I. Biography

A. literally means “written life”

B. a story about someone else’s life

II. Autobiography

A. literally means “self written life”

B. story about the writer’s own life

III. Tone

A. The attitude a writer takes toward an audience, a subject, or a character.

B. Expressed primarily through the writer’s choice of words.

C. Some possible tones:

bitter critical serious sarcastic

playful humorous awestruck sweet

regretful affectionate sad

nostalgic humble arrogant

IV. Subjectivity vs. Objectivity

A. Objectivity

1. more focused on accurate facts than on opinions

2. unbiased (not distorted by the writer’s prejudices)

3. what we are looking for in a biography

B. Subjectivity

1. includes the writer’s opinions and prejudices

2. what we are looking for in an autobiography

V. Exaggeration

A. Overstating something in a big way

B. Used to create a desired affect:

1. to express a strong emotion

2. to be funny

3. to emphasize a point

VI. Nonfiction Narrative

A. Tells about a series of related events that actually happened

B. Used in news reports, biographies, and histories