Biography vs personal statement
Tips for Writing a Bio,
Personal Statement, and
Screenwriting Resume
Perhaps the greatest thing you can do to advance your film/TV writing career is to have a few scorching hot writing samples that burn themselves into a reader's mind even after they've reached the last page.... but what good are your scorching hot samples if you can't get anybody to take a chance on you as a writer and actually read them?
This is where bios, personal statements and screenwriting resumes come in.
These bits of accessory writing are equally important to helping you get your foot in the ever-elusive door. An intriguing bio or personal statement can get a manager, showrunner, program head (or any person on the other end of the hiring table) excited about you and eager to read your work. However, it's not always easy to convince someone of your wit and storytelling abilities in as little real estate as a few paragraphs... or even a few short sentences.
To fill the voracious appetite amongst program participants and library patrons for information on how to write short bios and the like, we offer these tips. Take note, though, because while we can offer tips on what to do and not do, bios and personal statements are just that—personal—and your individuality will ultimately help you stand out. But first…
WHAT IS A BIO?
A bio is typically a short 3-4 sentence blurb (unless a particular opportunity you're applying for asks for longer). It's an elevator pitch of yourself, an autobiography in lightning form.
A short bio is required for just about everything. You'll find it necessary for fellowship applications, profiles on CoverFly or The Black List and even sometimes in query or cover letters, so it's good to have an evergreen version sitting on your computer, ready to go. You can tweak it depending on the opportunity at hand.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD BIO?
Again, it's a clear, concise overview of YOU. It's the little samp
Swinton's
Updated: Mar 15, 2021
Wait don't run! This chore can be lots of fun!
All that social media and tweety stuff is hard to sort out. Let’s not go down that path today. Instead, let’s talk about something that is equally important if you’re planning to sell your art on any kind of professional level.
The question about the difference between an artist statement, a bio and a CV is one of the most frequently asked question I receive from my students.
Let’s start by clarifying what each is, what it’s for, and then dive a little deeper into how to put it all together.
In the simplest terms:
A Bio is a personal statement about you.
An Artist Statement is about your art practice.
A CV is an outline of your achievements.
Your professional artist bio is basically a personal resume in paragraph form and is written in third person. A bio explains who you are as an artist. Your bio should include information about you, how you got started, important accomplishments and anything else you feel is necessary to give people a good look into who you are as an artist.
If written correctly, you bio will give people a greater understanding of you art, and where you came from. A bio is about you and your feelings about art and not the art itself.
You should attempt to make your bio longer than your artist statement, (155 characters give or take), but not too lengthy or wordy otherwise your readers may lose interest.
A few tips on writing a bio.
Should be written in third person.
A short description of your current work.
It is okay to include your past - including art instruction, influences, and what events or upbringing have shaped your artistic direction, etc.
Where you were born and where you live now.
This document should also evolve and change along with your career. More important items will be added as your career grows and less important or less relevant things will be removed. (Where
What is a personal statement?
A personal statement is a picture of you as a student and an illustration of your fit for a particular school or fellowship. It complements the resume, giving much more depth and character. It focuses on a few key themes related to the your biography, interests, and/or experiences. (Note: The personal statement is not to be confused with the statement of purpose, which is more future focused, explaining your plans for study and career).
Elements of a strong statement
A good statement grabs the reader’s attention from the beginning, uses specific illustrations and examples, and shows rather than tells. It responds directly to any prompt offered and has a tight narrative structure and a logical flow. The statement builds the picture of an interesting, passionate person who is a perfect fit for the school or fellowship. The essay is honest, confronting any gaps, weaknesses, or deficiencies, but focusing on lessons learned and positive outcomes. Though the writer conveys intelligence, experience, aptitude, and passion, the tone remains humble and sincere. Through the essay the writer manages to stand out from other applicants and appear unique. Keep in mind, that not every story must be deeply emotional, and a good statement does not overshare; it balances narrative with argument about your qualifications.
Tips for brainstorming
It can be difficult to know where to begin, especially when writing about oneself. You can start a file or notebook, beginning to list awards you have won, important milestones, struggles, and accomplishments, illustrative anecdotes, and relevant experiences. If stuck, you can ask parents, teachers, mentors, peers, coworkers, or supervisors what should be included in an essay about your life, interests, and achievements. You can also read Examples of Successful Statements (Purdue OWL) and see questions you can ask yourself before you write in the Personal Statement Guide (Purdue OWL).
Beyo
The Difference Between a Statement And a Bio
How do you write a statement and bio? Do you need a bio or statement? What’s the difference between a statement and a bio?
Your work won’t always speak for itself, so statements and bios can really help you connect with your audience and help people understand what you do.
As an artist with dyslexia, I find expressing myself with words really hard. I like to paint. However, having things like statements and bios can really help you as an artist to connect to your audience.
In this blog, I am going to share some top tips with you to help you know where to start when it comes to writing about yourself and your work.
What is the difference?
A bio is a short biography about yourself, not necessarily about your artwork per se. It is about your journey as an artist and how you got into it. It has a personal feel to it.
A statement is about your art. It’s about the process and why the artwork exists. It helps to think about it as an extension of your artwork to help your audience understand and connect with it.
A bio helps a buyer connect to you as an artist and a statement gives understanding to your artwork. It allows your audience to build rapport, trust and connect emotionally with your work.
Tips for writing a bio
There is no one way to write a bio and a lot of people struggle with this as you are writing about yourself and quite often this doesn’t come easily. Here are some things I have learnt over the years to help me write my bios.
Split them down to short, medium and long. This isn’t necessary but I find having these at this stage with my art really helpful.
Short bio:
- Start with the short bio. This is usually written in the third person.
- It is concisely telling people who you are and what you do.
- It just needs to be a paragraph or a few sentences long.
- It may get used on a gallery wall, in a magazine, if you’re featured on a podcast as your intro.
Medium bio:
- This extends a
- Autobiographical statement for graduate school example