For beginner writers, this can cause a lot of angst. They fret over their lack of credentials and worry if they will look like amateurs. Well, leave those fears. While credentials are hugely helpful, a well-written manuscript and on-point supporting documentation, like your author’s bio, are far more valuable.
Here’s the most important thing to remember about writing your bio: Don’t draw attention to negativities. For instance, do not say, “Josh has never written anything before.” No, no, no. Keep your biography positive and on point.
You should write it in the present tense, and in the third person. Keep the information pertinent, but don’t be afraid to add some colour, particularly if reflects an element in the novel. For instance,
“Josh Jones is a former lion tamer who worked for fifteen years in Blogg’s Circus before his unfortunate accident. His experiences allow him to fill his first novel, Murder Under the Big Top, with the sort of inside information lovers of both mysteries and the circus will enjoy.”
Your bio doesn’t have to be long. You can include:
Where you were born and raised — if it is unusual or if it forms a part of your story. You can draw a picture of the environment: “Josh was born in a log cabin in Illinois… No, wait, that’s not right. Josh was born in the less elegant part of Manhattan on a snowy morning in November. A day ever referred to by his mother as ‘Black Tuesday.’
Any prizes your have won. Again, I would avoid drawing attention to the absence of such things, but you can make it funny if it is in keeping with the tone of your novel. For instance, “Josh never won anything. Not for writing, not even for tiddlywinks because that snot-nosed third grader Ben Billis stole the title that should have been his.”
If you have previous writing credits you can mention them, but keep it brief. If you have no credits you can skip this bit.
You can mention something about where your idea for your novel came from. My grandmother gave me a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles when I was seven, and I’ve been obsessed with Sherlock Holmes ever since. This tidbit of information became part of my bio for my first novel.
It’s OK to add some piece of irrelevant (to the public) personal information just to give the readers something to relate to. “Having finally escaped from his mother’s basement, Josh now lives with his wife, Judy, his three sons, two cats, a one-eared King Charles spaniel called Dickens, and an unsightly mold on the ceiling.”
Keep your bio short, make it individual, and try to write it in a similar tone to the novel. I’m in a very silly mood today, as I’m sure you have noticed, so I’ve veered towards humour. You don’t have to do that; in fact, you should avoid it, especially if your novel is very dark or sad.
Don’t stress over it. write about three bullet points of things that people might find interesting about you. If you’ve ever attended one of those ‘team building’ events that ask participants to list three things that no one knows about them, you’ll have the idea. “I’m Josh, and I have three nipples,” probably isn’t what most of us want to know, but it’s a place to start.
As Passover starts today (Monday), I’m off and I haven’t yet figured out what next week’s blog will address. If there is something you want me to cover, let me know in the comments. Have a great week, and see you next week.
Geri Schear 