How to Write a Letter

Fernanda Veiga-Luz

Sep 17

2 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

THE THURSDAY SOCIAL NOTE

There are words we type—and there are words someone can hold.

To be honest, I don’t particularly like following too many rules when I write a letter. The moment we overthink the structure, the salutation, or whether every detail is technically correct, we risk losing the most important part: the feeling.

A letter is, above all, a way to materialize emotion.

Something Worth Holding

Handwritten letter on deckle-edge ivory paper beside a taupe envelope and black fountain pen

A letter takes something that lives inside your heart and places it into another person’s hands. They can keep it, return to it years later, and perhaps feel the same emotion you felt when you wrote it.

That is incredibly powerful.

Of course, proper correspondence has its place. There are occasions when formality matters. But when you are writing from the heart, the message should always come before the structure.

Let your heart lead.

Begin With the Person

Before choosing the paper or finding the perfect words, think about the person who will receive them.

What do you want them to feel—appreciated, loved, remembered, encouraged, understood?

The connection is the real purpose.

The Beauty of Waiting

Perhaps part of the magic is that no one expects a letter anymore. For younger generations especially, the anticipation of correspondence is becoming unfamiliar: waiting, recognizing someone’s handwriting on an envelope, opening it slowly, and wondering what is inside.

We live in an immediate world. We send a message and expect an answer. We order something and track its arrival. We communicate quickly, efficiently, constantly.

Somewhere along the way, some of the magic of waiting was lost.

Bringing back letter writing does not mean rejecting the digital world. We can enjoy both the digital and the analogue. The art is knowing when to slow down—when an email is enough, and when someone deserves something they can hold.

I thought about you. I took time for you. These words were worth putting on paper.

So, How Do You Write a Letter?

Start with the person. Forget perfection for a moment. Think about what you genuinely want to say, pick up your pen, and let your heart go.

Then send it.

From the Writing Desk

Four-column stationery guide with a fountain pen, nib, ink, paper, envelope, and wax seal, each paired with a description

This Week’s Challenge

Write and send one letter. It can be to a friend, a parent, a child, a mentor, someone you miss, or simply someone you appreciate.

Afterward, notice two things: how you felt while writing it, and how the person felt receiving it.

You may be surprised by the power of something as simple as a letter.

— Fernanda Luz

Founder, The Social Arts

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