Obituary Clichés: What to Say Instead
A few years back, I wrote a magazine piece that the editor criticized for containing too many clichés. In his edited version, the new opening sentence begins with “Tall, leggy blondes…” Turns out it’s tough to write without using clichés, which are a...Sample Barf Draft of an Obituary
Journalists use the term “barf draft” to mean a rough draft that’s written (or recorded and then transcribed) all at once, without stopping to think or correct yourself or look up missing information. Once you create a barf draft of an obituary, you...
Writing about Smells in an Obituary
Steaming waffles. Dana Brown Safari coffee. Zest soap. Petunias. Cool, wet grass. Firewood. Those are some of the scents and smells I associate with my grandmother. If I were writing her obituary, I’d want to include as much of that sensory detail as possible....
Grandmother’s Obituary Used to Scold Sinners
An obituary shouldn’t be a platform for the obituarist’s own hatred, shame, or guilt. In an obituary for his grandmother, Joshua Fischer denounces our “selfish desires” and deplores our “lying, stealing, cheating, taking of innocent life, adultery,...
Quick-Start Guide to Obituary Writing (Free!)
Why do we dread obituary writing? And why are obituaries so gloomy and colorless? Toss the templates. Write a fresh, original tribute, not a résumé and not an old-fashioned print obituary, or “death notice,” as a newspaper would call it. To learn how to...This Mistake Guarantees a Schmaltzy Obituary
Here’s the wrenching conclusion to a young father’s obituary. What do you think—sweet or schmaltzy?
Dear Johann: Obituary Tradition in Iceland
The people of Iceland have kept up a lovely tradition of writing letter-style obituaries, in which the obituarist writes a message directly to the obituee. These messages are warm and sincere, but they’re not sappy or unduly sorrowful. Above all, each letter is...- Dealing with Opioid Overdose in an Obituary
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- Obituary Clichés: What to Say Instead
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- Sample Barf Draft of an Obituary
- Writing about Smells in an Obituary
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- Quick-Start Guide to Obituary Writing (Free!)
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- Dear Johann: Obituary Tradition in Iceland
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- Toss the Template and Tell the Story
