How to Write an Obituary Using an Interactive Obituary Template - Beyond the Dash

This tutorial will show you how to write an obituary step-by-step using the Interactive Obituary Template on beyondthedash.com/static/interactive-obituary-t…. Enter your loved one's biographical details, life accomplishments, survivors and predecessors to watch an obituary generate in real time. In this video, you will learn how to write, edit and publish an obituary or death notice within minutes.
Once you have finished the life story, you can publish it online at BeyondTheDash.com — it's completely free.

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Writing an obituary is one of the many tasks families have to deal with when a loved one passes away, and it can be the most daunting for people who aren't confident writers. You don't need Microsoft Word or any special obituary software to write a really special tribute for someone who's passed away. You can do all that on a website that's completely free to use, BeyondTheDash.com.
By answering questions about your loved one, the template will generate an obituary in real time. After creating this obituary using the Interactive Obituary Template, you can publish the story on Beyond the Dash for free.

1. Getting to Know the Interactive Obituary Template
To get started, go to BeyondTheDash.com, and all the way at the bottom of the page you can see the words INTERACTIVE TEMPLATE. This takes you to the page where you can write your loved one's obituary.

It's a simple form where you will enter your loved one's information. The template uses the information you've entered in this form to write the obituary.
Remember that nothing you create here is saved. Don't use the BACK button, REFRESH the page or navigate to a different page while you're using this template, without copying the story and saving it elsewhere.

2. Entering Information
Let's walk through the steps of creating an actual obituary using this template. All sections are optional, but DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT applies to most obituaries, so I am going to fill out this section as an example. Check the box for DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT to include that section in your story, then click the dropdown arrow to expand the fields.
To start, enter the deceased person's name. There are separate fields for their FIRST, MIDDLE and LAST names. It's a good idea to confirm the spelling of all names before beginning an obituary.
Select the pronoun that applies to your loved one. If you choose NOT SPECIFIED, the deceased person will be referred to by name in the story.
In this section, I'm going to enter the deceased person's CITY and STATE OF RESIDENCE, her AGE, DATE OF BIRTH and DATE OF DEATH. I'm also going to add the parents' names, and the city and state where the deceased person was born. The more detail you add, the more the obituary will stand out.
Once I've completed the DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT section, I can check and expand any other sections that apply to the life story. If a section doesn't apply to the life of your loved one, leave it unchecked and it won't be part of the final obituary.
If you leave fields blank, the story that generates will show you where the missing content is. To avoid this, try to complete all fields in a section. Otherwise, you can always edit out the missing sections later.

3. Editing the story
You can see this story has been generated at the bottom of the page, but it still is not saved. Click COPY OBITUARY TO CLIPBOARD and then PASTE the story into another document or a note to edit it. If you are planning on publishing the obituary on Beyond the Dash for free, start creating an obituary and paste the obituary directly into the story field. Read the story and ensure the details are correct. Depending on how you typed your loved one's information into the fields, you might have to add or remove periods, change capitals, or space things out so that it looks right.
Once everything is correct and the grammar looks polished, the obituary is now ready to be submitted for publication.

4. Publishing an Obituary on Beyond the Dash
It's time to publish the story for others to read. Click the Create Obituary Beyond the Dash to get started creating your loved one's digital memorial.

5. How to Publish an Online Obituary
Whether you choose to publish in print or online, Beyond the Dash can help you share the life story of someone who was important to you.

Don't forget to watch our next video, where you will learn how to publish an obituary online step-by-step. In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to take the story that you've created with this Interactive Obituary Template and turn it into a beautiful online memorial for friends and family to visit and enjoy.
Once the obituary has been published, you can share it with others, add photos and post memories of your loved one.
Did you like this video? Please let us know in the comments. And remember to share this tutorial with anyone who may be struggling to write an obituary for their loved one.