Know the Four Types of Biographies
Without storytellers, history would be lost. Most historical “truth” belongs to the pop historian. The average person knows about the past from the best told stories, not necessarily the most factual stories. Many different elements ranging from current cultural touch points to promotion by a popular celebrity can propel a story into the mass consciousness.
A biography is a specialized form of history. It is an account of events based upon the example of one person’s life. There are four basic types of biographies: historical fiction, academic, fictional academic, and the prophetic biography.
Historical Fiction Biography
A fictionalized biography is a creative account inspired by the events of a person’s life.
The fictional style is most often used in contemporary biographies such as the accounts of celebrities, athletes and politicians who are still alive. These “true stories” often inspire tales for film or television. Usually, the stories are loosely based on a few well-known facts about the individual and then developed for greatest entertainment value. There is little concern for literal accuracy or factual integrity regarding the individual’s life lessons.
Fictional biographies today often strive to make a social or political statement. Political biographies and…
