How to Write a Letter

A letter? What’s that?

These days we tend to think of a letter as something written on paper and sent by snail mail or post. It may seem like an out dated form of communication however writing a letter can be a handwritten, informal letter to a friend; a letter to an employer; an email message to a formal body or group; or a formal typed communication to a lawyer or authority.

Writing a clear and effective letter is a valuable skill that comes in handy at work, school and personal relationships to convey a message, emotion or simply fact.

While on holidays in Esperance I took advantage of the hotel letterhead and hand wrote my Grandfather a letter. Grandad is of an ilk to appreciate the written word and to receive snail mail. It was also a useful way to update him about what we have been up to and include recent photos. Plus it was fun!

When writing a letter here are some guidelines to keep in mind;

The Basics

Decide on the tone or style of your letter before you begin. Who you are writing to will affect the type or style of letter you prepare. 

Your message may not be well received for example if you write an informal style letter to a potential employer. Similarly a friend or relative may not appreciate a formal letter.

Whether you send a hand written letter or an email tends to depend on the level of formality of the communication as well as any time factors.

A formal letter is usually typed and sent via the post whereas an informal letter, like the one I sent to my Grandad, can be handwritten or emailed. If someone is corresponding with you in a semi formal manner via email then it is appropriate to respond by email.

If preparing a formal typed letter use letterhead and you can even write your address at the top right-hand-side of the letter.

Remember to date your typed or handwritten letter. This makes it easy to create a timeline when looking back on correspondence. Thankfully emails do this for us.

For a formal typed letter write the full name, title, company/business and address of the person you are writing to. This level of detail is not needed for informal typed or handwritten letters. Plus there is no need for this on emails.

Always begin your letter with a greeting. This may vary from a formal ‘To Whom It May Concern’ or ‘Dear Mrs Kamarudin’; a semi formal greeting of ‘Hello’; or an informal salutation like ‘Hi’, ‘Hey’ or ‘Peek-A-Boo’.

Make sure you have spelt the person’s name, business name and address correctly to avoid looking less than professional. It doesn’t hurt to pick up the telephone to check if needed.

It is a common courtesy to start a letter by asking about the recipient’s well being. In a formal letter this could be ‘I hope you are well?’ or in an informal letter you could write ‘Howz it going?’

Content

Before you begin ask yourself what do you want to communicate? Is there information the recipient needs to know i.e. a thank you, I miss you or details of a product price increase. Make notes on a separate page if necessary to ensure you include all the important information.

Know what not to write.

Try to write a paragraph for each point you want to make. Be clear and concise.

You MUST, MUST, MUST check spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Proof read your letter. If it is a formal/important letter ask someone else to proof read it for you to check for spelling etc and to make sure you have clearly and accurately articulated what you want to say.

Signing Off

To end your letter, include something positive or complimentary that creates a connection with your recipient.

Signing off your letter can vary from a formal farewell like ‘Yours sincerely’, ‘Kindest regards’ or ‘Best wishes’; a semi formal goodbye like ‘Sincerely’ or ‘Regards’; to an informal sign off like ‘Affectionately’, ‘Fondly’ or ‘Love’.

If you have any questions about writing a letter please contact me or comment below.

Happy writing!

What Not To Write

Knowing how to write a clear, persuasive letter, email or other form of communication is hugely valuable. However knowing what not to write is just as important.

These recommendation apply to a letter – formal typed, semi formal email, informal handwritten; a blog; an email or a comment to a post on social media.

Never write and send something in anger. We are all passionate individuals and at times we can get angry but writing and sending an angry communication is not a good idea. 

Instead write down your feelings, thoughts, reasons and frustrations somewhere private and leave them there. Often if you come back later when you are not angry and review your words then it may be appropriate to write a letter without negative emotion.

Avoid writing something to elicit pity. It doesn’t usually work and just creates concern, upset and uncertainty in the recipient. Again, write this kind of information somewhere private and leave it there.

Using inappropriate language is another faux par i.e. swear words.

Similarly refrain from writing aggressively to avoid being considered bossy or a bully.

Carefully consider the tone and style of your communication and exactly what you want to say. Remember to tailor your language to the audience or person you are writing for, for example using formal rather than flowery language in a communication to a client or authority.

Something else to be wary of is pushy, hard sell writing. There is nothing more off putting than an unwarranted, long-winded and unnecessary sales pitch. Generally these types of communication end up straight in the bin.

Can you think of any other examples of what not to write? If so please comment below.