Editorial standards

This page explains exactly how the texts you receive are prepared, what we check, and what we will never do.

1. Everything starts with your words

You answer a few questions: who they were, a memory or two, something they used to say, what to leave out. Every question can be left blank. We don't search the internet or use anything you didn't give us.

2. How a draft is written

Drafts are prepared with AI language models from your answers, following written rules: first person, plain and dignified sentences, the names and forms of address exactly as you wrote them, and the length you chose. Faith language follows the level you selected; if you chose none, there is none.

3. The check every draft goes through

Before you see anything, each draft is compared line by line against your answers. Among the things checked:

• names and forms of address match exactly
• dates match exactly
• no fact, memory, place, job, quote or person that you didn't give us
• illness or cause of death only if you mentioned it, and briefly
• the faith level you chose
• no stock phrases ("taken too soon", "words cannot express")
• topics you asked us to avoid are absent
• the people you asked to thank are all there, and only they are
• for obituaries, the "survived by" and "preceded in death by" lists are not mixed up

If a draft fails, it is corrected and checked again. If it still doesn't pass, it is not sent to you: a person reads it against your answers and corrects it first. We'll tell you if that's happening ("we're taking a second look").

4. You have the final word

You read the opening before paying. Afterwards you can ask for changes or edit any line yourself for 7 days. Nothing is published anywhere by us.

5. What we never do

• invent a memory, a relative, a job, a place or a date
• write testimonials or reviews in anyone's name
• print copyrighted song lyrics or modern poems in a program (titles only)
• use your answers for advertising or share them with anyone except the services needed to run the site

6. Privacy and deletion

Your answers, photos and texts are deleted automatically 30 days after you finish, and you can delete them sooner using the link in every email. See our privacy policy.

Corrections

If anything in a text you received isn't right, reply to your email or write to hello@lovinglywritten.org. If you'd rather not keep it, our refund is 7 days, no questions asked.