Hand-written diagrams are not a bad idea. That whole 'memory palace' idea of using an architectural model of some kind as a map to the information is also usef

Hand-written diagrams are not a bad idea. That whole 'memory palace' idea of using an architectural model of some kind as a map to the information is also useful (even a simple linear timeline on a piece of paper noting important events would be useful for a biography). There are some open-source tools you can play around with to make timelines too, although such things can take up more time than pencil and paper. Some are more accessible than others: https://schoolofdata.org/handbook/courses/timeline-tools/ https://schoolofdata.org/handbook/courses/timeline-tools/