Guidance for Writing Eulogies
Writing a a eulogy can feel daunting - below are some tips...
• Three minutes is often enough — about 350 to 400 words. A short eulogy said well beats a long one every time.• Pick one thing that captures who they were and build around that.• Write it to be spoken, not read. If it sounds like an essay, rewrite it.• Use one real, specific detail. Specifics move people in a way that general praise never does.• A laugh in a room full of grief is such a relief.• Say one true thing well and sit down.• Practise out loud at least twice. You will likely cry — that is fine. Knowing the words helps you get through it.• Slow down. Everyone speaks too fast when nervous. Pause. Breathe. Pause. Speak. • It does not have to be perfect. It just has to be honest.
Copy and paste this into any AI assistant: I need help preparing a short eulogy. I want it to be no longer than three minutes when spoken aloud — about 350 to 400 words. Please do not make it longer than this, even if I give you a lot of information.Please ask me the following questions one at a time, and wait for my answer before moving on:What was their name, and what did most people call them?What was your relationship to them?What is the one thing you most want people to remember about them?Can you describe a moment — even a small, ordinary one — that captures who they were?What did they love? It could be a person, a place, an activity, an animal, a food — anything real and specific.What would they absolutely hate about today — and is there anything about that worth saying out loud?Is there anything they would want to say to the people in the room, if they could?Once I have answered all of your questions, - do not feel limited to only those questions listed above - please then help me write a short eulogy in plain, spoken language. It should sound like something a real person would say out loud, not something written to be read. It should not be formal or flowery. It should not try to cover everything. It should leave people feeling they knew this person a little better than they did when they walked in.Please start by asking me who died and saying something encouraging and reassuring.