How to Write a Love Letter

Write the date and the place first. 'Tuesday, kitchen table.' It is small but it tells your brain you have started. Then write about one specific moment from the last week, not a feeling. The first true sentence usually pulls the rest of the letter after it. Do not try to write the opening last.

A soft opening that names where or when you are writing, two or three specific memories or details, one plain sentence that says what you want them to know, and a quiet close. Sign it the way you sign cards in the house. That is the whole shape, no matter who the letter is for.

Half a page to two pages. Long enough that the reader knows you sat down on purpose. Short enough that they will read it twice. Going past two pages usually means you have written two letters and packed them into one. Pick the stronger one and let the other wait for next time.

Type the draft if it helps you think. Write the final by hand if you can. Handwriting slows you down, and the slower you go, the more the small honest lines come out. The reader sees your hand on the page, which is something only you can make. The format is part of the message.