Bio Blahs? Craft a Bio That Opens Doors
Crafting a bio can feel like squeezing into the perfect parking spot… except you have to parallel park, your car is too big, everyone is watching and oh god did you just hit that Mercedes!?
Horrible, isn’t it? After all, if you're sweating bullets over a bio, chances are you've wrestled down the far wilder beast of a script. But here’s the thing: writing your bio isn’t just a necessary evil; it can be an entire odyssey—a journey that forces you to understand where you are in your career, what you bring to the table, and even who you are as an artist. How do you distill the whole complicated you into just a few sentences!?
So, let’s cut through the bullshit and get a handle on bios: What they are, how they're wielded, and how you can craft one that doesn’t read like it was spit out by an AI trained on LinkedIn profiles.
Plus, I’ve thrown in a little something at the end—a DIY worksheet to guide you through the existential crisis, I mean, process.
Intro to Bios:
What, Why, and How
A bio is your elevator pitch on paper; it’s that one paragraph that says, “Here’s who I am, this is what I do, and damn, aren’t I impressive?” It’s your chance to stand out, to be more than just another name in the pile.
If you're thinking, “But I can’t be contained in a mere paragraph!” then, darling, you're in good company. We all feel that way.
But telling an agent, producer, or anyone really, that you're a jack-of-all-trades is fucking useless.
How are they supposed to decide where to put you?
The Role of Bios
Your bio is your advocate! It guides representatives in understanding your niche and can attract key industry players who might boost your career.
It's definitely worth the effort to create an eye-catching bio that truly represents who you are.
If the thought of being pigeonholed has you breaking out in hives, here’s a little affirmation for you:
“This is just my box for now. I will adjust my box as I grow. My bio does not define me for the rest of time. My bio simply defines where I am now and provides direction for how I want to grow over the next few years.”
Crafting Your Bio: A Structure
While there’s no one-size-fits-all template, I suggest following this structure:
Tell me who you are & what makes you distinct from other writers.
Do you have any dramatic or interesting life experiences? Tell me the coolest, most impressive or interesting thing in 1-2 sentences.
Provide any impressive accolades or life experience
Tell me about your writing
What underlying connecting threads appear throughout your works?
What genres do you typically work in?
Tell me your most pressing goal. What do you want?
For Instance:
Are you seeking representation?
Are you looking to sell/direct/produce a specific project?
Do you want to work with a specific person or celebrity?
Do you want to work on a specific show?
Do you want to work on a specific project?
Sounds simple, right? But simplicity can be deceptive. It’s one thing to know the path, quite another to walk it.
If you’re hungry for more, or just adept at procrastination, check out the worksheet I’ve put together. It’s designed to make you think, sweat, and, hopefully, crack the code on your perfect bio.
Find the worksheet here:
Within this worksheet’s brief 17 pages you’ll find:
A foolproof Outline of Structure because starting is half the battle.
Questions to Dig Deeper than you thought possible, uncovering the golden nuggets of your writing journey.
An additional 20 Questions to get the creative juices flowing like a fine wine.
Over 40 Examples of kickass bios from the 2023 Coverfly's Next List to inspire, motivate, and maybe incite a tiny bit of jealousy.
Hint: If you hit a wall, why not feed your answers and a couple of those bios to ChatGPT? Sure, it’s a bit like cooking with a microwave. Still, it might just kickstart your process.
