WRITE NOW: 18 LETTER WRITING PROMPTS

My family is a long line of letter-writers. My grandmother used to send me letters as a young girl. His last name would be written by my mom. I received a reply from him. He would send me photos and tell you about his projects. I enjoyed getting mail from him. I loved getting mail from my friends who moved away. Many of them replied. I still have letters written by a friend that she wrote to me while sitting in the Amazon at candlelight (her parents lived there for a while to be missionaries).

I received volumes of letters back from my sisters when it was time to go to college. From the letters of my sisters, I laughed till I wept. We had to make envelopes out pages from magazines. They were colorful and funny. My mom wrote me beautiful descriptions of her life and my dad would occasionally drop me a note.

My letter-writing abilities have been affected by the advent of texting and email. I still write to Grandpa and our sponsor girls. I also send my sister and mom notes. Just last week, one of my sisters wrote me a novel (what is known as a very long letter). The other was from my mom. I have to get back to them!

I was surprised to find out that most people do not write “real”, or even long, emails anymore. However, we all want to be more creative. This is what interests me. Some people even say that they prefer receiving mail than just bills. Most people will just say “Wouldn’t ?…”,” but we all know that it’s not. You don’t have to do that thing. Include me.

So I decided to write this blog post. It contains some prompts and ideas for writing letters. Although this is not a comprehensive list, it should help you get back into the habit of writing letters. I’m certain your family will enjoy receiving letters other than junk mail.

PROMPTS FOR LETTERWRITING

1. Be an encourager. Consider being an encourager. It’s always better to think about how you can encourage the recipient than to just write until you run out of ideas. You can these free printable encouragement letters.

2. Illustrations of your day and recent trips are a great way to show off. It might be boring to show your day but it’s actually quite entertaining to peek into someone else’s life. What was your breakfast like? What were you able to notice while on your way to school or work? Things will begin to come out of your eyes when you observe the day. A coffee shop once had a woman who was intently looking at a book and a magnifying glass. On a run, I also saw a man playing a trumpet to the ocean waves. Those little random moments made great illustrations!

3. Where are you located? It is a common feature in my letters. It’s impossible not to. It is so interesting to read about this icestorm that struck the East coast, and the early rise of the daffodils.

4. Give a description of a place that you love. Perhaps you have just found a great coffee shop, or a small courtyard where you can write while you sit at a fountain. It’s time to write about it!

5. Here are some of the latest antics from pets and children. This will probably be obvious. Is your toddler suddenly able to count to twenty? Did your kitten decide it would only eat what is in front of him? You’ll find funny and random moments here.

6. Learn from others. This is a great way to take the concept of sharing what you learn in school. Even if your years are over, you’re still learning. Have you ever read anything interesting? Have you seen a great movie?

7. Discuss your goals. It’s likely that you’re writing to someone you love. Don’t be afraid to use the term “goal”. This could be something as simple and straightforward as sharing that you’re on an adventure to perfect your scone recipe.

WHAT TO INCLUDE in YOUR LETTER

1. Send a photo of your family or yourself. Although it sounds silly, many people take photos these days but never print them. It’s great to get a photo of someone who isn’t a holiday shot (at least that’s my opinion). :))

2. To celebrate an occasion, create a paper-chain or banner. It should be small enough to fit in an envelope. This will make it a mini-festival!

3. Send a card.

This can be sent separately or in a letter. It’s always fun to get one of these majestic postcards by mail.

4. Make a mini book. It can be filled with your favourite quotes, illustrations, collages, and other things you choose. Send mini-books with instructions on how to fill them.

5. Kid’s artwork. My nieces and nephews send me beautiful artwork. Our refrigerator can be described as a miniature museum. Consider sending your kids’ artwork to Nana and Auntie if it’s not too much cluttering up the counter. This tutorial will show you how to transform your child’s artwork into a card.

6. Send a poetry. She mentioned in her latest letter that she found an old letter I sent to my mom years ago while I was living in Santa Barbara, California. I had copied a poem from Stevie Smith, which was my favorite at that time. It had been a while since I last saw it. It was a wonderful thought. Lyrics to songs or poems can communicate so much truth. It’s a wonderful way to share your heart.

There are no excuses!

1. Do the job. Write for 15 minutes. It’s not as difficult as you might think. You can also type the text on your computer. Done.

2. Set a date for writing. It may be that you are not able to write right now, so plan it. I’m not always strict with this-it is supposed for fun! p.s. In the above image, this is what I mean when I say “letter-writing retreat”. I can write a letter in 10 minutes during my retreat time (usually naptime). I am so grateful that I did.

3. You’ll be so happy to make them smile. This may seem silly but it’s what you want to do. I don’t know of any grandparent who would be surprised by a letter. People are often surprised and grateful to receive real mail. It might make someone’s day!

4. You can buy stamps at your local grocery store. The letter was written and addressed to you. . . Oh, yes, you can get a stamp. Instead of going to a post office that may be far away, grab a book of stamps from the grocery store next time you go. Make sure to add it to your grocery list.

5. Write how you talk. It doesn’t matter how fancy you are. It doesn’t take much effort to write complex sentences. Have fun, make notes, and then send the letter out to the world.

A set of Write Me Back Cards for your friend is a great way to have some fun. This was something I did with a friend a while back and it was great fun to make/receive cards every month!

These are just a few of the ideas that might inspire you to start writing letters again. These thoughts are what I have in common. I will write my mom and sister back. This letter-writing bundle is packed with prompts, tutorials, printable stationery, and other useful information to keep you writing all year. Click here for a look.

I wish everyone a wonderful and imaginative day day!|We wish you all a wonderful and creative day!|I hope you have a creative and wonderful day!|We hope that you all have a great and creative day!|We wish everyone a happy and creative day!}