Home » Partners & Parents » Family Relationships » Paper and Pen

Paper and Pen

© Karen Jenista

It’s been said that letter writing is a lost art and many reasons for this are given. I suspect that the most recent generations find it consumes more time than they have. They prefer their communication in quick, small bites–only as much information as is required, when it’s required. E-mail meets this demand well. It’s instantaneous and, because of its impersonal nature, can be written like a telegram. (Mary, Swamped here. Will send that package by Friday. Betty) Another factor in the decline of personal handwritten letters is one I hear often–“I don’t have anything to write about.” Most people wouldn’t consider writing a simple, chatty letter, sharing achievements, experiences, etc with others. Letters don’t require record-breaking, earthquaking news.

With that in mind, I offer you some tips that I use when I write personal letters. This is a basic primer. I hope you’ll use it to brainstorm ideas that develop a love of the art in you, because letters are treasures. Don’t you enjoy receiving personal letters? Do you know anyone who doesn’t?

Prepare. Make a list of the points you want to cover in your letter. It’s very frustrating to have a mental list of things you want to say and then not remember all of them while writing. A written list will also help you arrange the items in an order that flows.

Write. The most visible consideration in letter writing is penmanship. Be as legible as you can. I have no qualms telling you–against proper etiquette–that if your script hand is indecipherable, print. And, though by definition letter writing is done by hand, if your doctor can’t even read your writing, by all means type.

Also, try this tip for writing in straight lines. I use a cardboard sheet with dark lines, college ruled, behind the paper for my letter.

Another visible aspect of your writing is spelling. Don’t forget to check it.

Although not visible, your “voice” is very discernible in a letter. Choose words and structure that you would if speaking to that person. Be as casual or intimate as the relationship.

Include. It’s really up to you what you include in your letter, but here are a few should’s and suggestions.

• DO write the date at the top of the letter, including the year. One of the beauties of letters is that they can be saved and re-read. Trust me that trying to figure out when a letter was written can tax your patience. Proper etiquette also includes your address at the top left, but it seems to be

The copyright of the article Paper and Pen in Family Relationships is owned by . Permission to republish Paper and Pen in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.