Bob Schaller, Ph.D.Abilene Christian University

March 5, 2010

Getting started, IRevelation, sacrifice, redemptionGroundhog Day (seven deadly sins,

salvation)Gone with the Wind (a “just” war,

redemption)Titanic (faith, love, hope)The Great Gatsby (only became great when

he learned he did not have greatness)The Catcher in the Rye (questions he

cannot answer)

Getting started, IIWho, what, where, when and why take on

entirely new meaning in a biographyYou will only get back what you put into a

story in terms of hard work and exhaustive research (interviews, books, archives)

Writer’s block? A myth

WhoWho did what?When did they do it?Why did they do it?Why did they do it at that time?Why did they do it in that particular place?What did they do?What did they do afterward

The subjectFirst things first:

MAP THIS THING OUT

Start with…A chronology, which includes:1. ALL significant events in their lives2. Places they have lived3. Significant figures in their lives (when and

where they associated with them)4. Schools attended (graduation dates,

interesting classmates, history of school, other notable alums)

5. Jobs (dates, places, relevant history of companies)

Now, research…The places and people, which includes:1.The history of the states and cities in which

they lived2.Other notable figures or events from these

places. 3.Consult almanacs, encyclopedias, and if

onsite, the local library and…coffee shop (NOTE: this might not mean Starbucks…)

The Interview

You have a hard job: You have to get to TRUTHS, which requires finding FACTS

You must often ask the subject to answer questions they have never asked themselves, or questions they do not want answers to

You have to live inside this person without “loving” them

You have to “dig” without making even a mark

More interviewing

You will talk to all the people that person mentions

Start by asking key influences, role models, even a nemesis or two, where appropriate

When you talk to other people about the subject, let them tell “Their version” before reconciling inconsistencies

Return to subject to get their take on what others said

Be a smart interviewerKey to interviews is LISTENINGYou still steer the interview to keep it on the road,

but you don’t want to steer it: Just keep it on the river, so to speak, and only move it back toward center when it is threatening to stall on the banks

Learn the vernacular of the region, the religion, the heritage

A good researcher is showing respect for his/her subject by understanding where they come from

Interview other people separately or away from subject

Other characters:The weather (Western Wyoming)A family home (Tara-Gone with the Wind)A vehicleA roadA mountain, or other geographic formation

(Outlaw Trail in Wyoming)

Pinpointing the arcYou must map the narrative of the subject’s

life, or relevant part of the life for the story (tenure as council person, career in military, or perhaps even life story)

Find significant events that preceded and foreshadowed the climax

Tie in, where applicable, people who shaped the main person

Other charactersParents, friends, pastors, coaches,

teammates, competitors, rivals, doctors, nurses – all of these people have supporting roles in the arc of the story, but they should not overtake the role of the lead. They must fit into the story appropriately

Want to become a better writer?Read, read, and READ some more: Not to

copy anyone – find your OWN voice. But you might be surprised when you dig in to read a lot; you could find out you might be a better writer in some ways than your favorite author