Profiling a person Tips on profiling a person Consider interviewing the person you plan to profile, perhaps along with the person’s friends or colleagues. Prepare for an interview by jotting down a list of questions. Avoid questions with yes/no answers or those that encourage vague rambling. Instead, pose questions that will elicit specific facts, anecdotes, and opinions that might add a meaningful dimension to your paper. As you collect details about your subject, jot down some notes. Then look through those notes for what journalists call an "angle": a way of focusing your material on a central idea or dominant impression. In your introduction, pique readers’ interest in your subject and then sum up your central idea or dominant impression in a thesis. (See Rules for Writers, section 2a.) Do not omit the thesis unless your instructor says that for this assignment a thesis may not be necessary. In the body of your paper, use facts, details, and examples to illustrate the truth of your central idea; do not rely heavily on generalizations. When possible, quote your subject’s spoken words to bring the person’s character to life. End your paper by stressing the significance of the person you have chosen to profile. Sample paper (based on an interview): Kirk Brimmer Sample paper (based on memories): Diane Williford Back to the assignment Assignments list