Writing Lessons & Advice: Writing Letters
In 1979, video killed the radio star. The one-hit wonder reflected on the impending shifts in music and music entertainment at the time. Its music video inaugurated the then-new MTV network. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the song among “oldies” playlists one of these days. It is a little dated, but it's still interesting to keep around.
Older forms of writing and communication are the same way. While we have MacBooks and Chromebooks, we still have physical, paper notebooks. We type into word processors or maybe even use speech-to-text features, but still occasionally write with pens or pencils on notepads. We exchange emails and text messages but still create and send the humble snail-mail letter too, which is what I’ll talk about in this lesson.
Why letter-writing is still important
Letters can be used to document and record important events, and information. Some have made significant contributions to society, like the letters that comprise the Christian New Testament. Many were penned by the Apostle Paul corresponding with various churches throughout the Roman Empire to teach them about salvation and the life people of the faith should lead. Or a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 from Albert Einstein and physicist cohort Leo Slizard that warned of the Nazi’s development of the atomic bomb, eventually leading to The Manhattan Project. Even if a letter doesn’t necessarily change the course of history, many are still valued simply for the people, times, places they’re from, or what they contain.
Several organizations send or request physical letters as official documentation. Have you ever received a letter of acceptance, rejection, or recognition? Or maybe a notice or reminder from an important entity? Have you ever needed a letter of recommendation? Such messages may come on a letterhead at the top of the page or on company stationery. Maybe an authority in the organization signs the letter or it bears a seal or logo. The physical letter can have a formality and tangibility that’s needed or wanted with the included information.
Letter-writing and email-writing share characteristics. Both tend to have a greeting, a body, and a salutation. Both can be used in formal or informal correspondences. The act and art of writing are still at the core of either one.
Letters and letter-writing offer several mental, emotional, and social benefits.
Many relationships have been developed or strengthened by way of the written correspondence. Conversely, it's the way to connect with people for whom other forms of communication are not doable or practical.
Handwritten letters especially can get one’s attention and express care or appreciation. According to behavioral studies from an Australian university, physical letters are more likely to be kept and they hold a reader’s attention longer.
Letter-writing is also therapeutic and helpful in relieving anxiety. It can be done with or without a screen. Also, letters do not have the security or delivery concerns that email does, like transmitting malware or spam.
Epistolary novels, or stories in the form of letters, are popular. A few examples include: “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker; “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky; “Dracula” by Bram Stoker; and “Carrie” by Stephen King.
How to write a letter
Prepare or plan as necessary. The purpose, style, and/or the intended recipient often influence the means, tools, utensils, or material used to produce the correspondence. Again, a formal letter might need to be produced on special stationery or organizational letterhead. Typing and printing from a word processor helps ensure quality and readability. Alternatively, a writer may craft the message by hand with a special pen or dictate to a scribe. However, if the letter is informal, casual, or friendly in nature, such decorum is either optional or unnecessary.
In some situations, including names and/or addresses are customary to use, so having the correct ones on hand can be helpful as well.
Start your draft. To keep this short and simple, I recommend checking out the how-to source material for details on form and format, but here are a few things I’ll touch on.
Salutations for formal letters: If you know who will receive the letter, address them with their appropriate honorific title. The salutation may be with or without “Dear”. If you do not know who will receive the letter, the salutation may be something to the effect of: “To whom it may concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.
Salutations for friendly or less formal letters: may simply be "Dear John", or "Hello Aunt Jane!"
Similar considerations apply to the closing line of a letter. Formal professional close: "Sincerely", or "Kind regards", Friendly/less-formal: "Love", "Best wishes", or "See you soon!"
Formal letters should use formal/professional tone and language. In friendly/less formal letters, the nature of the relationship will set the tone. Acquaintances may be simple and polite with one another while close friends, family, or long-time pen pals will be very casual.
State your purpose of writing in the first sentence of the letter body.
Proofread and produce the final message. Treat your letter like any other writing project by following the writing process. Consider creating preliminary notes or a draft message for brainstorming and/or proofreading. Once you know how to fine-tune your grammar and content, start a new draft and implement any needed corrections. Once you have a polished letter, you are ready for the next step!
Send. A letter gets from Point A to Point B either by the postal service or electronically (typically via email). A workplace or organization may have procedures or protocols that dictate sending one way or the other, if not both--they may have a purpose in sending letters as email attachments. Whereas the lattermost option doesn’t make sense between casual correspondents. Friendly messages are often exchanged either through the post or by email messages.
If sending a letter through the postal service is your chosen route, your letter should be folded into an envelope and fully addressed. Your mailing address goes in the top left corner while the recipient’s goes in the middle. The postage goes in the top right box.
Complete addresses are important so the mail service can (ideally) deliver your letter to the right place. Or if they can’t, they know where it came from. A complete address must have:
either a post office box number or a street/house/apartment number
next to the city, state abbreviation (or province/country), and zip code/postal code.
Example:
John Doe
123 Main Street Apt 48A or PO Box 123
Anytown, AK 12345
*small tip: If you are going to send by post on a frequent basis, you might look into some address stickers customized with your address.
When the letter is appropriately addressed and stamped, all that’s left to do is to put it in a convenient mailbox for the postal service to do the rest.
Who to write to
Since letter-writing is one way to build, maintain, and develop relationships, letters could be exchanged between:
friends or family who live far away from each other;
friends or loved ones in military service,
or friends in foreign exchange programs.
Pen pal programs also exist if you want to make a new friend or to show encouragement and support to someone who might not have anyone else, like the incarcerated or the elderly in assisted living homes.
Pen Pal Programs
Video may have killed the radio star, but “radio” certainly isn’t forgotten. (“Radio Gaga” in 1984, anyone? Someone still loves radio...) Same with letter-writing. In a world of mass-produced, tecnified, and detached transmissions we receive all too frequently, a personal letter is a diamond in the rough, a breath of fresh air. Professional letters have their place too. Hopefully, you understand a little more about this enduring means of communication and feel inspired to further involve with it.
Do you have any experience as a pen pal? Who would you like to write to? Is there a topic you want me to cover in the future? Let me know by reaching out to me in the chat feature or socials!
Sources/further reading
How-to sources
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