How To Break Into Profile Writing

Profile writing is one of the most versatile narrative tools writers have, and it shows up everywhere from reported essays and cultural criticism, to investigative work and history writing. Profiles aren’t just portraits of famous people — or people who should be famous. They’re often one of the cleanest, most precise ways to write your way into a big topic. Profiles of ordinary people living through the consequences of policy decisions — or key moments in history — make up some of the most compelling pieces in this genre. This seminar breaks down how to recognize, pitch, and write compelling profiles of people dead or alive, famous or unknown, friend or stranger. You’ll learn how to assess whether a person can carry a piece, how to frame them as part of a larger narrative, and how to move an idea from the idea stage to a strong pitch. We’ll also dig into the ethics of writing about real people — including consent, access, privacy, and the line between subjectivity and objectivity — especially when working with controversial public figures or private individuals who come to stand in for a broader social or political moment.