Writing a eulogy in Walterboro, SC can be an intimidating process. What should you say? How long should it be? How can you put together thoughts that are meaningful and appropriate? It helps to look at eulogy examples. It also helps to follow a proven process for writing a eulogy. Here’s a step-by-step guide.
Gather ideas
The first step in writing a eulogy in Walterboro, SC is to collect stories and memories of your loved one. Jot down ideas from your own recollections as well as others who were close to the deceased. Don’t focus on trying to write a smooth-flowing eulogy at this point. Simply write down thoughts and ideas.
Pick a theme
Once you have gathered stories and memories, look over your notes. See if there are any themes to the material—for example, community involvement, family and friends or faith. Choose one or two of the most prevalent themes and choose stories that fit those themes best.
Write an outline
After you have chosen one or two themes, create an outline for your eulogy. The outline is a rough sketch of what your speech will cover. Here’s an example:
- Introduce yourself and thank people for coming
- Mention your loved one’s passion for adventure and love for her family
- Share a story about a family vacation
- Share a story about her travels to Australia
- Talk about how she will be missed, ending with a meaningful quote or loving thought
Keep in mind that the goal of the outline is to organize your thoughts and give yourself a guideline to move forward with writing a eulogy in Walterboro, SC.
Compose the first draft
Don’t expect your first draft to be the final polished version. Give yourself permission to write a rough draft first, knowing you can go back and edit it later. It will probably be easiest to start with the story portions of the eulogy, then go back and add the intro and conclusion.
Edit
Once you have completed your rough draft, read through it and polish the writing to make sure it flows well. Read it out loud to see how it sounds and how long it is. You want to aim for three to five minutes, and you don’t want to go over 10 minutes. Make any edits you wish to adjust the length and finish writing the eulogy in Walterboro, SC.
Practice
After you have completed writing the eulogy, practice your speech. You may want to read it out loud in front of someone else to get feedback.
Get funeral planning assistance
At Steedley Monument Works, we understand you have a lot on your plate with planning a funeral and making other arrangements. That’s why we strive to deliver personalized services at a fair price. We have an indoor showroom and an outdoor display set up to make choosing a headstone, memorial or marker as easy as possible. We’ve been helping families honor their loved ones with quality monuments since 1968. Contact us today at 843-538-8103 to learn more.