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Bud Grossmann’s
Words of the Week
for the Week of
December 11, 2005
Published as a How-To Guide
in 1995.
© 1995 by Bud Grossmann.
All Rights Reserved.
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Three Envelopes, 2005
© 2005 by Bud Grossmann
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ONE GOOD WAY TO
WRITE LETTERS YOUR LOVED ONES
WILL LOVE TO READ AGAIN & AGAIN
Phone calls are great. Reach out and touch someone, uh-huh. Only trouble is, unless you inherited Richard Nixon’s tape recording system, the words of your conversation will evaporate like a mist as soon as you set the phone back in its cradle. When Aunt Harriet receives a letter from you, though, she can experience the thrill of your words again and again. There are endless ways to create a letter that will bring joy to someone you love. I will tell you One Good Way.
- The Whole Process in a Nutshell: Just Do It!
Sit down at a desk with some decent light, take out a sheet of paper and a pen, put some words on the page, address an envelope and put the letter inside, stick a stamp on it, and mail it. What’s so hard about that? Somehow, for most of us, letter writing is indeed amazingly difficult. I can’t drag you to your desk and switch your light on for you. What I can do is this: I’ll tell you how to put the words on the page.
- Step One: Imagine the Person You’re Writing To.
Bring Aunt Harriet into your heart and your mind. Picture the pleasure on her face when she opens her mailbox and sees your return address on the top envelope. Recall the good times you have shared with her. Think about her home, her workplace, her favorite activities. You might not write about any of these things in today’s letter, but if you focus your attention on Aunt Harriet instead of on yourself, you’ll write a better letter.
- Step Two: Start the Letter.
Write the date (including the year—this letter is going to be so good that people will still be reading it generations from now), and write “Dear Aunt Harriet.” Then stop. Wait a moment and take a deep breath. Your pen is going to want to say, “I’m sorry I have taken so long to write.” But don’t let it. Please don’t say that line. Don’t say “Well, I finally have a moment to sit down and...” Don’t say “You must be wondering if I’m still alive, ’cause it’s been months since...” Nope. Just wait a sec to let the urge to apologize go by. Then you can start moving your pen across the page.
- Step Three: Write As If You Were Speaking to Aunt Harriet.
Imagine yourself talking to her. Maybe you’ll begin by thanking her for the note she recently sent. Maybe you’ll let her know what made you think of her today. Then go on to tell her what you’ve been up to. Listen to the sound of what you are writing. A friendly letter, a loving letter, sounds conversational; no one is going to grade you on the grammar (at least, I hope not; but then, maybe I don’t know your Aunt Harriet).
- Step Four: Tell a Story or Two.
Keep ’em short, but try to make sure they have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Keep on the lookout in your life for surprises—adventures that turn out differently than Aunt Harriet might expect.
- Step Five: Put Some “Color” in the News.
If you think Aunt Harriet cares that you harvested some vegetables from your garden, add some “spice” in the form of a few bright adjectives and strong action verbs. (“They were so luscious that...”; “...hauled in one as big as a...”; “...reminded me of the time...”) If your six-year-old said something clever last week, you probably can make the story twice as charming if you describe how she looked when she spoke the words.
- Step Six: Tell Aunt Harriet You Love Her.
Let her know what she’s doing right. Tell her what you fondly remember about her from years ago. Avoid scolding or nagging or giving her advice she didn’t request.
- Step Seven: Enclose Some Cartoons and Clippings.
Did you think of Aunt Harriet when you read something in the paper? Cut it out and send it. But remember: briefer is better. Maybe just summarize the seven-page Newsweek feature on osteoporosis.
- Step Eight: Finish Up and Send It!
Step Eight: Finish Up and Send It! Maybe you followed my steps and wrote the perfect letter. Maybe not. But whatever you put down on paper is almost surely something that will brighten Aunt Harriet’s day. So, please, put it in the mail!
- Step Nine: Do It All Again for Someone Else You Love.
Recycle some of the stuff you wrote to Aunt Harriet. Good material deserves a wide audience.
- Step Ten: Go Watch Your Mailbox for a Reply.
Oh, yes. Virtue—sometimes—is rewarded. ♦
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