Back to Home > Content > Tips For Aspiring Obituary Writers

Tips For Aspiring Obituary Writers

Research, resources and other tricks of the death writing trade
RELATED: Death Goes Digital

By Emily Million – April 9, 2007
Dying to pen an obit? Take a tip or two from the experts, and soon you might find yourself getting the final say on something more, dare we say, profound than what is actually going on inside Britney’s hairless head. One word of caution: whatever you do, make sure you don’t bury the lede … (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Research

  • Patience. You can spend hours just making contact. Need a passion for basic detective work.
  • Speed. Need to be versed in the standard findings of sources. Research fast.
  • Sleuthiness. A good obit writer has to have the curiosity and doggedness of a detective.

    Passion for Storytelling

  • The Story. The best obit writers are natural storytellers. Says New York Times obituaries editor Bill McDonald: “They have to love making people come alive, as it were, through the use of narrative tension, rich detail and colorful anecdote.”
  • Suck Them In. Says Washington Post obit writer Adam Bernstein: “Write so people who are just glancing at it may get sucked in.”

    Remember Social/Historical Context

  • Don’t Assume. Never assume people will automatically care about your subject.
  • Context. When writing, remember the importance of social and cultural context.
  • History Lesson. Good obit writers have to possess something of the historian in them. They have the ability to convey an individual's place within the bigger historical picture.

    News, Not Eulogy

  • Bigger Goal. New York Times obituary writer Margalit Fox emphasized obits are ultimately news, not eulogies nor flowery tributes. "Leave the eulogies to ministers and rabbis.”
  • Good and Bad. Obits have to include not only good parts of people’s lives, but also the reprehensible. Get the best possible information on your subject, not just what's most flattering. You need revealing anecdotes.

    Resources

  • Newsgroups. Bernstein says alt.obituaries is a good resource for ideas: “Obit aficionados post on this newsgroup, and there’s a whole subculture that likes posting these things.”
  • Search. Fox uses internet databases like Lexis Nexis, as well as the biography database at the New York Public Library’s Web site. “It’s wonderful.”
  • Blog. Get your obit fix, plus find links to all things obit on the Web at the Blog of Death.
  • People. Contact an expert in the field of the subject who died.

    Other Tricks of Trade

  • Be inspired. Bernstein advises to read the best possible obits around you, and use that as a guide to determining your own style.
  • Read. Compilations of memorable obits, such as the ones published by the New York Times, or works that delve into the cult and culture of the craft serve as a good starting point. Marilyn Johnson’s The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries is a must-read for any obit fanatic.
  • Discuss. Join in discussion with and ask questions of folks who study, enjoy, read and/or write obituaries at the Obituary Forum.
  • Participate. If you are really into the art of obituary, join the International Association of Obituarists and connect with other enthusiasts at events like the annual Great Obituary Writers’ International Conference.

    [Emily Million is a writer in based New York. She can be reached at emily DOT million AT gmail DOT com.]
    • > Have a comment? Send a letter to the editor.
    > Read more in our archives