12.1 Approaches to Profile Writing
6 min read•july 30, 2024
Profile writing is an art that brings people to life on the page. From biographical accounts to human interest stories, these pieces capture the essence of individuals, their experiences, and their impact on the world around them.
Mastering profile writing requires a blend of research, interviewing skills, and storytelling techniques. By crafting engaging openings, weaving vivid descriptions, and developing key themes, writers can create compelling portraits that resonate with readers and offer deeper insights into the human experience.
Profile Writing Types
Biographical Profiles
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- Focus on the life story and achievements of a notable individual
- Often presented in chronological order with key milestones and events highlighted (birth, education, career, major accomplishments)
- Provide historical context and background information to help readers understand the subject's significance
- May explore the subject's personal life, relationships, and challenges faced along the way (Nelson Mandela's imprisonment, Steve Jobs' early struggles)
Personality Profiles
- Delve into the character, motivations, and unique qualities of an individual
- Emphasize personality traits, quirks, and what makes the subject compelling
- Explore the subject's values, beliefs, and worldview through their words and actions
- Use anecdotes, observations, and interviews to paint a vivid picture of the subject's personality (a celebrity's off-screen persona, an eccentric artist's creative process)
- May include insights from friends, family, or colleagues to provide a well-rounded perspective
Human Interest Stories
- Explore the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances
- Aim to evoke emotions and inspire readers by showcasing human resilience, compassion, or achievement
- Often focus on a single event or period in the subject's life that highlights their character or situation (a teacher's innovative approach to helping struggling students, a community's response to a natural disaster)
- Use descriptive language and storytelling techniques to create a strong emotional connection with readers
Other Profile Types
- Business profiles: Focus on companies, entrepreneurs, or industry leaders, exploring their history, mission, and impact on their field (a startup's innovative business model, a CEO's leadership style)
- Cultural profiles: Explore specific cultural groups or communities, delving into their traditions, values, and experiences (a close-knit immigrant community, an indigenous tribe's efforts to preserve their heritage)
- Sports profiles: Highlight athletes or teams, examining their journey, achievements, and the challenges they've overcome (a record-breaking Olympic athlete, a underdog team's rise to success)
Elements of Compelling Profiles
Engaging Opening and Structure
- A strong lead hooks the reader's attention from the first sentence
- Use techniques such as a surprising fact, thought-provoking question, or vivid description to set the tone ("As the sun set over the city, Maria stepped onto the stage, ready to face her biggest fear.")
- Maintain a clear focus and narrative arc throughout the piece
- Guide the reader through the subject's story with a logical structure and smooth transitions
- Use a combination of chronological and thematic organization to keep readers engaged
Vivid Descriptions and Anecdotes
- Bring the subject to life using sensory details, metaphors, and
- Create a clear picture of the person, their environment, and their experiences ("The small, cluttered office was filled with the scent of old books and the soft hum of a well-worn typewriter.")
- Use insightful anecdotes to reveal the subject's character, values, and unique qualities
- Share specific stories or moments that illustrate their personality and experiences ("On a chilly November morning, John surprised his neighbors by shoveling their driveways before they woke up, a testament to his quiet generosity.")
- Include well-chosen quotes that capture the subject's and perspective
- Allow readers to connect with the subject on a deeper level by sharing their thoughts, feelings, and reflections in their own words
Thematic Development and Conclusion
- Identify and develop key themes or messages that emerge from the subject's story
- Reinforce these themes through specific examples and anecdotes throughout the profile
- Conclude by tying together key ideas, offering a final insight, or leaving a lasting impression
- Reflect on the subject's impact, the lessons learned from their story, or the larger significance of their experiences ("Maria's journey reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it head-on.")
Interviewing for Profiles
Preparation and Research
- Conduct thorough background research on the subject before the interview
- Develop informed, targeted questions that yield insightful responses and uncover unique angles
- Familiarize yourself with the subject's work, background, and any relevant current events or controversies
- Prepare a mix of open-ended and specific questions
- encourage detailed stories and reflections ("Can you describe a turning point in your life that shaped who you are today?")
- Specific questions help clarify details or address particular aspects of the subject's story ("How did your experience in the military influence your leadership style?")
Building Rapport and Active Listening
- Establish a comfortable, open environment for sharing
- Be friendly, attentive, and genuinely interested in the subject's story
- Begin with casual conversation or less sensitive questions to put the subject at ease
- Use techniques during the interview
- Give the subject your full attention, maintaining eye contact and showing interest through body language
- Allow moments of silence to give the subject time to reflect and elaborate on their responses
- Follow up on interesting points or anecdotes with probing questions
- Ask for more details, clarification, or examples to gather a deeper understanding ("Can you walk me through that experience step by step?")
Flexibility and Nonverbal Cues
- Be flexible and adaptable during the interview
- Allow the conversation to flow naturally while still covering key topics
- Be willing to deviate from prepared questions if the subject shares something unexpected or compelling
- Pay attention to the subject's nonverbal cues
- Observe body language, tone of voice, and emotional responses to gain a fuller understanding of their experiences and personality
- Use these cues to guide your questions and respond empathetically ("I can see this is a difficult topic for you. Please take your time.")
- Take thorough notes or record the interview (with permission)
- Capture key quotes, stories, and observations to ensure accuracy and gather sufficient material for the profile
Structure of Successful Profiles
Engaging Opening Techniques
- Study compelling profile openings to identify effective attention-grabbing techniques
- Surprising facts or statistics that introduce the subject or their story
- Thought-provoking questions that challenge readers' assumptions or pique their curiosity
- Vivid descriptions that transport readers into the subject's world or create a strong sensory experience
- Analyze how opening paragraphs set the tone and expectations for the profile
- Establish the profile's central , conflict, or purpose early on
- Introduce the subject in a way that immediately captures readers' interest and makes them want to learn more
Narrative Flow and Pacing
- Examine how successful profiles weave together narrative elements
- Use a balance of description, dialogue, and reflection to create a cohesive, engaging story
- Alternate between scenes (showing) and summary (telling) to maintain a compelling pace
- Analyze the use of transitions to smoothly guide readers through the profile
- Connect ideas, scenes, or time periods using thoughtful transitions that maintain the narrative flow
- Use transitions to highlight contrasts, draw parallels, or signal shifts in the story ("Despite her early struggles, Sarah's determination would soon lead her to unexpected success.")
- Consider how pacing influences reader engagement and emotional impact
- Vary sentence length and structure to create a dynamic reading experience
- Use shorter sentences or paragraphs to build tension or emphasize key moments
- Allow longer, more detailed passages to fully immerse readers in pivotal scenes or descriptions
Thematic Development and Conclusion
- Identify the key themes, insights, or messages that emerge from successful profiles
- Look for recurring ideas, motifs, or lessons that shed light on the subject's story and its larger significance
- Consider how these themes are developed and reinforced through specific examples, anecdotes, and quotes
- Evaluate the balance between showing and telling in effective profiles
- Examine how vivid descriptions and anecdotes (showing) create a strong sense of the subject and their world
- Analyze how direct exposition and analysis (telling) provide context, interpretation, and insight into the subject's story
- Consider how to strike a balance between showing and telling in your own profile writing to engage readers while also conveying key information
- Study how strong profiles conclude by tying together key themes and ideas
- Look for conclusions that offer a final insight, reflection, or call to action based on the subject's story
- Analyze how effective conclusions leave readers with a lasting impression of the subject and the significance of their experiences ("As Maria took her final bow, the audience rose to their feet, a testament to the power of facing one's fears and the transformative nature of courage.")
Key Terms to Review (18)
Active Listening: Active listening is a communication technique that involves fully focusing, understanding, and responding to a speaker, ensuring that their message is received accurately. It plays a crucial role in gathering information, building rapport, and effectively capturing the essence of individuals' personalities and characters during interactions.
Anecdotal lead: An anecdotal lead is a storytelling approach used in feature writing that starts with a brief, engaging story or personal experience to draw the reader in. This technique helps establish a connection with the audience and sets the tone for the piece, often making complex information more relatable and memorable.
Celebrity Profile: A celebrity profile is a type of feature article that focuses on a well-known individual's life, personality, and career, often highlighting their achievements and challenges. This form of writing aims to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the celebrity beyond their public persona, revealing the human side behind the fame. It combines biographical details with personal anecdotes and insights, making it both informative and engaging for the audience.
Climax: The climax is the most intense, exciting, or important point of a narrative, where the main conflict reaches its peak. It is often the turning point of the story, leading to a resolution or fallout from the decisions made at that moment. Understanding the climax helps to shape the structure of storytelling and is crucial for building tension and emotional engagement in any narrative.
Fair Representation: Fair representation refers to the ethical obligation of writers to accurately and equitably portray individuals and groups in their work, ensuring that diverse perspectives and experiences are acknowledged. This concept is crucial in profile writing, where capturing the essence of a person or community involves highlighting their strengths, struggles, and contributions without bias or stereotypes. Achieving fair representation fosters trust between the writer and subjects, enriching storytelling and providing readers with a more nuanced understanding of the subjects being profiled.
Gay Talese's Profiles: Gay Talese's profiles are in-depth, narrative pieces of journalism that focus on individual subjects, capturing their lives, experiences, and the essence of their character. These profiles blend detailed observation with rich storytelling, emphasizing the human condition and the complexities of personal narratives, showcasing Talese's unique ability to highlight the intricate details that make each person compelling and relatable.
Human-interest story: A human-interest story focuses on the emotional and personal aspects of a subject, often highlighting individual experiences, struggles, and triumphs. These stories aim to connect readers to the human condition, drawing them in through relatable narratives that evoke empathy and understanding. Human-interest stories can effectively balance facts with interpretation by providing context while also appealing to the audience's emotions, making them particularly powerful in profile writing.
Humorous style: Humorous style refers to a writing approach that incorporates wit, satire, and playful language to engage readers and evoke laughter or amusement. This style often features exaggerated characters, absurd situations, and clever wordplay, making it an effective tool for profile writing to highlight the quirks and unique traits of subjects while entertaining the audience.
Imagery: Imagery refers to the use of descriptive language that evokes sensory experiences for the reader, helping them visualize scenes, hear sounds, feel textures, or even taste flavors. This technique enhances storytelling by creating vivid pictures in the reader's mind, making the writing more engaging and impactful.
Informed Consent: Informed consent is the process through which individuals are fully informed about the purpose, risks, and implications of participating in research or sharing personal information, allowing them to voluntarily decide whether to participate. This principle ensures that participants have autonomy and control over their involvement, which is crucial when working with sensitive topics or vulnerable populations.
Intimate tone: An intimate tone is a writing style that creates a close, personal connection between the writer and the reader, often making the content feel relatable and warm. This tone invites readers into the narrative, fostering a sense of familiarity and emotional engagement with the subject being profiled.
Introduction: An introduction is the opening section of a written piece that sets the stage for what follows, providing context and engaging the reader. It establishes the tone, introduces key themes, and presents the subject matter in a way that captivates the audience's interest and encourages them to continue reading. In profile writing and personal essays, a strong introduction can draw readers in by presenting a compelling hook or an intriguing anecdote that hints at the deeper insights to come.
Joan Didion's Essays: Joan Didion's essays are a collection of poignant and reflective writings that capture personal experiences, cultural observations, and broader societal issues, often blending memoir with journalism. Her unique voice and introspective style enable readers to connect deeply with her thoughts, showcasing the complexities of human emotion and the intricacies of American life.
Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things, suggesting that one thing is another to illustrate a point or provide deeper meaning. By conveying ideas through imaginative language, metaphors enhance storytelling by adding layers of interpretation and emotional resonance, making the writing more vivid and relatable.
Open-ended questions: Open-ended questions are inquiries that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no,' encouraging the respondent to provide more elaborate and thoughtful responses. These types of questions are essential for capturing depth in interviews, allowing interviewers to explore personality, character, and complex thoughts that reveal insights about an individual.
Resolution: Resolution refers to the final part of a story where the conflicts are resolved, and the narrative concludes, providing closure to the reader. It ties up loose ends and reveals the outcomes of the characters' journeys, helping to deliver the story's overall message or theme. This crucial element connects directly to how profiles are crafted, how leads and endings are structured, and how narrative frameworks are designed.
Theme: Theme refers to the central idea or underlying message that runs throughout a narrative, often exploring universal concepts or moral lessons. It shapes how readers perceive the story and connects various elements, such as character development and plot progression. A strong theme resonates with the audience, prompting reflection on life experiences and societal issues.
Voice: Voice refers to the unique style, tone, and personality that an author brings to their writing, making it distinct and recognizable. It's what gives life to words and allows readers to connect emotionally with the content, often reflecting the writer's perspective, experiences, and emotions. A strong voice can enhance storytelling, whether in profiles, personal essays, memoirs, or various feature types, creating a lasting impact on readers.