How to Write Obituaries

Writing an obituary can be both painful and difficult, but it is important to put time and effort into writing obituaries. Obituaries are short articles which detail the events and relationships of a person's life. Obituaries generally run in the newspaper a few days or a week after a person has died. An obituary serves to notify people in the area that a person has died, and is a testament to what they achieved during their lifetime.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Check the obituary guidelines of the newspaper the obituary will run in. Most newspapers have their own ways of doing obituaries, and it is best to get in touch with the newspaper and ask about their obituary format. If you cannot get in touch with the newspaper directly, look at a few obituary examples from the newspaper. These example obituaries can serve as your guideline for writing an obituary.

2. Gather the relevant information. You will want to know the full legal name, place of death, and age of the person who has died. This information is generally included in obituaries.

3. Include educational background and important achievements and relationships in the obituary that you write. Generally you will want to list spouses, children, and possibly parents or grandchildren, along with any remarkable events that occurred during their life or distinctions they earned.

4. Put funeral details into the obituary. Some people will learn of the death by reading the obituary, so you want to make sure these people will be able to attend the funeral if they want to.