Using Obituaries to Create Characters

Are obituaries only for the dead?

I have been reading the newspaper obituaries for years, and here are the reasons why:

My mother always read them, so she passed this habit onto her children. And if my mother wasn’t reading the obituaries, she’d be on the phone about the dead person and reading the obituary to her relatives and friends. If that wasn’t enough, she would make copies of the obituaries, and would send copies.

If you read the obituaries, isn’t that a sign that you are alive? If you are alive, breathing and vertical, and can read the obituaries as you eat breakfast and sip your morning coffee, isn’t that proof enough that you are part of the living?

An obituary reveals a name. There was a time when a writer pulled names from the white pages of the phone book as a way to name characters. Now, there are numerous ways to name your characters. There are books, genealogy information and online sites to aid the writer. It’s not only expectant parents who have a stake in names. Naming characters is just as important to a writer as it is to parents naming their baby.

An obituary may reveal a biography and a life story. Obituaries have outlasted birth and bridal announcements. Newspapers keep obituaries of famous people in files, so when these people die, their biography is ready to go. All that is missing is when and where the famous person died. And other information like what famous people and celebrities were at the person’s deathbed or at least planning to attend the funeral.

Upon the death of a loved one, newspaper editors will tell the grieving family to save space and money by keeping the obituary brief. This makes sense for those left behind, but people suffering from the grief and loss of a loved one don’t make the best of decisions. Usually, there’s someone in the family who will write a long biography of the dearly departed. Most likely it becomes a yellowing strip of newsprint in a file or someone’s Bible.

For your writing purposes, find an obituary that is several paragraphs long. These types of obituaries will give you the most information to flesh out a character. Usually when obituaries are written by a family member or a friend who has known the deceased for a very long time, it is almost better than having your own biographer or ghost writer doing the ground work for you. You might say a well-written obituary brings “life” to the deceased for the very last time. Although you are a stranger, an obituary, when written well, will give you enough insights on how this person lived.

What to look for in an obituary. An obituary is quite simple, and most of them follow a pattern. Here is what you’ll find in longer obituaries:

1) The birth, birthplace, day of death, place of death, and a hint of what this person died of. An obituary may begin with a person being surrounded by family members at death. And if an illness or if the person died suddenly, this is usually mentioned all in the first paragraph. If the cause for death is not mentioned, it is usually at the end, when the family suggests that donations be made to certain organizations which deal with illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, kidney ailments, etc. When a person “dies suddenly,” you don’t ask questions. Instead, you figure that the person died of a heart attack or an aneurysm. No other information is needed, and it would be considered rude to pry.

2) A list of family members from children, spouses and relatives to aging grandparents. People who are fortunate to live a long time are able witness the birth of great grandchildren. The more tragic obituaries reveal babies, children, teens, and young adults who were unable to live long lives.

3) Education, career or volunteer work? People usually leave their mark on the world, and don’t need to be famous because of the paths they had chosen. Even criminals leave loved ones as well as victims and families of the victims.

4) Hobbies/Passion. People who have lived to see retirement are finally at a phase in life where they are free to pursue hobbies or their passions. Those who die before their time are described as having a promising life that was tragically cut short.

5) Was this person fulfilled in life? According to the obituary, did this person climb Mt. Everest or the face of El Capitan? Or die trying? Or did this person find peace as they cared for animals at the local animal rescue or shelter? In the eyes of you, the writer, what made this person's life worth living?

6) Was he or she loved by others? A long list of family and descendants does not guarantee that the deceased was loved by all. As you breathe life into your character, picture this person as someone who is generous. Don't overlook the flip side, as a person who hoards money and material goods.

If you can answer most of these questions, here is the beginning of your character. So when you read obituaries, it’s not about finding just interesting names. With a little imagination, you can develop a character by reading an obituary. And with the information you have been given, these few paragraphs may take you far. But as a writer, you’re the one who’s going to have to fill in the blanks and make your character believable for your reader. Dig deep with what you have to work with, and you may be surprised with the characters you have created.