2. Choose length and tone
Decide between a short notice and a full life story. This drives cost and content.
Checklist
- Decide: brief notice, standard obituary, or full life story
- Set a target word count before drafting
- Confirm the paper's price per line
- Choose one tone and agree it with family
A death notice is a short paid announcement: name, age, date, services. A full obituary tells a life story and runs 300–600 words.
Papers charge by the line or column inch. The gap between the two formats can be hundreds of dollars.
If cost matters, run a brief notice in print and a full version online, then point to the online one.
Match tone to the person, not the occasion. Families more often regret erring too formal.
Pick one voice and hold it. The common failure is stiff officialese that lurches into a personal anecdote halfway down.
Tip Death notice: 50–100 words. Standard obituary: 200–400. Full life story: 400–800.