How and Why to Write a Letter

When I was young, other than the phone, a letter was the only way to keep in touch with extended family and friends. I loved getting letters as a kid, and in fact, I still do. When my best friend moved away in the ninth grade, she and I wrote letters back and forth, keeping our friendship alive. I still have all of those letters, and she and I are still friend now, twenty years later. We still write letters.

While email is faster, and you can put all the information into an email that you would put in a letter, letters trump email in many ways. First, how often do you go back and reread email? A letter can easily be read again and again. A letter is a tangible link between you and the person who sent it. Second, letters can be stored in a drawer or scrapbook. Whenever you see the letter, you are reminded of how much you enjoyed receiving it. Third, letters can contain more than just the letter. Sometimes there are small gifts or surprises enclosed. I have mailed bookmarks, flat magnets, theme confetti, and a pencil.

Letters are a way for later generations to know what you were like, and what your friends and family were like. Letters offer a window into history. A handwritten letter can be as short as half a page, or long as the folded pages will fit into an envelope. So, how do you write a letter?

Start by deciding who to send a letter too. The reader dictates the type of letter. You wouldn't write the same letter to your seven year old nephew as you would your 35 year old sister. Once you decide on your reader, tell them what you think they would like to know about. For example, a nephew might want to hear about the interesting bugs in your garden, the antics of your pet, and where you have traveled recently, especially if that travel involved adventure. Your sister might want to know about a great book you read, a recipe you tried, an outfit you bought, a TV show you liked, or the latest gossip about your neighbors. Anything you would talk about, you can write about in a letter. Close a letter with a question. This invites your reader to write you back.

Letter writing is certainly rare these days. However, with a little practice you can become very adept at this lost art. Try writing a letter today.