Profiles: Show and Tell, without the Tell

What makes a good profile?

A good profile, at its core, shows the person it features. A good profile does not tell. A good profile is not intrusive—to reader or subject. A good profile does not analyze or argue. A good profile presents the reader a subject unadorned, without airs. A good profile is very difficult to write as the writer must be totally removed from the subject (unless writing a more personalized narrative). A good profile relies on writing scenes and connecting those scenes to more concrete information. A good profile is like a documentary: it shows, makes no comment, and allows us to see into a world we would not normally not see. To accomplish this, the writer’s ego must be displaced from the article—commentary, analysis, assumptions, and arguments are all dross to a profile. The profile must allow its subject to stand on his or her own terms.