Writing

Letter Writing
Ever wondered how the practice of writing letters came
into being? Letters were one of the earliest forms of passing
communication across to family and friends, and it has
continued to exist since then. Letter writing is no mere
ornamental accomplishment. Even today, letter writing has been
thought of as a necessary skill that every individual should
acquire.

Before the advent of modern technology made communication

so easy, the art of writing a letter was considered an
important requirement.

Today, a printed letter is usually reserved for important

professional communications, such as recommendation letters,
job cover letters, resignation letters, legal correspondence,
and company communications. Since a letter is a formal mode of
communication, you’ll want to know how to write one that is
professional.

Everyone should know how to write a letter, whether a

business inquiry, email, personal letter, or letter-format
social media post. Letter writing is a useful skill, not only
for communicating clearly, but also for making a good
impression—especially a first impression.

Knowing how to write a letter, whether business or

personal, is a skill that everyone needs. Sometimes, these
letters will be short, informal emails. Other times, they’ll
be highly polished for corporate correspondence.

Even today a letter is an important means of

communication in both the workspace as well as our personal
lives. So let us educate ourselves with the nuances of letter
writing.

Letter Writing:
A letter is a written message that can be handwritten or
printed on paper. It is usually sent to the recipient via mail
or post in an envelope, although this is not a requirement as
such. Any such message that is transferred via post is a
letter, a written conversation between two parties.

Now that E-mails (Advantages and disadvantages) and texts

and other such forms have become the norm for communication,
the art of letter writing has taken a backseat. However, even
today a lot of our communication, especially the formal kind,
is done via letters. Whether it is a cover letter for a job,
or the bank sending you a reminder or a college acceptance
letter, letters are still an important mode of communication.
Which is why it is important that we know the intricacies of
letter writing.

Types of Letters:
Let us first understand that there are broadly two types
of letter, namely Formal Letters, and Informal Letters. But
then there are also a few types of letters based on their
contents, formalities, the purpose of letter writing etc. Let
us have a look at the few types of letters.
 Formal Letter:
These letters follow a certain pattern and formality.
They are strictly kept professional in nature, and directly
address the issues concerned. Any type of business letter or
letter to authorities falls within this given category.

Formal letters or Business letters should be clear and

concise. You should always remember that formal letters are
written to bring important information into consideration, so
you should always take care to draft the letter carefully by
providing only the necessary information.

Formal letters—like cover letters, business inquiries,

and urgent notifications— are some of the most important
letters you’ll ever have to write. Because they’re sometimes
used as official documents, formal letters have a very precise
structure and particular format. In fact, there are a few
different “correct formats” to choose from.

The language used in formal letters is a lot more

professional than informal letters.

FORMAL LETTER FEATURES

USED FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION THESE DOCUMENTS
FOLLOW A PRESCRIBED FORMAT. THEY ARE WRITTEN IN A PASSIVE
VOICE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE AND IN MANY CASES ARE LEGALLY
BINDING. SOME EXAMPLES ARE.

INVITATION:
 Make someone feel special about an upcoming event.

APPLICATION:
Write a professional letter of application for a job or
group you wish to join.

REFEREE / REFERENCE:
Vouch for another’s skills, personality or credibility.

ACCEPTANCE & REJECTION:

Approve or deny an applicant in a professional manner.

MAKE AN OFFER:
Make a formal and binding offer in writing.

EXIT / RESIGNATION:
Formally leave or step down in a professional and
dignified manner.

Formal letters can be written for a wide range of

purposes and may come in a variety of shapes including a
letter of complaint, a cover letter accompanying a job
application, a letter of invitation, a reference letter, or a
proposal letter – to name a few. Though each will adhere to
their own rules of formatting and tone, when writing any
formal letter students should avoid using slang or
contractions. Language should be straightforward and polite.
Encourage students to avoid bursts of purple prose in favor of
direct, functional language. Usually, a formal letter will be
written to achieve a particular end and should be written with
that end foremost in mind. Students should avoid meanderings
and stay firmly focused on the task at hand.
 Though the specific content of all the above letters will
differ, there are a number of common features that will apply
to each:
  Writer’s address should be in the top right-hand
corner.
 Date should be written below writer’s address
 Recipient’s name and address below that on the left-
hand side
 Use the correct opening (Dear Sir / Madam, Dear Mrs
Ferguson, etc)
 Use Standard English
 Opening sentence should explain the purpose of the
letter
 Each paragraph should make single specific point
 Use an appropriate formal tone and register in the
wording of the letter
 Avoid contractions, slang, and abbreviations
 Concluding ‘action point’ paragraph states what you
want the recipient to do
 Formal ending, such as Yours Sincerely or Yours
Faithfully

A Note on Salutations
If the student knows the intended recipient’s name, start
with Dear Mr. / Mrs Surname and end with Yours Sincerely. If
they don’t know the recipient’s name, start with Dear Sir /
Madam and end with Yours Faithfully.

Use of Rhetorical Devices

As mentioned, formal letter writing focuses on attempting
to convince someone to take some course of action or other. To
do this it is helpful to employ some rhetorical devices to
make the writing more persuasive. Some useful techniques to
encourage your students to employ include:

Direct Address:
Using the pronoun ‘you’ in a formal letter makes the reader
feel that you are speaking directly to them.

Emotive Language:
Where students are trying to convince the reader to take
a course of action, the use of emotive language can often be a
powerful tool. Students can use either positive or negative
colored words to create the desired response in the reader.

Facts and Figures:

Another way to persuade and convince is to employ facts
and figures to support the points made in the letter.

Informal Letter:
These are personal letters. They need not follow any set
pattern or adhere to any formalities. They contain personal
information or are a written conversation. Informal letters
are generally written to friends, acquaintances, relatives
etc.

Letters to friends and family can be written in a

conversational style. They are just a composition of
spontaneous thoughts, and they are easy and personal. When
writing an informal letter, you are free to use colloquial
language, which would be quite out of place in a formal
letter. This does not mean that you can pen down random
thoughts that are totally disconnected and make no sense.
Wrong spelling, punctuation and grammar are not allowed even
though the letter is informal and personal.

An informal letter can be written by following a basic

format that includes the sender’s address, date, greeting,
body of the letter, subscription and signature.

Business Letter:
This letter is written among business correspondents,
generally contains commercial information such as quotations,
orders, complaints, claims, letters for collections etc. Such
letters are always strictly formal and follow a structure and
pattern of formalities.

Official Letter:
This type of letter is written to inform offices,
branches, subordinates of official information. It usually
relays official information like rules, regulations,
procedures, events, or any other such information. Official
letters are also formal in nature and follow certain structure
and decorum.

Social Letter:
A personal letter written on the occasion of a special
event is known as a social letter. Congratulatory letter,
condolence letter, invitation letter etc are all social
letters.

Circular Letter:
A letter that announces information to a large number of
people is a circular letter. The same letter is circulated to
a large group of people to correspond some important
information like a change of address, change in management,
the retirement of a partner etc.
Employment Letters:
Any letters with respect to the employment process, like
joining letter, promotion letter, application letter etc.

HOW TO WRITE AN INFORMAL LETTER

THE WRITING PROCESS BEGINS WITH PLANNING:

As with all genres of writing, the process of formal
letter writing should start with planning. This should involve
sketching a brief outline from which to work rather than a
comprehensive detailing of minutiae. The plan should include:

 Note addresses, names etc – who are you writing?

 Record purpose of the letter – what do you want to say?
 List points to be made (each will form a paragraph) – how
will you say it?
 State action point – what do you want the reader to do?

COMMON FEATURES OF INFORMAL LETTERS:

There are far fewer rules to follow when writing an
informal letter, but there are still some useful guidelines to
follow that will prove helpful for students engaged in writing
informally.

As with any piece of writing, it is important to consider

who the audience is and the reason for writing in the first
place. In particular, this will help decide the tone and the
language register. The more intimate the relationship the more
informal the language can be.
 Though the letter will be informal, it will still have a
purpose. Information should still be organized into paragraphs
as would be done with a formal, more ‘official’ letter.
Students sometimes struggle with this aspect, as they often
conflate ‘informal’ with ‘disorganized.’ Making they plan
their informal letter prior to writing can help ensure it is
sufficiently organized.

HOW TO START AN INFORMAL LETTER

 Informal letters will start with a greeting appropriate
to how close the relationship is. For acquaintances, this may
be ‘Dear Tom,’ (using the first name instead of the surname)
to a very informal ‘Hi Jane,’. Don’t forget the comma after
the name!

After the greeting, a general opening sentence should

follow. Usually, this will be something along the lines of a
‘How are you?’ or a ‘How have you been?’. If the recipient is
married or has kids, you may wish to ask how their spouse or
children are.

Next, students should state the reason for writing. The

language should be open and friendly in tone and, in contrast
to the formal letter, colloquial language, idiomatic
expressions, and contractions are perfectly okay and even
desirable.

Just as the opening salutation to an informal letter is

much more relaxed, so too will the closing salutation. There
are a multitude of possibilities for the students to choose
here and their decision will depend on who they are writing to
and their own personal preferences. Some examples of possible
closings include, ‘Love’, ‘Best regards’, ‘All the best’, and
‘Thanks’.

The writer’s complete postal address has to be

mentioned at the beginning of the letter on the
left-hand side of the paper. This lets the
receiver know where you wrote the letter from
Greeting (Salutation Examples)
Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

Use a formal salutation, not a first name, unless you

know the person well. If you do not know the person’s gender,
you can write out their full name. For instance, “Dear Pat
Crody” instead of “Dear Mr. Crody” or “Dear Ms. Crody.” If you
do not know the recipient’s name, it’s still common and
acceptable to use the old-fashioned “To Whom It May Concern.”

The Salutation depends on the relationship between the

sender and the receiver.

 To members of your family and friends, it could be

Dear Father, My Dearest Friend, Dear Uncle, Dear
Diana, etc.
 To Business people or any officer of higher rank, it
could be Dear Sir, Dear Sirs, Sir/Ma’am, etc.

Body of Letter
The message that you want to convey is stated in the body
of the letter. The style, however, depends on the type of
letter you are writing. The style of a friendly letter differs
completely from that of a business letter or an official
letter, but there are certain points that apply to both formal
letters and informal letters.

Generally, when you draft the body of your letter, see to

that you divide it into short paragraphs, according to the
change in the subject matter. Use simple and direct language
that is easy to comprehend. Put down all your points in a
logical order. Mind your punctuation; incorrect punctuation
will alter the meaning of the sentence completely.
 The first paragraph of your letter should provide an
introduction as to why you are writing so that your reason for
contacting the person is obvious from the beginning.

Then, in the following paragraphs, provide specific

details about your request or the information you are
providing.

The last paragraph of your letter should reiterate the

reason you are writing and thank the reader for reviewing your
request. If appropriate, it should also politely ask for a
written response or for the opportunity to arrange a meeting
to further discuss your request.

Closing
Best regards, (Closing Examples)

Signature
Handwritten Signature (For a hard copy letter, use black
or blue ink to sign the letter.)
 The Art of Letter Writing: 5 Tips for
Crafting Engaging Letters
In the modern age, writing letters has become underrated,
if not completely abandoned. We prefer sending quick e-mails
to our loved ones now, or even shoot them a long text because
of time concerns. We might forget how much of a personal
impact a unique letter can have on our families and friends.
Nowadays, we focus so much on technology that we often fail to
add that special, intimate touch to the relationships we
value.

If that looks like you, I don’t blame you. There is no

doubt: writing can be quite a challenge! Writing a letter can
be even more demanding. We want to connect our thoughts and
feelings to the letter that we are sending, yet we sometimes
omit details that could bring us into the open and deepen our
engagement. The content has to be special, and the person
reading it has to sense a distinctive vibe when opening it —
it’s like creating a special bond between the writer and the
recipient; a bond that connects their souls, and opens up
their minds.

For all of these reasons, finding the perfect balance of

creativity and imagination is not an easy job.

Here are a 5 tips on how to write

inspiring, creative letters:

BE YOURSELF:
Writing letters is easy once you get the hang of it. I
must specify that we are strictly referring to informal,
friendly letters. Being yourself is your best strategy if you
want your letter be special. The content has to flow
naturally. Letters between friends have to be simple, yet
complex. Writing something like “Dear Mona, I hope you have a
great Thanksgiving Day. Love, Lila” is not enough. You have to
develop your thoughts, and let your ideas flow on that piece
of paper and have room to expand. This takes me to point two.

CREATE THE PERFECT SETTING:

Because writing letters is such a personal process, you
need your own space. Make sure you have alone time whenever
you compose your letters, and take time to think about the
content first. Get rid of the distractions, and imagine what a
perfect letter would look like for you.

Would it begin in a certain, exceptional way? What

pieces of your imagination would it compile? What elements
could add to its complexity?

Try not to check your phone or have the TV on while you

are drafting the letters. Find a particular spot in the house
that is quiet and encourages you to think. Reflect on special
moments you had with the recipient, and expand on that.
Beginning the letter with a significant memory will give it
that special vibe you want.

ASK ABOUT THEM IN A FUNNY WAY

If you write a letter to somebody, you probably want to
know more about them. So ask away! Make sure you do not expand
too much on yourself.

Do include everything you wish, but keep it brief since

your recipient will probably not appreciate receiving letters
that are too long. When you ask about them, do it in a funny,
creative way. Be hilarious and relaxed.

Take a look at some examples:

I. Begin with an old phrase both of you used in the

past. If I wrote to my friend, I would say, “Sup,
loser? I miss your dumb face! What have you been up
to?”
II. Start with a funny saying like, “Love is in the air.
Nope, that’s bacon. Anyways, I was thinking of you
this morning while eating my breakfast. How is your
life?”
III. Or you can just be honest and say, “I am feeling
very emotional today, so I thought about you. Don’t
feel too good about it, OK? How are you doing, pal?”
IV. Make sure you let them know how much you miss them,
but don’t do it in a mushy way if you are not that
type of person. Saying it in a funny context gives
it a sense of playfulness, which I am sure will be
highly appreciated by your friend.

CARRY A NOTEBOOK WITH YOU:

If you truly lack ideas, carry a notebook with you and
write down observations. Maybe when you are having a coffee,
you will think of a funny moment you had with your friend.
Maybe when you chat with your colleagues you will realize how
much you miss a special, deep conversation with your friend.
You never know what gives your ideas during the day, so
carrying a notebook is a great method to stay creative.

HAVE LOTS OF FUN:

If you don’t write like you are having fun, there is no
point in searching for creativity. Writing letters is not
something that must be done, but something that you should
enjoy doing.

Change your mindset, and play with the words instead of

searching for the right ones. If a letter does not come out as
you want it to, do not freak out.

All writers have good and bad moments, so you do not have
to worry about it at all. Just take a break if you feel the
need to, and do something funny – like watch a comedy on
Netflix, or play with your pets if you have any.

The idea is to loosen up and make yourself laugh. Then

when you can get back to writing you will be much more
productive
 Wrapping It Up
When you don’t feel creative, stop writing. There is no
point in hanging on to something you are not feeling at the
moment.

Take a break, or try to apply the above strategies to

boost your mood. Do something funny, take a walk, have a
drink. Make sure you write everything from the bottom of your
heart — stay honest, and be yourself.

When people think of a creative writing course, they

often imagine a group of lofty, out-of-touch people who wear
argyle sweater vests and have unproductive conversations about
abstract concepts.

Improving your writing skills leads to stronger

communication. When you practice finding the right word in a
story or poem, you engage the same parts of your brain that
are active in everyday writing and speaking. A creative
writing course subconsciously turns you into a more effective
communicator.

The importance of precise language and self-advocacy

translates well into both interpersonal relationships and
working environments. Take it from this expert on how writing
and self-advocacy results in career and leadership success.

This brings us to our next point: great writing leads to

job success. Of course, your boss probably isn’t expecting you
to write emails in the form of a short story or a sonnet –
though if they are expecting this, you have a pretty cool
boss.

In reality, almost every job requires some sort of

written work, whether that’s simple written communication or
something more elaborate, like publishing data or marketing
materials. In a creative writing class, you practice the style
and grammar rules necessary for effective writing, both within
the realms of literature and in career-related writing.
Sharpening your writing and creativity skills might just land
you your next promotion.

Strong writing leads to strong thinking. No matter what

type of writing you pursue, learning how to write is another
form of learning how to think.

That might seem like a bold claim, so think about it this

way. Without language, our thoughts wouldn’t have form. We
might not need language to think “I’m hungry” or “I like
cats,” but when it comes to more abstract concepts, language
is key. How would you think about things like justice,
revenge, or equality without the words to express them?

When you hone in on your ability to find choice, specific

words, and when you work on the skills of effective
storytelling and rhetoric, you improve your ability to think
in general. Good writing yields great thinking!

The importance of creative writing relies on empathy. We

practice empathy whenever we listen to another person’s life
story, when someone tells us about their day, and when we sit
down with a client or work partner. When we write, we practice
the ability to listen as well as to speak, making us more
effective communicators and more compassionate human beings.

In case you’re not convinced that a writing course is

right for you, let’s clarify one more fact: creative writing
is fun. Whether you’re in a fiction writing course, starting a
memoir, crafting a poem, or writing for the silver screen,
you’re creating new worlds and characters. In the sandbox of
literature, you’re in control, and when you invest yourself
into the craft of writing, something beautiful emerges.

The Importance of Creative Writing

Simply put, creative writing helps us preserve our
humanity. What better medium to explore the human experience?

To learn creative writing, like any art form, requires

compassion, contemplation, and curiosity. Writers preserve the
world as they observe it in stories and poetry, and they
imagine a better world by creating it in their works.

Through the decades, literature has explored society’s

profound changes. Literary eons like the Naturalist movement
and the Beat poets responded to the increase in Western
Industrialization. Confessional poets like Virginia Woolf
helped transform poetry into a medium for emotional
exploration and excavation. And, genre movements like the
cyberpunk writers of science fiction helped popularize the
idea of an “information economy.”

Thus, the importance of creative writing lies in its

ability to describe the world through an honest and unfiltered
lens. Anyone who engages in creative writing, no matter the
genre or style, helps us explore the human experience, share
new ideas, and advocate for a better society. Whether you
write your stories for yourself or share them with a wide
audience, creative writing makes the world a better place.

Finding creativity is not that hard as long as you enjoy

the process.

Not only will you find soul-filling joy in the process of

letter writing, but your recipient is sure to, as well.