Tips on writing good letters

When writing a love letter to a person you are interested in, always always remember five of your true friends.

Sincerity & honesty

- Sincerity and honesty… such beautiful words! Write from the heart using simple terms. No complicated words when a simple one will do fine.

- The words and phrases you use should not be open to misinterpretation, since writing lacks the verbal cues and inflections in speech that would guide the reader.

- If you have a picture of the one you write to, it would be rather well to place it in front of you as you were talking to her or him.

- Delicate matters such as health problems, disabilities and others of such kind should be mentioned in an introduction letter to avoid misunderstanding later.

- Try to give correct estimate of yourself

Creativity

- Creativity is a very good quality but sincerity always comes before creativity when writing a letter. What is the purpose of your letter? Isn’t it to express your feelings and not just to astound your partner with a brilliant style?

- A vivid example from classic literature might be a good support for your reply to his/her introduction latter.


Imagination

- Using the creative power of your mind is very helpful when communicating with a virtual lover. But try not to overshadow the real personality of your lady by the mental image of his/her.

- Letter to Josephine from Napoleon Bonaparte, Paris 1795
“I wake filled with thoughts of you. Your portrait and the intoxicating evening we spent have left my senses in turmoil. Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart! My soul aches with sorrow, and there can be no rest for you lover; but is there still more in store for me when, yielding to the profound feelings which overwhelm me, I draw from your lips, from your heart, a love which consumes me with fire? Mio dolce amour, a thousand kisses; but give me none in return, for they set my blood on fire.”

Uniqueness

- The quality of being unique is quite important when introducing yourself in a letter. Make your letter stand out from all those he/she will probably get!

- This is one of the best examples of how to make your letter unique:
From L. Van Beethoven:
“My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us. I can live wholly with you or not at all – yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home, send my soul enwrapped in you in the land of spirits.
Oh, why is it necessary to part from one whom one so loves and yet my life in Vienna is now a wretched life, your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men at my age, I need a steady, quiet life, can that be under our condition? Be calm, only by a clam consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together, be calm, love me, today, yesterday, what tearful longings for you, you, you, my life, my all, farewell,
Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved L.
ever thine
ever mine
ever for each other.
Ludwig Van Beethoven”


Letter Lay-out
- Dating Your Letters
Please note that in some of the countries the date is written “backwards”. First the day, then the month and then the year. To avoid confusion, spell out the month like this:
5 March 2007 or March 5, 2007.

- Greeting
Begin your first letter with a simple “Hello”.
Be aware that some people might find it slightly awkward if you start your first letter with “Dear…” For some people, the word “Dear” means that you know the person you are writing to and you feel affectionately towards him/her. When you receive a reply, then you can start your second letter with “Dear…”

- Closing
Close your letter with “Sincerely yours…” or “Hope to hear from you soon”. Do not mention “Love” unless you have had an extensive relationship and are clear on your feelings towards each other.

Make Him/Her Feel Special!
- Why did you pick that particular person to write to? You know the answer. So explain it to him/her, as he/she definitely wants to hear it! Maybe it was her lovely smile or her shining eyes or her interest in archeology or maybe his bravery and sense of humour. Make her feel like you singled her out of the thousands of possible women you could have chosen to approach. It makes a big impression.

"No, thanks!..." - letters
- Sometimes you may be not interested in the person who writes to you. In that case, a brief note of thanks is more polite than leaving the letter unanswered.

- This also applies if you decide you don’t want to write to a certain person after corresponding with him/her for awhile