How To Write A Eulogy

A eulogy is a tribute to the life of a person who has deceased. During this troubling time it is difficult to gather the inner strength to put for the effort, however, if you follow three simple steps you can learn how to write a eulogy.

Zig Ziglar is a famous speaker, author, and lecturer. He is a master at keeping things simple and he breaks down delivering a speech or presentation into three steps.

1. Tell them what you're about to tell them.

2. Tell them.

3. Tell them what you told them.

Now, this may seem like a simplified answer for writing eulogies, but the bsic format holds true and works with almost every situation.

In the first stage you can give an introduction to your eulogy speech by giving a quick overview of what the audience is about to hear from you. This could start out with you saying, "What I'd like to share with you today is a reflection of the life of a man very dear to me. You will hear about a devoted father, loving husband, and loyal friend. I'll share a story with you that captures the very essence of his spirit that we all loved so much..."

You can continue this introduction expanding on what you are about to talk about. This captures the audience, builds curiosity, and opens people's listening.

This stage can last for a few minutes and also helps you warm up your writing skills and floods you with good memories as you are getting started. You may feel a calm taking over you as you begin writing this portion of your speech. Get centered and draw off of that feeling because it's the key to how to write a eulogy.

The second stage is to tell them. This is the body of your eulogy speech and will be the longest portion. As you write, remember that this is not a life story of the deceased. Instead it is a tribute. Speak of their character and point out examples with stories. This is a good time to write about the roles that they played on while on this planet and how their spirit manifested itself in those roles.

For example, you can write about how your deceased mother was a leader in the community or how her gentle heart touched the lives of her grandchildren. You may also share stories that others have given you so talk to family and friends and ask for ideas. It's best to ask direct questions when gathering information from others. Don't just ask for a story because people will tell you that they can't think of one. Instead ask them what the person meant to them. What memories do they have. What did they admire about them, etc. These people will make it clear for you how to write a eulogy with the answers and support they give you.

The third and last part of your eulogy speech is to give a summary of what you just told them. You can also add a poem, quote, or religious reading during this part of a eulogy.

You may want to start it out with something to this affect: "You've heard about a person today that we've all had the privilege to know and love. We talked about them as a father, brother, and loving husband. His gentle soul was often displayed as described by the story I've told...etc..."

After giving a quick summary of what they've just heard you can offer a poem, quote or reading.