How to Write a Great Love Letter

Why write a love letter? Why not just tell the object of your affection how you feel in person, or on the phone?

While there are easier ways to tell someone how you feel about them, there's just something special about a love letter. Taking the time to write down your feelings in a love letter tells the receiver that you care about them enough to want to put a little time and effort into showing it. A love letter written by hand is just more personal than a quick note dashed off in a few minutes and sent to their email inbox.

Writing a love letter benefits you, too. Sometimes, it's hard to tell people exactly how we feel about them face-to-face or by phone. Hours after talking to them, you think of something you wish you had said, or wish you'd said something else a different way. But, with a love letter, you have plenty of time to really think about what you want to say, and how you want to say it. You can read over what you've written and make changes. Or you can make additions to the love letter when you think of something new to add.

If you've never written a love letter before, it might seem like an intimidating task. But here are some tips that will make writing a love letter a little easier.

Choose the right stationary for your love letter.

If you're going to be putting time and effort into writing a love letter, go all the way. Buy some nice stationary just for the occasion. You could probably find some very nice stationary at a local discount store. Now matter how much, or little, the stationary costs, it will be nicer than sending someone a love letter on a sheet of paper ripped out of a notebook or memo pad.

Choose a stationary that fits your personality. If you're a hearts-and-flowers type of person, choose stationary that has hearts and flowers on it. If you're more of a no-frills type of person, choose something more plain and simple. You want the love letter to be an expression of who you are.

Write your love letter by hand.

No matter how bad you think your handwriting is, the recipient of your love letter will appreciate something you wrote by hand more than a love letter printed up on the computer. Just make sure that you write clearly enough for your love letter to be easily read.

How should you start your love letter?

There are lots of ways to start your love letter. Just a few possibilities are:

• Dear
• Dearest
• My Dearest
• My Darling

You want to begin your love letter with something personal and affectionate.

What should you say in your love letter?

What you say in your love letter will largely depend on how far along the relationship is. If the relationship is new, or you aren't really in a relationship yet, you want to tell the receiver how you feel without being too explicit or intense. But, if your relationship is further along, your love letter can be much more intimate. Just remember that, along with telling the recipient how you feel about them romantically, you also want your love letter to show how much you respect and admire them as a person.

When you first sit down to write a love letter, thinking of things to say can be daunting. But here are some possibilities.

• Tell the recipient how you feel about them.
• Tell them what you like about them.
• Describe the moment when you first realized how you felt about them.
• Describe a moment when your feelings for them were particularly strong.
• Remind them of some special moment you shared. Whether that moment was romantic, funny, or just fun.

Whatever you write, be sincere. Don't write something just because it sounds good. Only write what you really mean and feel.

Should you include a poem in your love letter?

It's not necessary. But including a poem in your love letter, one that fits how you feel or what your relationship is like, is a nice gesture. You can write the poem yourself, or use a poem from your favorite writer. You can even use all or part of a song, or a really memorable quote.

Whatever you do, do not claim someone else's work as your own. Doing so almost never works out well.

How should you end your love letter?

There are so many ways to end your love letter. You could try:

• Love
• All My Love
• Sincerely
• Sincerely Yours
• Forever Yours
• Yours Faithfully
• Always Thinking of You

The possibilities are endless.

To get some suggestions on how to end your love letter, read some examples. There are thousands of love letters available online. Just type "love letters" into any search engine. Read a few, and let them inspire you.

Don't send your love letter too soon.

After you've written your love letter, let it sit for at least a day. Then, read the love letter again. There might be something you forgot to say, or something you want to say in a different way. You can also try reading the love letter out loud, to see how it flows.

Sending a love letter to the one you care about is one of the most personal ways to express your feelings. And the person who receives the love letter will appreciate the effort you put into it. And the love letter itself will become a cherished keepsake.