Thoroughly research your subject. Access a scholarly database through a school or library in order to locate relevant books, articles and films. Consult newspaper archives.
Read and/ or view the research material you have found. Make notes about the most important and interesting facts you have found. Ensure that you have a general knowledge of the time period in which your subject lived.
Formulate a topic sentence that gives your reader a general overview of your take on your subject and their life. For example: Billie Holiday was a talented jazz vocalist whose musical contributions should not be overlooked.
Briefly mention your subject's place of birth and dates of birth and death (if they are deceased). For example: Holiday was born in Philadelphia on April 7, 1915, and died on July 17, 1959, in New York City.
Write a sentence about what makes your subject special or interesting. If your subject overcame an unusual challenge in their early lives, write a sentence about it. For example: Born to a poor and unwed mother, Holiday eventually became famous and her innovative method of jazz vocalization was highly influential.
Write a sentence about the effect of their special contributions on their disciplines, communities or the world. For example: Billie Holiday's rendition of Abel Meeropol's "Strange Fruit" became closely associated with anti-lynching movements and civil rights protests.
Write a sentence in which you use one adjective to describe your subject. For example: Holiday was a dynamic and tragic figure.
Support your descriptive sentence with one or two sentences that highlight relevant facts.
Write an unusual aspect of your subject's life or a fact that might affect someone's evaluation. For example: In spite of her success and fame both in the U.S. and abroad, Holiday struggled with substance addiction for much of her adult life.
To conclude, write a general sentence summarizing the value of their achievements and contributions. For example: Her death in 1959 marked the end of an era.
Cite any information you have used that is not common knowledge.
Make sure that your paragraph is formatted according to either MLA or APA style, according to the wishes of your instructor.