The Art of Writing Letters

In the course of my life, I have always loved letter writing. This may come from the fact that during my middle school years I had two pen pals from camp. We wrote to each other for about 4 years after we met at summer camp. 

Looking back, it may be weird that we wrote to each other so much. But I cherished those letters and all the fun little drawings that we shared. 

It is funny how those moments in your childhood shape who you become. 

Now, I find myself writing more to the world and less to my pen pals. But there is always a part of me that longs for a good letter.

In a letter, one can divulge the true hope and desire you have for the other person. There are words and phrases that feel too brash to say outloud but in a letter I will gladly state them. 

Letters make me feel bold. I make overstated promises and write truths I would never share otherwise.

I wonder if this reveals more about my insecurities in relationships than I can admit.

But enough about me, let me offer some tips for writing letters to friends or family members. Many people have told me they want to write but don’t know what to say. These ideas are a way to guide your writing and help you start to love the art of writing letters.

1. A Greeting

   1. First start your letter off with a greeting. This seems obvious but do not just stop at “Hello” or “Dear”. Instead, allow your first few sentences to be part of your greeting. Extend the hello beyond the first two words of your letter. Allow yourself to give well wishes of health and happiness. Maybe even a rhetorical, “How are things going?”. The first few sentences of a letter are the proverbial handshake to your reader. Give them reason to stay with your warm welcome.

2. A Reason

   1. After you have written a more extensive greeting, it is important to move onto the idea or the reason you have written the letter. Is this a birthday card? Is this a get well soon card? In this section of your letter, state the purpose of the card. Tell your friend very plainly and openly. Don’t be shy to state the obvious. Hope you had a fine birthday, I was thinking of you and sent you this card. We all like to hear from a friend so the purpose just adds some flavor as to why you are reaching out. Letters don’t have to be formal, so even in this section you can overdo it a little bit.

3. A Farewell

   1. Now that you have stated your purpose, don’t beat around the bush. It is time to say goodbye. Similar to our “hello”, you can take your time to give a farewell. Friends are few and far between so let your pal know that it will be great to see them soon. It would be great to hear from them, if they so dare. Relish in the long goodbye because other forms of communication don’t allow for the lengthy parting. So it makes sense to extend it a bit in your letter.

And just like that you’ve written a letter that is fun, engaging, and has purpose. It may seem over the top at first. But remember, letters are meant to convey feelings that you wouldn’t just text. They are meant to hold things that you don’t say on the phone. So I believe it is alright to be slightly dramatic in this form of writing. At the end of the day, who doesn’t like to receive a letter that contains nice, thoughtful prose inside?