was unemployed for several years. In frustration, Graham decided to open her own dance company and studio, using funds from friends and colleagues. It later became the premier dance company in America.”

Detailing Current Life and Impact

• For example, you may write, “RuPaul currently resides on a ranch in Wyoming with his partner of twenty years, Australian painter George LeBar. He continues to produce several successful television shows and is a continued advocate for the LGBTQ community.”

• For example, you may write, “In her later life, Graham fell into a depression and battled alcohol addiction. She died in 1991 at the age of 96 from pneumonia. She was cremated and her ashes were scattered over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Northern New Mexico.”

• You can also include your own opinions about the person's overall life. You may include a short section on the impact the person had, or continues to have, on you.
• For example, you may write about how the person influenced a generation of artists or how the person impacted the way we view technology in the 21st century.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://www.apsu.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/Biography-Outline.pdf
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-bio/

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Human lives are intricate tapestries woven with experiences, emotions, challenges, and triumphs. Biographies and autobiographies serve as windows into these remarkable stories, offering insight into the lives of individuals who have left their mark on history or those who wish to chronicle their own journeys. 

I n this guide, we will explore the art of writing biographies and autobiographies, delving into the nuances of both genres and providing valuable tips on how to craft compelling narratives.

Understanding Biography and Autobiography

• Biography: Exploring Lives Beyond the Surface A biography is a literary exploration that unveils the intricate layers of a person’s existence, transcending the mere listing of events. It provides a comprehensive account of an individual’s life, offering insights into their achievements, struggles, societal impact, and distinct qualities that define them. These narratives serve as windows into history, allowing readers to traverse time and understand the legacy left by remarkable individuals. Biographies are usually crafted by biographers, individuals skilled in research and storytelling. They undertake a meticulous journey of gathering information from diverse sources, such as historical records, interviews, letters, and secondary literature. The biographer’s role is to curate these fragments of information into a coherent narrative, painting a vivid portrait of the subject. This comprehensive approach lends credibility and depth to the portrayal, enriching the reader’s understanding of the subject’s contributions and character. Example:  Consider the biography of Mahatma Gandhi. A biographer compiling his life story would explore not only his role in India’s fight for independence but also his principles of nonviolence, his experiments with truth, and his impact on the world’s political landscape. By presenting a holistic view of Gandhi’s life, the biography reveals the nuances of his personality, beliefs, and the larger context in which he operated.
• Autobiography: The Intimate Dialogue of Self-Discovery An autobiography is a narrative journey undertaken by the subject themselves—a profound sharing of one’s life experiences, emotions, and reflections. This genre provides readers with an intimate insight into the subject’s psyche, allowing them to witness their life’s trajectory through personal recollections. Autobiographies carry a unique authenticity, as they are composed from the vantage point of the person who lived those moments, providing a firsthand account of their journey. Autobiographies draw from the subject’s reservoir of memories, emotions, and introspections. This self-exploration leads to a narrative that is often more than a linear chronicle; it becomes a tapestry woven with the threads of emotions, thoughts, and personal revelations. By directly communicating with the reader, the autobiographer creates a powerful connection, allowing readers to step into their shoes and experience their story from within. Example:  A notable example of an autobiography is “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank. Written during her time in hiding during World War II, the book offers a candid portrayal of Anne’s life, fears, hopes, and dreams. Through her own words, readers gain a deep understanding of the challenges faced by Jews during the Holocaust, as well as the resilience and humanity that Anne exudes even in the face of adversity.

Writing a Biography:

Research: The Foundation of a Compelling Biography Thorough research is the cornerstone of a captivating biography. Delve into reputable sources like books, articles, interviews, and archives to gather a comprehensive view of your subject’s life. By immersing yourself in these materials, you gain insights into their experiences, motivations, and contributions. Scrutinise the historical context to understand the era’s impact on their journey. Successful research forms the bedrock of your biography, enabling you to present an accurate and nuanced portrayal that resonates with readers. It’s through meticulous research that you uncover the hidden stories and connect the dots, allowing the subject’s essence to shine through the pages.

Selecting a Focus: Defining the Narrative Scope Choosing a focal point is essential for a well-structured biography. Decide whether to cover the subject’s entire life or concentrate on specific periods or achievements. This decision shapes the narrative’s trajectory, preventing it from becoming overwhelming or disjointed. A focused approach allows you to delve deeply into pivotal moments, providing a more profound understanding of the subject’s journey. By clarifying the scope, you enable readers to follow a coherent storyline, making it easier for them to engage with the subject’s life in a meaningful way.

Structuring the Biography: Chronology and Themes The organisation of your biography greatly impacts its readability. Structure your work into logical sections or chapters, employing either a chronological or thematic arrangement. Begin with an engaging introduction that captures readers’ attention and provides essential context. A chronological structure follows the subject’s life in sequential order, offering a clear timeline of events. Alternatively, a thematic structure groups events by themes, allowing you to explore different facets of the subject’s life. A well-structured biography guides readers smoothly through the subject’s experiences, fostering a deeper connection and understanding.

Show, Don’t Tell: Evocative Storytelling Vivid descriptions, anecdotes, and quotes breathe life into your biography. Rather than merely listing facts, employ descriptive language to recreate scenes and emotions, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the subject’s world. Use anecdotes to illustrate key moments, capturing the essence of the subject’s character and the impact of events on their journey. Integrating quotes from the subject, contemporaries, or relevant sources adds authenticity and depth. Through this technique, you transport readers into the subject’s experiences, enabling them to witness the moments that shaped their lives.

Balanced Perspective: Portraying Strengths and Flaws A balanced portrayal adds credibility and depth to your biography. While it’s tempting to focus solely on accomplishments, a well-rounded view includes the subject’s strengths and flaws. This authenticity humanises the subject, making it relatable and multidimensional. By acknowledging both successes and challenges, readers gain a more honest understanding of their journey. Balancing positives and negatives helps readers empathise with the subject, connecting them on a deeper level and offering a more genuine insight into their lives.

Engaging Emotions: Creating Emotional Resonance Emotions are a potent tool in biography writing. Delve into the subject’s feelings, struggles, and aspirations to create an emotional connection with readers. By tapping into their emotional experiences, you make the narrative relatable and engaging. Sharing personal challenges and triumphs allows readers to empathise and reflect on their own lives. This emotional resonance elevates the biography from a mere factual account to a compelling and moving story that lingers in readers’ minds, leaving a lasting impact.

Citing Sources: Ensuring Accuracy and Credibility Accurate information is vital in biography writing. Properly cite your sources to maintain credibility and integrity. Clear citations not only lend authority to your work but also provide readers with the opportunity to explore further if they desire. Accurate referencing safeguards against misinformation and ensures that your portrayal is based on reliable evidence. In addition to enhancing your credibility, thorough citations demonstrate your commitment to thorough research and ethical writing practises, contributing to the overall trustworthiness of your biography.

Complete Guide to Write a Biography. Start Writing Your Biography Now

Writing an Autobiography:

Reflecting on Significant Moments and Experiences Initiating an autobiography involves introspection into your life’s pivotal moments. Delve into memories that have influenced your journey, such as turning points, challenges, relationships, and achievements. Reflect on these experiences, dissecting their impact on your personal growth and development. By contemplating these key events, you gain insight into the narrative threads that weave your life story together. This reflective process sets the foundation for an authentic autobiography that resonates with readers on a profound level.

Developing Your Unique Voice and Tone Crafting an autobiography demands a consistent voice and tone that reflect your personality. Write in a way that feels true to you, capturing your unique perspective and emotions. Authenticity is key, as it allows readers to connect with your narrative on a personal level. Whether your tone is introspective, humorous, or contemplative, ensure it aligns with the essence of your experiences. By embracing your genuine voice, you create an autobiography that not only tells your story but also conveys the essence of who you are.

Structured Storytelling for Engagement While autobiographies can be more flexible in structure compared to biographies, organising your narrative into coherent sections or themes enhances its readability. By grouping related experiences together, you provide readers with a clearer understanding of the themes that have shaped your life. This structure helps maintain their engagement by guiding them through your journey in a logical and compelling manner. While allowing for creativity, a structured approach ensures that your autobiography remains focused and accessible.

Embracing honesty and authenticity Honesty is the bedrock of an impactful autobiography. Share not only your triumphs but also your mistakes and failures. Authenticity creates relatability, allowing readers to connect with your humanity and vulnerabilities. Your journey’s challenges and setbacks are just as integral to your story as your successes. By being candid about your experiences, you demonstrate resilience and growth, inspiring readers to reflect on their own paths. This level of authenticity fosters a deeper connection, making your autobiography a source of empathy and encouragement.

Adding Depth Through Reflection Incorporate reflection to imbue your autobiography with depth and meaning. Explore the lessons you’ve learned from your experiences and the transformations they’ve prompted. Delve into how these moments shaped your beliefs, values, and perspective on life. By offering insights gained from introspection, you provide readers with wisdom and a broader understanding of your journey. Reflection transforms your autobiography from a chronicle of events into a thoughtful exploration of personal growth and the profound impact of life’s moments.

Creating vivid details for immersion Immerse readers in your world by employing sensory details and vivid descriptions. Paint a picture with words, allowing readers to visualise the scenes and emotions you’re describing. By incorporating sensory elements like sights, sounds, smells, and feelings, you transport readers into the moments you’re recounting. This immersive experience draws them closer to your story, fostering a stronger connection. Vivid details not only make your autobiography more engaging but also enable readers to forge a deeper connection with your experiences and emotions.

In the realm of literature, biographies and autobiographies stand as powerful testaments to the diversity and richness of human existence. Whether you’re capturing the life of a historical figure or penning your own life story, the art of writing these genres involves meticulous research, introspection, and a keen understanding of human emotions. 

Through carefully chosen words and evocative storytelling, biographers and autobiographers alike can craft narratives that resonate with readers and offer a deeper understanding of the human experience. So, whether you’re writing about the extraordinary or the everyday, embrace the challenge and privilege of narrating lives through the written word.

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How to Write an Interesting Biography

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A biography is a written account of the series of events that make up a person's life. Some of those events are going to be pretty boring, so you'll need to try to make your account as interesting as possible!

Every student will write a biography at some point, but the level of detail and sophistication will differ. A fourth grade biography will be much different from a middle school-level biography or a high school or college-level biography.

However, each biography will include the basic details. The first information you should gather in your research will include biographical details and facts. You must use a trustworthy resource to ensure that your information is accurate.

Using research note cards , collect the following data, carefully recording the source for each piece of information:

Including Basic Details

• Date and place of birth and death
• Family information
• Lifetime accomplishments
• Major events of life
• Effects/impact on society, historical significance

While this information is necessary to your project, these dry facts, on their own, don't really make a very good biography. Once you've found these basics, you'll want to dig a little deeper.

You choose a certain person because you think he or she is interesting, so you certainly don't want to burden your paper with an inventory of boring facts. Your goal is to impress your reader!

Start off with great first sentence . It's a good idea to begin with a really interesting statement, a little-known fact, or really intriguing event.

You should avoid starting out with a standard but boring line like:

"Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774."

Instead, try starting with something like this:

"Late one afternoon in October, 1809, Meriwether Lewis arrived at a small log cabin nestled deep in the Tennessee Mountains. By sunrise on the following day, he was dead, having suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

You'll have to make sure your beginning is motivating, but it should also be relevant. The next sentence or two should lead into your thesis statement , or main message of your biography.

"It was a tragic end to a life that had so deeply affected the course of history in the United States. Meriwether Lewis, a driven and often tormented soul, led an expedition of discovery that expanded a young nation's economic potential, increased its scientific understanding, and enhanced its worldwide reputation."

Now that you've created an impressive beginning , you'll want to continue the flow. Find more intriguing details about the man and his work, and weave them into the composition.

Examples of Interesting Details:

• Some people believed that Lewis and Clark would encounter elephants in the western wilderness, having misunderstood the wooly mammoth bones discovered in the United States.
• The expedition resulted in the discovery and description of 122 new animal species and subspecies.
• Lewis was a hypochondriac.
• His death is still an unsolved mystery, although it was ruled a suicide.

You can find interesting facts by consulting diverse sources.

Fill the body of your biography with material that gives insight into your subject's personality. For instance, in a biography about Meriwether Lewis, you would ask what traits or events motivated him to embark on such a monumental exercise.

Questions to Consider in Your Biography:

• Was there something in your subject's childhood that shaped his/her personality?
• Was there a personality trait that drove him/her to succeed or impeded his progress?
• What adjectives would you use to describe him/her?
• What were some turning points in this life?
• What was his/her impact on history?

Be sure to use transitional phrases and words to link your paragraphs and make your composition paragraphs flow . It is normal for good writers to re-arrange their sentences to create a better paper.

The final paragraph will summarize your main points and re-assert your main claim about your subject. It should point out your main points, re-name the person you're writing about, but it should not repeat specific examples.

As always, proofread your paper and check for errors. Create a bibliography and title page according to your teacher's instructions. Consult a style guide for proper documentation.

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How to Write a Biography (Examples & Templates)

A biography is a written account of a person’s life that details their life in chronological order. Another person usually writes this detailed account, and it contains reports of their childhood, career, major life events, relationships, and social impact. It also details their relationships with their family, children, and life accomplishments.

The best way to find out more about a popular figure is through reading their biographies, so you need to make sure you get the correct information. Before writing a biography, you need to do a lot of research and interviews to represent a person’s life accurately.

Types of Biography

A biography is the story of someone’s life as written by another writer. Most biographies of popular figures are written years, or even decades, after their deaths. Authors write biographies of popular figures due to either a lack of information on the subject or personal interest.

A biography aims to share a person’s story or highlight a part of their life.

There are different types of biographies, depending on the story. Some biographies are written true to the story, while some are written as fictional works. Biographies can give you true understanding of a person on an internal as well as external level along with a lot of life lessons.

Autobiography

An autobiography is different from a biography because it is written by the subject of the story, themselves. The author writes in the first-person narrative, and it flows step-by-step like a story of their life. Autobiographies contain personal accounts of the subject’s life, along with their perspectives and opinions on events in their life.

How To Write a Biography

Pick a subject.

Picking a subject is the first step in writing a biography. You can pick an already famous person or a relatively unknown person with a great life story. If you already have a few in mind, you can start by asking yourself some questions such as;

• What has the subject accomplished that makes them a good subject?
• Have they had an impact on society?
• Is the subject a celebrity or a well-known personality?
• Will the biography appeal to a wide audience?

Get Permission

When you pick a subject, the next thing to do is to get permission from them or their family or rights owners. Although, with some historical figures, there may not be any need for permission. Getting permission from your subject makes it easier for you to get stories to put into your book. You can get the chance to obtain additional personal stories and anecdotes that will make your book more interesting by doing so as well.

Do The Research

Research is the most important part of a biography’s process as the entire content of the book is dependent on it. Irrespective of what you know about the subject, you need to carry out as much research as possible to get the story’s facts precisely.

Biography research comes from various sources, depending on the book’s subject. Firsthand reports from family, friends, or personal accounts from the subjects are primary sources. They are usually the most accurate and reliable, and they are crucial for a biography. Secondary sources come from other sources like magazines or documentaries.

Pick a Format

Biographies come in various formats, with each of them having their pros and cons. A typical biography will start at the beginning, usually with the birth and childhood of the subject. Yet, if the biography’s theme involves a different event in their life, the author may want to explore the flashback option or one with concurrent events from different times.

Usually, biographies have a theme or a general life lesson at the center. The author’s role is to tell the subject’s story leading up to the major event.

Which-ever format you choose should place the theme at the center, with the other events detailing the journey.

Create a Timeline Of The Story

Since a biography takes place in chronological order, there needs to be a timeline of the events in the right order. The timeline should contain the key events in the subject’s life, in the order the author plans on revealing them. A great way to declutter the story and keep it interesting is to use flashbacks . This way, the author can introduce past events and explain later events excluding the element of monotony.

Add In Your Thoughts

The good thing about biographies is that you don’t have to stick to the hard facts only. As the author, you can share your opinions and emotions in writing. The author has the freedom to do this by commenting on a significant action by the subject in a manner that describes why they feel the subject may have done what they did.

The author can also include commentary on events depicted in the biography – how it was influenced society or its impact on the lives around them. Recounting these events through a different perspective can make the biography more relatable and interesting to read.

FAQ’s

Why is a biography template important.

A biography template has an outline that makes the writing easier for the author. Biography templates usually contain a sample timeline, format, and questions that provide more information about the subject. With a great biography template, you can cut your writing time in half and spend less time coming up with an outline.

How are biographies better in comparison to autobiographies

Since a different person writes biographies, they tend to be more objective and somewhat accurate than autobiographies. An autobiography tells things from the author’s perspective, so their views and perspective cloud it. Thus, a biography will likely tell a more factual story.

These are the important steps you need to take to help you write a great biography. Now, to make things easier for you, we have a free customizable autobiography and biography template that you can use to start your first book. Get the template and start writing today

What are some of the most important elements to keep in consideration while writing a biography?

Any author looking to write a biography must consider the factors below. They aren’t the only important factors, but a biography isn’t complete without them. • Date and place of their birth • Academic background • Professional expertise • Death, if deceased • Facts and anecdotes about the person • Main accomplishments • Detailed accounts of their child and adult life

Biographies tell the untold stories of some incredibly relevant people in the world. But biographies are not always strictly accurate. So, every biographer needs to follow the necessary steps to provide a biography with all the requirements.

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biography , form of literature , commonly considered nonfictional, the subject of which is the life of an individual. One of the oldest forms of literary expression, it seeks to re-create in words the life of a human being—as understood from the historical or personal perspective of the author—by drawing upon all available evidence, including that retained in memory as well as written, oral, and pictorial material.

Biography is sometimes regarded as a branch of history , and earlier biographical writings—such as the 15th-century Mémoires of the French councellor of state, Philippe de Commynes , or George Cavendish’s 16th-century life of Thomas Cardinal Wolsey —have often been treated as historical material rather than as literary works in their own right. Some entries in ancient Chinese chronicles included biographical sketches; imbedded in the Roman historian Tacitus ’s Annals is the most famous biography of the emperor Tiberius ; conversely , Sir Winston Churchill ’s magnificent life of his ancestor John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough , can be read as a history (written from a special point of view) of Britain and much of Europe during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–14). Yet there is general recognition today that history and biography are quite distinct forms of literature. History usually deals in generalizations about a period of time (for example, the Renaissance), about a group of people in time (the English colonies in North America), about an institution (monasticism during the Middle Ages). Biography more typically focuses upon a single human being and deals in the particulars of that person’s life.

Both biography and history, however, are often concerned with the past, and it is in the hunting down, evaluating, and selection of sources that they are akin. In this sense biography can be regarded as a craft rather than an art: techniques of research and general rules for testing evidence can be learned by anyone and thus need involve comparatively little of that personal commitment associated with art.

A biographer in pursuit of an individual long dead is usually hampered by a lack of sources: it is often impossible to check or verify what written evidence there is; there are no witnesses to cross-examine. No method has yet been developed by which to overcome such problems. Each life, however, presents its own opportunities as well as specific difficulties to the biographer: the ingenuity with which the biographer handles gaps in the record—by providing information, for example, about the age that casts light upon the subject—has much to do with the quality of the resulting work. James Boswell knew comparatively little about Samuel Johnson ’s earlier years; it is one of the greatnesses of his Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. (1791) that he succeeded, without inventing matter or deceiving the reader, in giving the sense of a life progressively unfolding. Another masterpiece of reconstruction in the face of little evidence is A.J.A. Symons ’ biography of the English author and eccentric Frederick William Rolfe , The Quest for Corvo (1934). A further difficulty is the unreliability of most collections of papers, letters, and other memorabilia edited before the 20th century. Not only did editors feel free to omit and transpose materials, but sometimes the authors of documents revised their personal writings for the benefit of posterity , often falsifying the record and presenting their biographers with a difficult situation when the originals were no longer extant .

The biographer writing the life of a person recently dead is often faced with the opposite problem: an abundance of living witnesses and a plethora of materials, which include the subject’s papers and letters, sometimes transcriptions of telephone conversations and conferences, as well as the record of interviews granted to the biographer by the subject’s friends and associates. Frank Friedel, for example, in creating a biography of the U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt , had to wrestle with something like 40 tons of paper. But finally, when writing the life of any person, whether long or recently dead, the biographer’s chief responsibility is vigorously to test the authenticity of the collected materials by whatever rules and techniques are available. When the subject of a biography is still alive and a contributor to the work, the biographer’s task is to examine the subject’s perspective against multiple, even contradictory sources.

All About the Structure and Sample of A Biography And How To Write It

A biography is a non-fiction work about a specific person’s life. Usually written in the third person point of view, all examples of biography you will find are meant to give you an objective understanding and an authentic characterization. It is written following a person’s narration of it, their friends or family members’ accounts, or researching materials like recordings, journals, diaries, old interviews, experts, and the likes. It is not uncommon to find a sample of a biography of a deceased person. All kinds of biography samples can be found online or in your local library about both the heroes of old and modern heroes of today.

Most biography samples that you would find are about famous people. It’s not surprising that people would write and read about politicians, historical figures, artists, authors, inventors, all kinds of leaders, and even notorious people and criminal masterminds. It’s always interesting how an author of a biography example plots their narrative. Look for different examples of biography. You can note how the writers of it help you imagine what it was like to be there, at the exact moment that someone famous or good is doing something that is only known to us through history books. However, as you write your own, remember that, unlike fiction writing or other kinds, it is very rare to find a sample of a biography that would tell you how the subject is or was feeling. All biography samples that you would read would tell you the subject’s each step on their whole life journey but not how they were feeling during those times or not necessarily or accurately.

There are many biography samples that you can find and read about. But in recent years, some biographies have been turned into another form of art, like a movie or a play. Some examples of biography that has been turned into a movie that you might recognize include:

• The Theory of Everything (Stephen Hawking)
• Wolf of Wall Street (Jordan Belfort)
• Ford vs Ferrari (Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles)
• Schindler’s List (Oskar Schindler)
• Bohemian Rhapsody (Rock band Queen)
• Molly’s Game (Molly Bloom)
• Godfellas (Henry Hill)
• Braveheart (William Wallace)
• Bonnie and Clyde (Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow)
• On the Basis of Sex (Ruth Bader Ginsberg)

Interesting enough, some biographies are even used as the basis for some musical plays. For example, the 2004 biography written by Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton, is a good sample of an amazingly transformed biography into a musical play (and even a movie) by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Tips And Tricks on How To Write A Biography

1. a biography is not a resume.

Going into the task of writing a biography is serious business. This is why before even starting to write a biography, you should already have it stuck in your head that you are not writing a resume . This is a tendency for most writers because examples of biography typically include the same information as your resume. Only a sample of a biography would have to be more detailed. Nevertheless, do not make the mistake of writing a biography as if you were writing a detailed resume because it’s not. The whole idea of a biography is to narrate the life story of a person. This goes even further than their accomplishments and their educational background.

2. You Are Writing About a Real Person

Another thing to keep in mind is that a biography is about a real person. This narrative is not something that is made up or imagined. Any sample of a biography that you would find tells the story of a person that lived on the same earth you are now. Be careful not to alienate the person you are writing about. That is, do not be afraid to portray their human side and have them be relatable. As far as examples of biography go, the more readers find themselves relating to the person in the narrative, the better their chances of reading. You have to remember that your goal as a biography writer is to present the truth and authenticity of your subject. In all its bits and pieces, do not be afraid to put in the details about the birth, the childhood, the teenage years, all the way to adulthood, and maybe, even the death of your subject.

3. Find Your Era or Not

Examples of Biography that you would find typically start at the subject’s birth and end either at their death or the peak of their careers. And this is something that you can do. You can start on the day they were born and narrate how they spent their time when they were children, their experiences and experiments as teenagers and young adults, and their careers as adults. This is a sample of a biography that can go long enough to be a novel or a series of books. However, there is no harm in entertaining the idea of focusing and writing about only a specific period of a person’s life. You can find examples of biography that skip the childhood and teenage part of the person’s life and goes straight to their career as an adult. Some do the opposite and focus on the person’s early years to establish what honed their subject to the person they are known to be. Other examples of biography just focus on the few recent years of a person’s life and career , while certain writers tend to focus on the peak of the life and career of their subject. Regardless of what you decide to do, just be mindful not to lose sight of the reason and purpose of why you’re writing.

4. Research, Interview, Research

It might be a tad easier to write a biography about yourself or someone you know. This would save you a lot of time and trouble finding out details to include in your biography. However, most examples of biography are those of famous personalities’ lives and careers. So unless you are close friends with the celebrity or prominent figure you want to write about, you have to go through a lot of research. More or less, any sample of a biography that you would find and read contains the tiniest and most specific details about their subject. This was produced from the sweat and tears of hours, and even days, worth going through books, journals, newspapers, and any other records that the writer can find. Don’t be afraid to go above and beyond what you can find online or in your local libraries. Think creatively, try to find sources that are hidden in the cracks of the field of knowledge. Formulate a questionnaire and try to interview your subject, if possible, or find people connected to them that you can interview. Try to dive into public records, old school records, and any other reference material you can find. We’re telling you now that writing a biography can prove to be extremely tiresome and time-consuming. But we can also assure you that it is incredibly satisfying once you finish it.

5. Write, Edit, Write

You might be one of those writers who prefer to write as they gather information or maybe the ones that collect all the information they can find first and write after. Regardless of your methods, one thing is constant - your writing journey will not be a short one, especially if you are writing a whole life story. It is important to remember that you have to be accurate in your accounts and that authenticity plays a vital role in writing a biography. Your narrative has to be as detailed as you get it to be. It is also helpful to know early on that there is a point in the writing process of any sample of a biography you have read that you have to edit your writing. You have to rephrase, rewrite or completely revise the pieces that you have already written. It can be a good idea to outline how you want your narrative to go but don’t be afraid to explore the idea of reshaping or maybe even overhauling the biography you are writing about if you suddenly think of a better idea in the middle of your writing journey.

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Genome-wide identification and investigation of monosaccharide transporter gene family based on their evolution and expression analysis under abiotic stress and hormone treatments in maize ( Zea mays L.)

• Jialun Zhu 1   na1 ,
• Tianfeng Li 1   na1 ,
• Jing Ma 1 ,
• Wenyu Li 1 ,
• Hanyu Zhang 1 ,
• Tsyganova Nadezhda 2 ,
• Yanshu Zhu 1 ,
• Xiaomei Dong 1 ,
• Cong Li 1 , 3 &
• Jinjuan Fan 1  

BMC Plant Biology volume  24 , Article number:  496 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

303 Accesses

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Monosaccharide transporter (MST) family, as a carrier for monosaccharide transport, plays an important role in carbon partitioning and widely involves in plant growth and development, stress response, and signaling transduction. However, little information on the MST family genes is reported in maize ( Zea mays ), especially in response to abiotic stresses. In this study, the genome-wide identification of MST family genes was performed in maize.

A total of sixty-six putative members of MST gene family were identified and divided into seven subfamilies (including SPT, PMT, VGT, INT, pGlcT, TMT, and ERD) using bioinformatics approaches, and gene information, phylogenetic tree, chromosomal location, gene structure, motif composition, and cis -acting elements were investigated. Eight tandem and twelve segmental duplication events were identified, which played an important role in the expansion of the ZmMST family. Synteny analysis revealed the evolutionary features of MST genes in three gramineous crop species. The expression analysis indicated that most of the PMT, VGT, and ERD subfamilies members responded to osmotic and cadmium stresses, and some of them were regulated by ABA signaling, while only a few members of other subfamilies responded to stresses. In addition, only five genes were induced by NaCl stress in MST family.

These results serve to understand the evolutionary relationships of the ZmMST family genes and supply some insight into the processes of monosaccharide transport and carbon partitioning on the balance between plant growth and development and stress response in maize.

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The industrial activities of human caused the trends of climate warming and constant changes in the natural environment [ 1 , 2 ]. Many abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity, low temperature, and heavy metals pollution affect the growth and development of plants and the yield of crops, and further threaten food security and human health [ 3 ]. Sugars are the main form of long-distance transportation and distribution of photosynthate and play an important role in plant growth and development [ 4 ]. Sugar not only constitutes metabolites, nutrients, and signal molecules, but also can be used as osmotic substances. One way that plants protect cell structure and alleviate the damage of abiotic stress is by accumulating osmotic substances or compatible solutes [ 4 , 5 ]. In Arabidopsis thaliana , sugar plays an important role in protecting plant structure by increasing the concentration of soluble sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose) in sink leaves and sucrose in phloem sap, maintaining water potential and improving plant stress tolerance [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Therefore, sugar transport and distribution are key for crops in yielding and coping with abiotic stress [ 9 , 10 ].

In plants, various sugar transporters are involved in the transport of sugar from source to sink, of which the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) is an important member [ 11 ]. MFS can be generally divided into the sucrose transporter (SUT) family and MST family according to the different transport substrates. MSTs are complete membrane proteins that can participate in the transmembrane transport of monosaccharides [ 12 ]. The MST family can also be further divided into seven subfamilies based on their substrate specificities and sequence features, including Sugar Transport Protein (STP), Polyol/Monosaccharide Transporter (PMT), Vacuolar Glucose Transporter (VGT), Inositol Transporter (INT), Plastidic Glucose Transporter (pGlcT), Tonoplast Membrane Transporter (TMT), and Early-Responsive to Dehydration six-like (ERD) [ 13 ].

STP is a sugar transporter that mainly transports hexose. In Arabidopsis, most STPs exhibited a broad spectrum of absorption characteristics of substrates. AtSTP1 is involved in Arabidopsis germination and root development as a transporter protein for sugar alcohols [ 14 ]. In atstp1 mutant, the ability to transport sugar alcohols (D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-mannose) is greatly weakened compared with the wild type [ 14 ]. By investigating AtSTP6 -promoter:: GUS plants and conducting in situ hybridization experiments at the late stage of pollen development, it is determined that AtSTP6 was expressed. A transposon-tagged Arabidopsis mutant also demonstrates that the atstp6 mutation may have an impact on pollen vitality, pollen germination, fertilization, and seed production [ 15 ]. PMT proteins (PMTs) not only transport mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, and other polyols, but also transport monosaccharides. The first PMT gene is found in Apium graveolens L., named AgMAT1 , and it plays an important role in the loading process of phloem mannitol [ 16 ]. Arabidopsis genome contains six PMT subfamily genes, named AtPMT1 to AtPMT6 . AtPMT5 is located in the plasma membrane and can transport pentoses such as sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, and glycerol), hexose, and ribose. AtPMT5 is highly expressed in Arabidopsis roots and plays an important role in plant morphological construction [ 17 ]. In plants, the VGT subfamily generally has only 2–3 members, and plays a key role in the process of seed germination, flowering, and other growth and development [ 18 , 19 ]. In Arabidopsis, AtVGT1 is H + /glucose reverse transporter located on the vacuolar plastid, which is involved in the transport and storage of monosaccharides in vacuoles. AtVGT1 also plays a key role in the process of seed germination, flowering, and other growth and development, and the atvgt1 mutant has a lower germination rate and delays flowering [ 20 ]. INT proteins are highly specific H + -inositol symporters, and the functions of them are in the transportation and distribution of inositol. Four INT genes ( AtINT1 - 4 ) are identified in Arabidopsis, of which AtINT4 is the first identified INT subfamily member. AtINT4 is highly expressed in Arabidopsis pollen and phloem companion tissue, which is related to plant pollen development and participated in inositol loading in phloem [ 21 ]. pGlcT proteins (pGlcTs) can transport glucose. The pGlcT gene is cloned in spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) and proves the role in transporting starch and hydrolyzing glucose [ 21 ]. In Arabidopsis, the atpglct1 , atpglct2 , and atpglct1 / atpglct2 mutants show growth and development inhibition in varying degrees [ 22 ]. TMT proteins (TMTs, also known as ATZ) are also localized on vacuolar plastids. Previous studies reported that TMTs are involved in the transport of sucrose on vacuoles. In the Attmt1 / Attmt2 double mutant, the sucrose transportation to vacuoles is impaired [ 23 ]. The majority of the ERD6-like protein is found on the vacuolar membrane and is in charge of the transmembrane transport of sugar in the vacuoles [ 24 ]. In Arabidopsis, ERD (also known as SFPs) is the largest subfamily in the MST family and responds to abiotic stresses. For instance, AtERD1 and AtERD2 also respond to different stress treatments, and they may function coordinately with the vacuolar invertase to regulate osmotic pressure by affecting the accumulation of sugar in plant cells [ 25 ]. Genome-wide identification of the MST family has been performed in many plants, such as Arabidopsis, rice, grape, and tobacco [ 12 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].

The distribution of monosaccharide transporters in maize plants directly affects plant growth and development and abiotic stress response. However, genome-wide identification, evolutionary analysis, and response to abiotic stresses of the maize monosaccharide transporter family have not yet been reported. In this study, 66 MST genes were identified from the maize genome. Phylogenetic analysis, gene structure analysis, and synteny analysis were performed to understand the evolution and amplification of the ZmMST family, and the expression analysis in different tissues and under different treatments was performed to explore the response to abiotic stresses. These results provide insights into the evolution of the maize MST family and their role in maize growth and development and abiotic stress response. The identification and characterization of ZmMST genes may provide opportunities for the optimization of maize variety selection and breeding.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of the MST gene family members in maize

The Arabidopsis MST proteins were queried against the maize genome using BLASTP to search for maize MST genes. The gene domain was manually confirmed through the NCBI CDD, SMART, and Pfam websites, and the protein sequence length (number of amino acids), molecular weight, and isoelectric point were determined by the ExPASy proteomics system. The sequences of the monosaccharide transporter family revealed by screening have conserved structural domains. Finally, 66 complete monosaccharide transporter sequences were identified and divided into seven subfamilies in maize, including STP (23 members), PMT (20 members), VGT (2 members), INT (4 members), pGlcT (4 members), TMT (4 members), and ERD (9 members) subfamilies. Gene names, AA accession number, length of the gene, amino acid numbers, molecular weights, chromosomal locations, and pIs were listed in Table  1 . Meanwhile, 64, 69, and 77 genes of the MST family were identified in rice, sorghum, and millet, respectively, as shown in Additional file 1.

As shown in Fig.  1 , the MST genes were randomly distributed on 10 maize chromosomes. Among them, 12 MST genes were distributed on chromosome (chr) 7, and only two genes existed on chr 6 and 9. The STP subfamily genes were dispersed across 8 of the 10 chromosomes, and ZmPMT genes were dispersed across 6 of the 10 chromosomes. ZmVGT genes had only two genes and were located on chr 5. ZmTMT genes were located on chr 1, 4, and 5. ZmINT genes were located on chr 7 and 10, respectively. ZmpGlcT genes were located on chr 3, 4, 7, and 8, respectively. ZmERD genes were located on chr 1, 3, and 8.

Chromosomal distribution of ZmMST genes. ZmPMT genes, ZmpGlcT genes, ZmERD genes, ZmSTP genes, ZmINT genes, ZmVGT genes, and ZmTMT genes are highlighted in purple, yellow-green, red, dark brown, dark blue, dark green, and light blue, respectively. Tandem repeat genes are highlighted in yellow

To explore the systematic evolution, a phylogenetic tree of MST family genes in maize was constructed. As shown in Figs.  2 and 3 A, ZmMST genes were divided into five main branches and seven groups, which was consistent with the results of existing studies. The VGT subfamily and INT subfamily possessed a closed relationship, while the relationship of ERD and pGlcT was close. Meanwhile, phylogenetic trees were constructed in seven subfamilies, including members from three species of maize, rice, and Arabidopsis (Additional file 2–8).

Phylogenetic tree for MST proteins of Zea mays . Multiple sequence alignment of the MST domains was performed using MUSCLE, and the phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 7.0 with the maximum likelihood method with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Proteins of ZmPMT, ZmpGlcT, ZmERD, ZmSTP, ZmINT, ZmVGT, and ZmTMT are highlighted in purple, yellow-green, red, dark brown, dark blue, dark green, and light blue, respectively

Phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, and conserved motif analyses of ZmMST genes based on phylogenetic relationships. All motifs were identified with the MEME Suite using the complete amino acid sequences. Exon–intron structure analyses were performed with TBtools. A Neighbor-joining tree indicating evolutionary relationships. B Exon–intron structure. Green boxes, yellow boxes, and black lines indicate the untranslated region, coding sequence, and gene length, respectively. C Conserved motifs

Gene structure and motif composition of the maize MST gene family

The exon–intron organizations of the MST family genes were detected to comprehend the evolution of the MST family in maize. As shown in Fig.  3 B, ZmSTP genes possessed one to four exons (20 with two to three exons, 3 with four exons, and ZmSTP11 with only one exon). Although the ZmPMT subfamily has many genes, the gene structure tends to be conserved, and all ZmPMT genes possess two to three exons (14 members with two exons and 6 members with three exons). The ZmVGT subfamily contains only two genes, ZmVGT1 possesses twelve exons and ZmVGT2 possesses fourteen exons. ZmINT and ZmTMT genes possesses one to six exons. ZmpGlcT genes possess 12 to 14 exons. The ZmERD subfamily is different from other subfamilies, which contain an extensive number of exons, from 7 to 18.

The conserved motifs of MST proteins were identified by the MEME motif program. The result was shown in Fig.  3 C. Almost all MST family members contained six conserved motifs, motifs 1 to 6, and each subfamily contained different conserved motifs. Except for the ERD and TMT subfamilies, the other five subfamilies all contain motif 7. Motif 8 exists in almost all subfamilies except the TMT and motif 11 exists in all subfamilies except the ERD and STP. While motifs 10, 13, 14, and 15 only exist in the STP subfamily. Overall, the gene structures and conserved motif compositions of MSTs were similar in the same subfamily.

Synteny analysis of MST genes

To analyze the expansion of the MST family, gene duplication events, both tandem duplication (TD) and segmental duplication (SD) were detected. Eight pairs of tandem replication gene pairs (Fig.  1 ), including ZmSTP5 / 6 , ZmSTP21 / 22 , ZmPMT1 / 2 , ZmPMT2 / 3 , ZmPMT5 / 6 , ZmPMT14 / 15 , ZmPMT15 / 16 and ZmERD3 / 4 , and 12 segmental duplication events, including ZmSTP5 / 13 , ZmSTP6 / 15 , ZmSTP9 / 18 , ZmSTP13 / 15 , ZmSTP15 / 22 , ZmSTP13 / 22 , ZmPMT1 / 8 , ZmPMT3 / 4 , ZmPMT8 / 14 , ZmpGlcT1 / 4 , ZmERD2 / 5 , and ZmERD3 / 6 were identified in maize (Fig.  4 ).

Synteny analysis of the MST family in maize. The two outermost circles are the density of the maize genome, the third circle is the numbering of maize chromosomes, the fourth circle is the ID of genes with segmental repeat relationships, and the innermost circle is the result of the analysis of covariance within the maize genome. Red curves linking ZmMST genes indicate duplicated gene pairs in the ZmMST family

To further explore the evolutionary mechanisms of the MST family, the syntenic maps of maize were constructed and associated with four representative plant species, including the monocotyledons Sorghum bicolor , Setaria italica , Oryza sativa , and the dicotyledon Medicago truncatula (Fig.  5 ). A total of 41 MST family genes in maize showed syntenic relationships with those in millet, followed by sorghum (47) and rice (33), and there was only one pair of homologous genes in alfalfa (on chr 8), and specific gene pairs are shown in Additional file 9.

Synteny analysis of MST genes between Zea mays ( Z . mays ) and Sorghum bicolor ( S . bicolor ), Setaria italica ( S . italica ), Oryza sativa ( O . sativa ), and Medicago truncatula ( M . truncatula ), respectively. Gray lines in the background show collinear blocks in the genomes of maize and other four plants , and red lines highlight the collinear MST gene pairs

To better understand the evolutionary constraints acting on the MST gene family, the Ka/Ks ratios of the tandem and segmental duplications in MST gene pairs were calculated (Additional file 10). Five pairs of genes had Ka/Ks > 1 ( ZmSTP5 / 6 , ZmSTP5 / 12 , ZmERD2 / 5 , ZmERD3 / 4 , and ZmERD3 / 6 ). The Ka/Ks of others are all less than 1.

Analysis of the cis -acting element in MST gene promoter regions

To explore the potential regulatory mechanisms of MST family genes, the 1.5 kb upstream promoter region of MST genes was submitted into Plant CARE to detect the conserved cis -elements. Then, the identified cis -acting elements were divided into three categories: abiotic and biotic stress, phytohormone responsive, and plant growth and development (Fig.  6 ).

Cis -acting elements in the ZmMST gene family. A Number of different elements in the promoter region of the ZmMST genes, as indicated by different color intensities and numbers in the grid. B Total number of cis -acting elements in each response category. Sandy-brown indicates abiotic and biotic stresses, goldenrod indicates phytohormones, and chocolate represents plant growth and development

In the categories of abiotic and biotic stresses, MYB (CCAAT-box) and MYC (CACAT-box) were the two types of cis -elements with the largest proportion in the MST family. Meanwhile, the anaerobic response element ARE, drought response element DRE, and low-temperature element LTR were also widely distributed in the promoter regions of MST genes. For phytohormone responsive elements, the ABRE, TCA, as-1, and CGTCA-motif which are involved in Abscisic Acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) responses respectively were detected in the most of MST gene promoter regions. In addition, 18 cis -elements related to plant growth and development were identified, most of which were involved in the light response, accounting for more than half of the group.

Expression analysis of MST genes in different maize tissues and in response to different treatments

To further analyze the function of MST family members in response to abiotic stresses, the expression patterns of MST family genes were detected in maize under abiotic stresses and ABA treatment (Fig.  7 and Additional file 11). Under drought treatment, the expression levels of most MST members were increased, especially in the PMT, ERD, and VGT subfamilies. Under NaCl treatment, the expression of only five genes was induced, of which ZmPMT9 was the most significantly increased. Under Cd stress, the transcript levels of ZmPMT8 /12/13/ 15 /16/17/19/ 20 and ZmERD2 / 3 / 4 / 6 were significantly increased. Abscisic acid is a phytohormone involved in regulating plant responses to abiotic stresses. The expression of most MST members was induced under exogenous ABA treatment. As compared to treatment at 0 h, the relative expression of ZmPMT9 was highest at 12 h of salt treatment and 24 h of cadmium treatment, and lowest at 6 h of salt treatment and 24 h of cadmium treatment for ZmSTP4 . Overall, the expression of 61 ZmMST genes showed different alterations under the abiotic stresses and exogenous ABA treatment, and some genes were affected by multiple treatments (Additional file 12).

Expression analysis of ZmMST genes in response to abiotic stresses and exogenous ABA. A The expression of ZmMST genes at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h under drought treatment. B The expression of ZmMST genes at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h under NaCl treatment. C The expression of ZmMST genes at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h under Cd treatment. D The expression of ZmMST genes at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h under ABA treatment. For each ZmMST genes, three biological replicates were used to calculated the mean values ± SD (standard deviation) with the 2 −  ΔΔCT method. A continuous color gradient scale is indicative of the expression level (red represents induced expression; blue represents repressed expression). The 0 h relative expression level of each treatment was taken as 1

The expression of MST genes in various tissues, including roots, stems, leaves, and seeds, was also examined (Fig.  8 , Additional files 13 and 14). ZmSTP1 , ZmSTP2 , and ZmSTP5 were relatively high and stable in various tissues and periods, while the expression levels of ZmSTP8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 16 and 22 were relatively low in various tissues. However, with the development process, the expression of ZmSTP2 in roots, stems, leaves, and seeds were rapidly up-regulated, while ZmSTP5 showed a trend of high expression in all tissues and stages. The expression patterns of members of the same subfamily were complementary. For example, ZmSTP19 and ZmSTP23 were highly expressed in leaves but almost not in seeds. ZmSTP23 was highly expressed in leaves, but expressed at low levels in roots, stems, and seeds. ZmPMT1 and ZmPMT13 also had similar expression patterns. According to these results, ZmMST genes played a variety of roles in maize growth and development.

Expression profiles of ZmSTP genes in different tissues. Log 2 -based fold change data were used to create the heatmap. Fold changes in gene expression are indicated by the color scale. DAS: Days of growth after sprouting. DAP: Days after pollination

Since monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose are essential for metabolism, storage, and transport, MST is crucial to the processes of carbon partitioning and abiotic stress response in plants [ 12 , 26 , 29 ]. Genome-wide analysis of the MST gene family has been widely carried out in many species. Fifty-three, sixty-four, and sixty-nine genes have been identified in Arabidopsis, rice, and sorghum respectively [ 26 , 29 ]. However, the MST gene family has not been identified in maize. In this study, 66 MST genes were identified in the maize genome, and 77 MST family genes were identified in millet (Table  1 and Additional file 1). By the phylogenetic tree results, ZmMST genes were further divided into 7 subfamilies [ 30 ]. Each subfamily of MST was shown to be specific in the differentiation and evolution of the different Gramineae based on our findings that the number of genes in each subfamily of MST varied in maize, rice, sorghum, and millet. It was reported that the STP subfamily is the largest subfamily in rice. The ERD subfamily is the largest subfamily in Arabidopsis [ 26 ]. In maize, the largest subfamily is also the STP family, which indicates that the MST family has species-specific subfamily expansion in different plants. These expansions may be caused by gene duplication events, which may play a key role in the evolution of the MST gene family.

The previous study proved that most genes in the Arabidopsis genome were produced by species-specific expansion of the gene family [ 31 ]. Maize underwent three genome-wide replication events occurred, including approximately 110 million years ago before the differentiation of monocotyledons and dicotyledons, before the emergence of Gramineae 50 million years ago, and the genome-wide replication event after the differentiation of maize and sorghum 12 million years ago [ 32 , 33 ]. Three ways of gene family expansion and doubling were found: whole-genome duplication (WGD), tandem duplication (TD), and segmental duplication (SD) [ 34 ]. WGD is a massive chromosome doubling event that increases the dose of all genes of a species at once, resulting in a large number of chromosomally doubled segments retained in the genome. Tandem duplication occurs frequently in chromosomal recombination domains, where members of tandemly duplicated gene families are typically tightly aligned on the same chromosome, forming a cluster of genes with related sequences and functions [ 35 ]. Segmental duplication occurs when duplicated genes are distant or even located on different chromosomes. In this study, multiple gene replication events were identified, including eight pairs of tandem replication gene pairs ( ZmSTP5 / 6 , ZmSTP21 / 22 , ZmPMT5 / 6 , ZmPMT11 / 12 , ZmPMT12 / 13 , ZmPMT15 / 14 , ZmPMT15 / 16 , and ZmERD3 / 4 ) with highly similar sequences in adjacent positions of chromosomes and twelve pairs of segmental duplication genes ( ZmSTP12 / 5 , ZmSTP5 / 14 , ZmSTP8 / 17 , ZmSTP14 / 21 , ZmSTP12 / 14 , ZmSTP12 / 21 , ZmPMT8 / 14 , ZmPMT14 / 3 , ZmPMT1 / 18 , ZmpGlcT1 / 4 , ZmERD2 / 5 , ZmERD6 / 3 ). The results showed that gene tandem duplication and chromosome segmental duplication are the main forms of monosaccharide transporter replication in maize.

Gene family expansion and doubling can provide new adaptability for plant growth and development to resist biotic and abiotic stress, leading to gene functional diversity, and affecting the evolution process of species [ 36 ]. Ka/Ks analysis was used to determine the relative divergence time and whether the functional differentiation of replication genes was subject to selection pressure. According to previous studies, Ka >> Ks or Ka/Ks >> 1, Ka = Ks or Ka/Ks = 1, Ka/Ks or Ka/Ks << 1, and Ka/Ks or Ka/Ks << 1 denoted that the gene was susceptible to positive selection, neutral evolution, and purifying selection, respectively [ 37 , 38 ]. In this study, the Ka/Ks of all the duplicated gene pairs were calculated, and most of them showed less than one, indicating that they were subjected to purifying selection in the process of evolution. Five gene pairs subjected to strong positive selection were ZmSTP5 / ZmSTP12 , ZmERD2 / ZmERD5 , and ZmERD3 / ZmERD6 for segmental duplication and ZmSTP5 / ZmSTP6 and ZmSTP3 / ZmSTP4 for tandem duplication . This indicated that they were positively selected and rapidly evolved genes in a short period, and gene functions may have diverged. Of these three gene pairs belong to the ERD subfamily, suggesting that the ERD subfamily may be more important for maize to respond to environmental change. Synteny analysis was performed to analyze the expansion of the MST family between species. There were 47, 41, and 33 collinear gene pairs identified between maize and sorghum, foxtail millet and rice, respectively. Only one collinear pair between maize and alfalfa ( ZmpGlcT4 / AES80568 ) and ZmpGlcT4 also formed collinear pairs with SORBI_3003G084000 and Os01g0133400 between maize and sorghum, rice, respectively. These results showed a closer evolutionary relationship between the two species containing more collinear gene pairs, and most of the no-collinear genes may be produced in earlier replication events.

Gene structure and conserved motif analyses were performed to further explore the evolutionary relationship in the MST family of maize. MST genes could be divided into seven subfamilies, and the PMT, STP, and TMT subfamilies contained fewer exons and simpler gene structures, while the pGlcT, ERD, INT, and VGT subfamilies had more exons and more complex gene structures, and gene structures were conserved in the same subfamily (Fig.  3 ). Motifs 1–6 were present in almost all MST family members and were vital for transport function and membrane localization, suggesting that these motifs were highly conserved domains during the evolution of the MST family. Other motifs existed in different subfamilies, indicating that these subfamily members transport different substrates. In addition, STP subfamily members contained all motifs except for motif 11, which implied a broader transport capability for different substrates. Only STP subfamily include motif 13 and 14. Miraculously, motif 10 and motif 14 only appear together in STP subfamily. The motif 7 is absent from ERD and TMT subfamilies. Only ERD and STP subfamilies have no motif11 among the MST subfamilies. The effect of genes on plants depends not only on the function of genes themselves, but also on the regulation of gene expression. The cis -elements in the promoter region were involved in the regulation of the gene expression, and therefore the cis -element analysis was important for the preliminary prediction of gene expression. The type and number of cis -elements in promoters of MST family genes were identified in this study. The ABA response element ABRE belongs to the phytohormone response element and exists in most MST member promoter regions, meaning that the expression of MST members might be involved in the ABA signaling pathway. Additionally, many stress response elements were also found in the promoter region of MST members, such as DRE, MYB, and MYC, suggesting that MST family genes have an important role in maize response to environmental stresses.

To further investigate the functional response to environmental stresses, the expression mode of MST family genes in the maize seedling stage was detected under different stress treatments. The expression of half of MST genes was significantly induced under drought treatment, while fewer genes were induced by salt and Cd stresses (Fig.  7 A, B, and C). Meanwhile, the response of each subfamily in MST to different stresses was also different. Most of the PMT and ERD members responded to osmotic stress, and all ERD members were induced to expression by Cd stresses. The expression of most members was not induced in the STP subfamily under osmotic or ionic stresses. The expression patterns of MST members in response to stress treatments suggested that each subfamily might have different roles in balancing maize growth and development and responding to abiotic stress, implying that the members in each subfamily had also shown functional divergence during evolution and family expansion. ABA is a very important phytohormone in the plant response to abiotic stresses, and many stress response genes are regulated by ABA signaling [ 39 ]. In this study, the expression levels of some MST family members were induced by both ABA treatment and drought stress, indicating that these members might respond to stress in the ABA signaling pathway, while others were only induced by drought stress, meaning that they might respond to stress in the non-ABA signaling pathway.

Monosaccharide transport and distribution play critical roles in plant growth and development, as well as in response to abiotic stress [ 40 ]. Previous research indicates that OsSTP4 functions as a transporter of fructose and mannose, as well as glucose and galactose, and responds rapidly to abiotic stresses [ 13 , 41 ]. ZmSTP2 is homologous to OsSTP4 , responses immediately to abiotic stress in maize, thus it may play a similar role as OsSTP4 . Salt treatment induces ZmpGlcT2 expression, and it is the homologous gene of OspGlcT2 and possess similar expression pattern under abiotic stresses [ 42 ]. ZmTMT4 is induced to be expressed under salt treatment. Its rice homologous gene OsTMT1 is studied and reports to be associated with salt stress [ 43 ]. These results may suggest that homologous genes perform the similar functions in different plants. Monosaccharide transporters impact plant growth and development, as well as abiotic stress response mechanisms, by transporting and distributing monosaccharides. The genome-wide identification and selection of genes that may be similar to previously reported genes reacting to abiotic stress will give theoretical support and insights for future investigations on maize resistance genes.

Together, we have identified maize MST family genes. Our findings could contribute to future research on maize MST family genes and provide the foundation for additional investigation of the fundamental functions of this significant monosaccharide transporter family. These findings provide insight into the possible roles of genetic improvement in the capacity of maize to respond to abiotic challenges and may be used to identify relevant candidate MST family genes for functional research.

Conclusions

In summary, a total of 66 ZmMST genes were identified from maize and divided into seven subfamilies. Phylogenetic tree, synteny, and collinearity analyses provide preliminary insights into dissecting the evolution and expansion of the MST family. Meanwhile, the expression analysis provides valuable clues for exploring the potential function of MST in balancing maize growth and development and abiotic stress response. These findings will be helpful for us to deeply understand the functions of maize MST genes and provide some important information for functional analysis in the future.

Identification and evolutionary analysis

The complete amino acid and nucleotide sequences of Zea mays B73 RefGen_v4 were downloaded from MaizeGDB ( https://maizegdb.org/ ). In addition, MaizeGDB ( https://maizegdb.org/ ) transcriptome data were obtained. Seventy-nine different samples comprised the maize inbred line B73 RNA-seq gene map [ 44 ]. Means and standard deviations were calculated for the data files and the results were finally presented in the form of heatmaps ( https://github.com/CJ-Chen/TBtools ) [ 45 ]. The transcriptome information was chosen from eight distinct maize tissues and developmental stages. From Ensembl ( https://asia.ensembl.org/index.html ), protein sequences for the rice MST and the Arabidopsis MST were acquired. The hidden Markov model repository was built using known MST protein sequences, and HMMER ( http://hmmer.org/ ) was used to query the maize dataset [ 46 ]. By utilizing MST genes from rice and Arabidopsis as queries in a BLAST search, MST genes from maize were investigated. Using the PFAM ( http://pfam.xfam.org/ ) and CDD ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/cdd/ ) databases, the conserved domains of the discovered ZmMST genes were predicted [ 47 , 48 ]. Using MEGA 7.0 ( https://www.megasoftware.net/ ) and ClustalW software ( https://www.genome.jp/tools-bin/clustalw ), evolutionary trees were created for the MST proteins from Arabidopsis, rice, and maize (with 1000 bootstrap replicates) [ 49 , 50 ]. Using a MapChart ( http://mg2c.iask.in/mg2c_v2.0/ ) and the chromosomal start and termination data received from MaizeGDB ( https://maizegdb.org/ ), the chromosomal locations of ZmMST genes were determined [ 51 ]. Tandem duplicated genes were found using the tools for multiple covariance scanning (MCScanX, http://chibba.pgml.uga.edu/mcscan2/MCScanX.zip ) [ 52 ].

Sequence analysis

The molecular weight (MW) and isoelectric point (pI) of the ZmMST proteins were predicted using the ExPASy proteomics system ( http://web.expasy.org/protparam/ ) (Table  1 ) [ 53 ]. The conserved protein motifs of ZmMST genes were discovered using MEME Suite ( http://meme-suite.org/ ), and they were further annotated with TBtools ( https://github.com/CJ-Chen/TBtools ) [ 45 , 54 ]. Fifteen motifs, with lengths ranging from 6 to 50 bp, made up the domain structure (Additional file 15). Using GSDS ( http://gsds.gao-lab.org ), the gene structure was evaluated [ 55 ]. The PlantCARE database ( http://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/plantcare/html/ ) was used to predict the 1500 bp sequence upstream of the cis -acting components of the coding sequences (Additional file 16). Further examination was performed on the components (ABRE, DRE, LTRE, ERE, and MBS) connected to the abiotic stress response [ 56 , 57 ].

Replication events and Ka/Ks analysis of MST genes

MCScanX ( http://chibba.pgml.uga.edu/mcscan2/MCScanX.zip ) was used to analyze correlations between ZmMST genes and single or multiple intergenomic variables as well as associations within genomes [ 58 ]. Gene family expansion and doubling can occur through several different processes, including whole-genome duplication or polyploidization, tandem duplication, segmental duplication, transposon-mediated transposon duplication, and retro-position. Finally, a graph of the intragenomic duplication events and gene density findings was created using TBtools software ( https://github.com/CJ-Chen/TBtools ) (Fig.  4 ).

ClustalW ( https://www.genome.jp/tools-bin/clustalw ) was used to determine the ratio of Ka (non-synonymous substitution rate) and Ks (synonymous substitution rate) to investigate the selection pressure on the ZmMST family. The time of occurrence of segmental duplication events for homologous genes was calculated as T = Ks/2λ × 10 −6 , where λ is the rate of molecular substitution in grasses (6.5 × 10 −9 ), and expressed as a million years ago (Mya) [ 59 ].

Plant treatments and quantitative real-time PCR analysis

The autogamous maize cultivar “inbred line” was used in the study. Seeds were preserved in our laboratory and incubated in the seedling culture room of the Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Germplasm, Shenyang Agricultural University. The seeds were disinfected with 75% ethanol and washed with distilled water after 1 min to remove the residual ethanol. The cleaned seeds were evenly sown in seedling pots and irrigated with distilled water to allow the vermiculite to absorb sufficient water. Hoagland’s nutrient solution (pH 6.0) was added to the basal tray in which the seedling pots were placed to ensure that the roots could access the nutrient solution. The nutrient solution was replaced every 3 days until the seedlings attained the three-leaf stage [ 60 ]. The three-leaf seedlings were then treated with drought, salt, Cd stresses, and exogenous ABA by application of half-strength Hoagland’s nutrient solution supplemented with 20% PEG for drought stress treatment, 200 mmol/L NaCl for salt stress treatment, 40 mg/L CdCl 2 for Cd stress treatment, and 100 µmol/L ABA for ABA stress treatment [ 61 ]. The uppermost mature leaves were collected at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h after initiation of the stress treatment, with three biological replicates at each time point. The tested leaves were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and kept at -80 °C.

Total RNA isolation and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis were performed to analyze the expression of maize genes under salt, drought, Cd stress and exogenous ABA treatment [ 62 ]. A total of 61 maize MST genes were used for the analysis. Total RNA from plant leaves was extracted using TRIzol Reagent (CW Biotech) and subjected to DNase I treatment to remove genomic DNA contamination. The RNA concentration was determined utilizing a BioDrop ultramicro ultraviolet nucleic acid assay. First-strand cDNA was synthesized from 1 µg of total RNA using the UEIris II RT-PCR system. qRT-PCR assays were performed using a real-time PCR analyzer (Bio-Rad, Applied Biosystems PCR, SCILOGEX Gradient Thermal Cycler PCR Instrument TC1000-G). Each reaction mixture contained 10 µL of 2 × SYBR® Green Pro Taq HS Premix, 1.0 µL cDNA sample, 0.4 µL forward primer (final concentration 10 µM), and 0.4 µL reverse primer (final concentration 10 µM) in a final volume of 20 µL. The thermal-cycling protocol was as follows: 95 °C for 5 min, then 45 cycles of 95 °C for 15 s and 60 °C for 1 min. Melting curve analysis was used to verify the specificity of the reaction. Three technical replicates of each cDNA sample were analyzed. The Zm00001d013367 genes were selected as an internal control to normalize the transcript levels of ZmMST genes [ 63 ]. The relative gene expression levels were calculated using the 2 −∆∆CT method and analyzed for significance using SPSS 20 ( https://spssau.com/ ) (Additional file 11 and 17). The normalized data were processed with TBtools and plotted as a heatmap to visualize the changes in MST gene expression ( https://github.com/CJ-Chen/TBtools ) [ 64 ]. Row-scale and log-scale normalization calculations and row clustering were performed on the heatmaps. The number of genes with relative gene expression greater than 2 and relative gene expression less than 0.5 under the four treatments were shown by using the online site Venny 2.1.0 ( https://bioinfogp.cnb.csic.es/tools/venny/ ) to create Venn diagrams. All primer pairs were designed with Primer (v5.0) software ( http://www.broadinstitute.org/ftp/pub/software/Primer5.0/ ) and were listed in Additional file 18.

Availability of data and materials

All data analyzed in this study are included in this published article and its Additional File. Raw transcriptomic reads are available from NCBI via the following BioProject IDs: PRJNA171684, PRJEB10574, PRJNA226757, PRJNA244661, PRJNA323555, and PRJNA369690. The datasets analyzed in this study are available in the Ensembl ( https://plants.ensembl.org/index.html ) and Transcriptome Data ( http://maize.plantbiology.msu.edu/MSU_func_download.shtml ).

Abbreviations

Monosaccharide transporter

Major facilitator superfamily

Sucrose transporter

Sugar Transport Protein

Polyol/Monosaccharide Transporter

Vacuolar Glucose Transporter

Inositol Transporter

Plastidic Glucose Transporter

Tonoplast Membrane Transporter

Early-Responsive to Dehydration six-like

Whole-genome duplication

Molecular weight

Isoelectric point

Non-synonymous substitution rate

Synonymous substitution rate

Million years ago

Quantitative real-time PCR

Abscisic Acid

Salicylic acid

Methyl jasmonate

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the lab members who contributed helpful technical support and data analysis. “The College of Bioscience and Biotechnology Shenyang Agricultural University and Shenyang City Key Laboratory of Maize Genomic Selection Breeding” have our sincere gratitude. We also value the suggestions made for improvements by the reputable editors and reviewers of the text.

This work was supported by the international cooperation program for universities in Liaoning Province Department of Education, China (No. 2023GJ0008), the scientific research projects of Liaoning Provincial Department of Education, China (No. LJKMZ20221010).

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Jialun Zhu and Tianfeng Li contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.

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College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China

Jialun Zhu, Tianfeng Li, Jing Ma, Wenyu Li, Hanyu Zhang, Yanshu Zhu, Xiaomei Dong, Cong Li & Jinjuan Fan

Saint-Petersburg State Agrarian University, Peterburgskoe shosse, Pushkin, St. Petersburg, 196601, Russia

Tsyganova Nadezhda

Shenyang City Key Laboratory of Maize Genomic Selection Breeding, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110866, China

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Conceptualization, JingJuan Fan and Cong Li; methodology, YanShu Zhu; validation, JiaLun Zhu, TianFeng Li, Jing Ma, and WenYu Li; formal analysis, JiaLun Zhu, TianFeng Li, and HanYu Zhang; data curation, JiaLun Zhu; writing-original draft preparation, JiaLun Zhu and TianFeng Li; writing-review and editing, Cong Li; visualization, Tcyganova Nadezhda and XiaoMei Dong; supervision, YanShu Zhu; project administration, JingJuan Fan; funding acquisition, JingJuan Fan. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Zhu, J., Li, T., Ma, J. et al. Genome-wide identification and investigation of monosaccharide transporter gene family based on their evolution and expression analysis under abiotic stress and hormone treatments in maize ( Zea mays L.). BMC Plant Biol 24 , 496 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05186-2

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Received : 31 July 2023

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Published : 04 June 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-024-05186-2

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Practice of improving saline–alkali soil with bio-humic acid.

1. Introduction

2. material and methods, 2.1. test materials, 2.2. test treatment number, 2.3. field management, 2.4. crop yield, 3. results and discussion, 3.1. rice yield before and after improvement, 3.2. physical and chemical properties of soil before and after improvement, 3.2.1. changes in soil aggregate structure before and after soil improvement, 3.2.2. changes in ph and organic matter after soil improvement, 3.2.3. changes in calcium, magnesium, and trace elements after soil remediation, 4. conclusions, author contributions, data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

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Zhang, C.; Qiao, Y.; Song, Q. Practice of Improving Saline–Alkali Soil with Bio-Humic Acid. Processes 2024 , 12 , 1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061250

Zhang C, Qiao Y, Song Q. Practice of Improving Saline–Alkali Soil with Bio-Humic Acid. Processes . 2024; 12(6):1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061250

Zhang, Chuyan, Yingyun Qiao, and Qiang Song. 2024. "Practice of Improving Saline–Alkali Soil with Bio-Humic Acid" Processes 12, no. 6: 1250. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061250

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