Welcome to our new module, Writing Profiles and Interview-Based Pieces. In the last module, we focused on critically evaluating a work of art. We saw how a strong thesis or central argument is the backbone of any good review. We'll find that the same principle applies to profile writing, but our subject is now a person. A great profile does more than just list facts; it presents a compelling argument about who a person is and why they matter.
Today's lesson is designed to help you structure a profile around a central theme or narrative arc rather than a simple chronological biography. We'll explore how to move beyond a dry "born here, went to school there" account to create a written portrait that is insightful, memorable, and a genuine pleasure to read.
1. Beyond the Chronological: The Problem with Predictable Profiles
Many fledgling profiles follow a familiar, dull pattern: an opening anecdote, a chronological history from birth to the present, and a concluding quote. This "wind-up toy" structure, as one editor calls it, can make even the most fascinating subject seem boring.
The goal of a great profile is to tell an unheard story from an unexpected angle. To see why this is so important, let's hear from a panel of writers from The New Yorker, a magazine famous for its in-depth profiles.
The Art of the Profile | The New Yorker
This clip from "The Art of the Profile" perfectly captures the difference between a predictable story and a compelling one.
Watch these two segments from the discussion: The windup toy: The moderator, Daniel Zalewski, outlines the cliché profile structure and explains why New Yorker writers are engaged in a "war against cliche." Not reproducing: The panelists discuss how to avoid making a subject seem banal or boring, especially if they are already well-known.
The key idea here is to find a unique perspective. Instead of just documenting a life, you need to interpret it for the reader.
How to write a profile story - Shorthand
This article from Shorthand provides a great overview of profile writing, reinforcing the idea of finding a unique angle.
Please read the introduction, titled "What is a profile story?", and the section "Choose an angle". Focus on the questions the author poses to help you find your story's focus.
These resources highlight the central task of a profile writer: to find a theme or angle that gives the story purpose and direction.
2. What Is a Theme? Finding Your Story's Core
A theme isn't just a topic (e.g., "this is about an actor"). It's the story's central argument, question, or contradiction. It's the lens through which you will present every fact, anecdote, and quote.
As the Shorthand article suggests, a strong angle often answers the question: Why is this person important right now?
Here are some examples of themes:
- A comedian known for cynical humor is now writing children's books. Theme: The conflict between public persona and private evolution.
- A tech CEO who champions digital connection lives a completely offline, analog life. Theme: The paradox of the modern guru.
- An indie musician on the verge of mainstream success is terrified of losing their creative voice. Theme: The battle between ambition and authenticity.
The theme is what gives your story a point of view and a reason for being. It's the promise you make to the reader in your introduction, or nut graf.
How to Write a Profile: Examples from The Wall Street Journal
This article breaks down the structure of a profile and uses excellent examples to illustrate how themes are established and developed.
Read the sections titled "2. Nut graph" and "3. Themes". Notice how the nut graph expresses the "essence of the personality" and sets up the theme, as seen in the Fran Drescher example. The Michael Milken example shows how a powerful theme ("Michael Milken wants to live forever") can drive the entire narrative.
3. Structuring the Narrative Arc
Once you have your theme, you need a structure to tell that story. A chronological biography is one structure, but it's rarely the most effective. A more powerful approach is to use a narrative arc, a structure you'll recognize from your interest in scriptwriting.
While there are many narrative models, the classic three-act structure is a fantastic tool for thinking about your profile's shape.
Let's adapt this for a profile:
Act I: The Setup
- The Lede: This is your opening. Instead of "So-and-so was born in...", you start with an anecdote or a vivid scene that introduces the central theme. This is the "Normal World" or the "Inciting Incident" of your story.
- The Nut Graf: This is your "1st Turning Point." Here, you explicitly state the theme or the central question of the profile. You tell the reader why you've invited them to the story and what's at stake.
Act II: The Development / Confrontation
- The Body: This is the longest section of your profile. Instead of a chronological summary, you present a curated sequence of anecdotes, background information, and quotes from your interviews that explore the theme.
- The Narrative Thread: A great way to structure this act is by using a recurring idea, image, or word—a narrative thread. Watch this short video for a clear explanation.
The Basics of Feature Writing (Journalism Lecture)
This lecture by Brett Atwood distinguishes feature writing from news writing and introduces the concept of a narrative thread.
Watch these clips: Feature writing style: Notice how he contrasts the feature structure (hook, nut graf, body) with the inverted pyramid. Narrative thread: He gives a simple but effective example of using the "living rooms" theme to tie a short profile together. The ending: He mentions how an ending can circle back to the lead, a powerful way to complete the arc.
In Act II, you build your case. If your theme is a contradiction, you show both sides. If it's about a struggle, you show the wins and the losses. You guide the reader through the evidence that supports your central thesis about the person.
Act III: The Resolution
- The Kicker: This is your ending. It doesn't need to resolve the person's entire life, but it must provide a resolution for your theme. It's your final statement. As we discussed in our last lesson, this can be achieved by:
- Circling back to the opening anecdote.
- Synthesizing the conflicting ideas you've explored.
- Looking ahead to what the future holds for the subject, in relation to the theme (see the Simu Liu example in resource LINK).
4. Your Turn: Finding the Theme and Arc
Let's put this into practice. Imagine you're profiling a famous pop star for an entertainment magazine. Here's what you know:
- Subject: "KAI," a 22-year-old pop star.
- Background: Became world-famous at 16 with bubblegum pop hits. Her image was carefully controlled by her record label—bright colors, positive lyrics, very family-friendly.
- Current Situation: She just released her third album. It's a dark, experimental, industrial-rock-influenced record about anger and disillusionment. The critics are divided, and her original fanbase is confused.
- Anecdote from your interview: During your interview, she wore all black and spoke about how she felt like a "product" for years. She said, "I had to break the dollhouse to see if there was a real person living inside."
Based on this, answer the following questions:
- What are two potential central themes for this profile?
- Choose one theme. How might you structure the narrative arc? Briefly describe:
- An idea for the Lede (Act I).
- What you would explore in the Body (Act II).
- An idea for the Kicker (Act III).
Click here for a sample analysis.
1. Potential Themes:
- Theme A: The Price of Authenticity. This theme focuses on the conflict between commercial success and personal expression. Is KAI's new identity worth losing her fanbase?
- Theme B: Deconstruction of a Pop Star. This theme frames her career as a deliberate tearing down of a manufactured identity to find a real one. Her "break the dollhouse" quote is perfect for this.
2. Sample Narrative Arc (using Theme B):
- Lede (Act I): Start with a vivid scene from her new, dark music video or a description of her industrial-rock concert. Contrast this immediately with an image of her from her bubblegum pop days.
- Nut Graf (Act I): State the theme directly, using her "break the dollhouse" quote to explain that this isn't just a new album, but a deliberate act of self-destruction to find herself.
- Body (Act II):
- Use anecdotes from her early career to show how the "dollhouse" was built (by the label, by the media).
- Weave in quotes from your interview where she discusses her feelings of being a "product."
- Bring in voices from critics and fans (both old and new) to show the "confrontation"—the fallout from her decision.
- Include background on the making of the new album, showing the creative choices that went into her transformation.
- Kicker (Act III): Circle back to the idea of the "dollhouse." Perhaps end with a final observation from your interview. For example: "The dollhouse is now a pile of splinters at her feet. What she builds in its place—and whether anyone will want to live there with her—remains to be seen." This looks ahead while reinforcing the central theme.
Conclusion
Today we've laid the foundation for writing compelling profiles. By moving away from a simple chronological report and embracing a theme-driven narrative arc, you transform a list of facts into a powerful story that offers genuine insight.
Key Takeaways:
- Great profiles are built around a central theme or angle, not a timeline.
- The theme answers the question: "Why is this person interesting, and why now?"
- A narrative arc (like the three-act structure) helps you organize your material to tell a story with a clear beginning (setup), middle (development), and end (resolution).
- A narrative thread—a recurring image, idea, or phrase—can be used to weave the different parts of your story together and reinforce your theme.
In our next lesson, we will focus on selecting and arranging interview material to effectively support the profile's central theme. Now that you understand how to design the structure, we'll learn how to choose the perfect building blocks—the quotes and anecdotes—to bring it to life.