Page 159

Writing Guidelines

Prewriting ■ Choosing a Topic

Finding a subject for a biographical story should be easy because you probably know or have heard of a lot of interesting people. Here are three ways to search for a subject:

• Think about people who have had a big influence on your life.
  (Sofia thought of her mother, sister, and best friend.)
• Think of people close to you that you want to know more about.
  (Sofia listed her abuela, art teacher, and neighbor.)
• Think of interesting people you have learned about.
  (Sofia considered Lin-Manuel Miranda and Frida Kahlo.)

Gathering Details

Gathering the best details for your writing may or may not be easy. It all depends on your subject. Sofia chose to write about a person she admired but didn’t know much about. She used a number of different sources of information. Here is a chart that can help you find your own sources of information.

Levels of Knowledge Chart