How to Write a Letter (Maryann-style)

1) The first thing you need to do is to choose what kind of paper you're going to write your letter on. If it is going to be a long letter, you should probably stick to loose leaf. If it is going to be medium-ish, you have the chance to use fancy stationary sheets, but if it's going to be rather brief, you can just write on a little card with a cute picture on the front. Or a notecard, if that's all you have. But you should probably dress it up with a sticker.

2) Always start your letter with the day and date in the top left-hand corner. It should look something like this:
Sat. 5/11/13
Well, that's how I always do it. Just make sure the day of the week and date (including year) are all there.

3) Dear Jane,
or
My dearest Jane,
or
Jane-
or
My beloved Jane,
or
Jane, whom I love,
or
SUP JANE!!!

4) Now you can begin to write the content of your letter. It can be about anything you want it to be, but it has to be nice. Discouragement is not allowed in letter-writing. Story-telling is permitted as long as you do not embarrass the person to whom the letter is addressed. In fact, try not to embarrass anyone, unless it is you and you are okay with that. Oh, and make sure you utilize paragraphs.

5) Double-check your letter for spelling and grammar errors. If you wrote in pen, that's okay, scribbling is allowed. This is not for a grade.

6) Optional: Choose a cute tagline that you use with consistency. Mine is "God bless". My mom always uses "PTL" which stands for "Praise The Lord". Yours doesn't have to be all religious, though, if you don't want. It can be just like your little signature. Something that identifies you as you. Something that gives your letters consistency.

7) Sign your name! Try to have your signature perfected by this point. Only your first name is required though. Save your last name for the envelope. You can also preface it with something like "Sincerely," "Love," or "Your friend,".

7b) You may have forgotten some small detail. Writing "P.S." after your signature, and then mentioning the thing you forgot, is appropriate. P.S. stands for "post script". If you thought of yet another thing to say, write P.P.S. and P.P.P.S., NOT P.S.S. or P.S.S.S., etc.

8) Add any finishing touches (a drawing, a sticker, a photograph, a coupon, a million dollar check) and fold up your letter! Seal it inside the envelope! Add detail and color and fun to the envelope!

9) Address and stamp your envelope! Don't forget the return address!

10) Take your letter to the mailbox and drop it in the slot. Hooray! Your letter will probably be delivered within 2-3 business days if delivered in the U.S.!

*Writing letters is a positive form of communication. It is better than face-to-face conversation in some ways, because you are able to gather your thoughts before you communicate them. It is a thousand times better than texting. It is an effective method of encouraging your friends and showing them your love and affection in a healthy, not creepy way. If you're not used to it, that's okay. Just do it. Just start. I highly recommend it. That's all.


God bless.