When is the last time you received a letter from a friend? A long, handwritten letter with lots of fun, juicy news. I used to write letters all the time and had quite a relationship with my mailbox.
I’ve also written a letter of resignation when I quit a job and a letter of recommendation for a boss. There are also welcome letters, letters of appreciation, letters of apology , collection letters, letters of invitation, marketing letters, letters of rejection (all writers know about those), letters of inquiry, and poison pen letters.
When I’m beginning a new manuscript and need to write a synopsis or outline for my own benefit, I’ll write it in letter form, as if I’m telling my story to a friend. It might go like this:
Dear Lynn, I’m working on a story about Laura Majors, a women who is agoraphobic. She got that way because she witnessed her best friend being attacked outside her apartment in the parking lot. Laura grabbed a plant stand and ran outside to beat the guy off her friend. Now she won’t leave her apartment and her heart pounds every time she peeks out her window. When the newspaper reports another attack, Laura always wonders if it’s the same guy.
Yes, I’m working on this story.
Sometimes I’ll write letters from a character’s point of view telling me things I don’t know about him or her. You might be surprised the things that come from your characters in letter form.
I love getting letters and didn’t realize how much I miss writing them until I met Lynn O. by visiting her blog. Now, Lynn and I handwrite letters to each other. She’s a born letter-writer! Explore her blog here:
Do you write letters? Want to write me one?
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