Take notes on the life of the person featured in the book subject. Compile the notes from interviewing the book's subject, family and friends. Search the local newspapers, the internet and local genealogy logs for information about the person and his background. Use other books that have been written about the subject as well.
Gather photos from the people you interview, newspapers, the internet and the subject himself. In these photos you will find the story, so do not discard any photos at first. You may need to take along a scanner in order to duplicate pictures during the interview.
Review your notes and the photos, looking for a theme. Themes are patterns or common threads that run through the subject's life. They include following the advice given as a child, constantly fighting for the underdog, or fearlessly taking on challenges every day. Once you find the theme, use it to tell the story of the subject's life, from birth to death (or current life).
Organize the notes and pictures on the table to visualize the story. Take out photos that do not contribute to the story. Remember to use your theme as a guide in recreating the subject's life. For example, a fearless adventurer's life may be peppered with new adventures. However, throughout the subject's life, you may find that the subject was a fearful child. As an adult, he took on adventures to conquer childhood fears, which led to a successful business in white water rafting. Use the theme to find the story.
Add captions to help guide the book's reader through the subject's life. Tell a simplified version of the life story using the pictures to illustrate.