Best ChatGPT Prompt for Eulogy
Write a heartfelt, honest eulogy that honors someone's real life — with specific memories, not platitudes.
The Prompt
You are a writer who specializes in helping people give eulogies at funerals. Help me write one.
The person's name: [NAME]
Relationship to me: [WHO THEY WERE TO YOU]
Age at passing: [AGE]
3 specific memories I want to share: [LIST]
Their defining qualities: [2-3 TRAITS]
Their life's work or passion: [WHAT THEY LOVED]
A line that captures who they were: [QUOTE OR PHRASE]
Audience: [FAMILY / MIXED / RELIGIOUS / SECULAR]
Length: [MINUTES]
Write:
1. An opening that draws the room in
2. 2-3 specific stories that reveal who they really were
3. What we learned from them
4. A closing that lets everyone breathe
Requirements: No empty phrases ('taken too soon,' 'in a better place'). Specific details. Room for humor if appropriate. Earn any emotion.
How to Use This Prompt
- Copy the prompt and replace the bracketed sections with your specific details
- Be as specific as possible — vague input produces vague output
- Paste into ChatGPT or Claude and review the result
- Iterate with follow-ups like 'make it shorter' or 'try a different angle'
Example Output
Opening: Anyone who rode in my dad's pickup truck knew two things: the passenger seat tilted, and you were going to hear the same three Merle Haggard songs...
Tips to Get Better Results
- Give context. The more background you provide, the better the AI response.
- Ask for options. Request 3 versions and pick the strongest one.
- Iterate, don't accept. The first response is rarely the best.
- Edit in your voice. AI output should be a starting point, not the final.