Read a Biography to See a Human Life

Stories and novels often begin at the beginning of a character’s life and follow him/her right up to death, but as mortal beings ourselves, it’s impossible to observe our own lives in their entirety. It’s pretty difficult to observe another’s entire life, as well; unless the person is born significantly after you and dies tragically young, you won’t be able to see the whole long reach of a lifetime. So how is a writer to learn what a life is really like?

I suggest you take a break from reading fiction and pick up the biography of a person you’re interested in. Whether it’s the new Einstein biography, the massive account of Lyndon Johnson, or one of the many books on Lincoln, there are tons of great, creative biographies to choose from. Biographies can be very literary works themselves, with creative imaginings of what conditions were like in a different time and place. And no matter how much stuff a life is packed with, writers still have to carve it into a story arc, as I wrote in my post Life is Messy; Stories Aren’t. Reading a biography, therefore, is a great way to see a human life turned into a story.

Biographies are also great for getting insights into other times and stages of life you haven’t yet experienced. Want to write about an embittered old man? Try reading a biography of someone who’s lived that life. Want to write about world war II? Any number of veterans’ biographies can help you get the sights and sounds just right. Biographies are an often under-used resource. This week, consider changing that and check a book out of the library that tells the story of a complete life. For starters, it isn’t strictly a biography but I recommend the memoir One Writer’s Beginnings by Eudora Welty.