Sunday 7: Hey, dude!

When you write, the words you use are all for you.

Well, all for you and the lucky person who will receive what you’re writing.  But you get to choose them.

My point is, you don’t have to follow any “rules” when you write.  There are any number of authors and bloggers who are dedicated to telling you how to write a letter.  Not me.  I’m just encouraging you to write one!  And if you do, you’re the one doing the scribbling, so you get to make your own rules.  I was recently flipping through a book about letter writing and came across a section where the author talked about people–in her words, “You know who you are”–who would choose to start a letter with “Yo!” or “Hey, dude!”  She heartily disapproved and deemed such greetings to be un-letterly (that’s my made-up word, not hers).

To me, that’s equivalent to someone declaring that science fiction isn’t literature because it isn’t what he enjoys reading.  Just because that author wouldn’t want to be greeted with “Yo!” doesn’t mean that everyone else feels the same.

When you are writing,  use whatever words you want.  If “Hey, dude,” seems like the right greeting, go with it.  Following formalities is not what makes a good letter.  Communicating is.  Find your style and work it.

7 Styles for Letter-Writing

1. txtspk.  This may be a good choice if you are a 100-texts-a-day type.  You can transition to a new format (pen and paper) while maintaining your language of fluency. :)
2. Transcribe an imaginary conversation.  Between whom, you ask?  The possibilities are endless!  You and your recipient.  You and yourself.  Pets.  Babies.  Celebrities.  Inanimate objects.
3. Letter list.  Intimated by the idea of writing large blocks of words?  Try a Letter List!
4. Create a persona.*  Think of it as a mash-up between letter-writing and role-playing.  Excellent fun if you enjoy creative writing, improv or D&D-esque character development.  In rare cases, this approach to letter-writing has even been known to lead to publication.
5. Tell a story.  Real or made-up.  Short or long.  Funny, pathetic, tender or bawdy.
6. Write in rhyme.  Ooooh!  This could be fun.  And the possible styles are so varied–think Dr. Seuss, Common, Shakespeake, Gwendolyn Brooks, Mother Goose–that you can certainly find inspiration for your own rhyme schemes.
7. Follow a formal style manual to the letter.  Sometimes following the rules is the right choice.  The could be because you’re writing to someone who cares a great deal for propriety and etiquette.  Or it could be because you want to poke fun at convention.  Mixing formal style with informal or off-color content can produce hilarious results.

In short, write however you want to write.  Focus on the person who will be reading your letter and what you want to communicate.  Feel free to ignore the rules of “proper” letter-writing.  Don’t be afraid to play!

 

___________

*In order to avoid confusion, it might be best to warn your recipient beforehand if you’re writing under the guise of someone other than yourself.

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Who’s up for a letter-writing social?

The Letter Writers Alliance is encouraging people to follow their lead and host letter-writing socials.

In addition to being just pure, plain fun, doesn’t it sound like a fantastic way to encourage those who don’t write letters to give it a try?  Perhaps this is a project for me to undertake in January or February when people are dragging along with the post-holiday-mid-winter blahs.  Hmmm…

 

 

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Sunday 7: Extra Somethings

I love to add stuff to letters.  My favorite go-to extras are 1) flat, 2) can fit inside a standard envelope, and 3) don’t weigh much.

And so, for your adding-to-letters enjoyment, I present:

7 Extra Somethings

1. Stickers- Who doesn’t like stickers?!
   

   There's a sticker for everyone!

2. Tea – Send a just-add-boiling-water party-in-an-envelope to your favorite tea-drinker.
3. Magazine tidbit – Article, advertisement, fashion spread, handy tip, scientific break-through — if it makes you think of someone, clip and share!
4. Quotes – Like stickers, who doesn’t like quotes?  Bonus points for you if you hand-write it.  Quadrupole-bonus points if you write it in calligraphy.
5. Glitter* – You get to laugh your head off imagining the reaction when the letter is opened.  Your friend gets to vacuum!
6. Photo – A recent baby picture as an update.  A hilariously-dated picture to illustrate a do-you-remember note.  A wedding photo to accompany an anniversary card.
7. Cartoons- Send someone a laugh!
   

   Ah, librarian humor...

What extras do you like to send with your letters?  What’s the most interesting thing you’ve received with one?

_____________

*Note from personal experience: you may wish to put a disclaimer on the envelope to prevent the letter from bursting open over a cup of tea or some similarly unintended domestic disruption.

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Inspiration

Inspiration to write–no matter if you’re working on a story, poem or letter–is everywhere.  Putting it to good use is a matter of being tuned in, staying open to possibilities that are out of the ordinary, and following up on the initial spark of an idea.  It’s the last bit that is most important.  If you don’t go ahead and scribble it down, the words will never appear or be shared.  Keep your eyes open and your pen handy so you’re ready to transform inspiration into something tangible when it presents itself.

A couple weeks ago, I had a moment of inspiration that was just too perfect to pass up.  My friend Lindsay  posted the cover picture from a literary review that recently published (yay!) two of her poems, Vespers and Studies in Still-Life.  She wrote about the picture:

Looks like a postcard I’d hope to find in my mailbox.

I could have just read her post and moved on, but instead I saw it as an invitation.  I printed out the photo,

Coachella Review cover photo, my essential supplies for making stuff & some Scribbling Glue swag

glued it to a piece of cardstock, and mailed off my homemade postcard with a note of shameless self-promotion inviting her to visit Scribbling Glue.  (In addition to being a poet, she understands the joy of the mail.*)

Look what you can do with scrap cardstock and markers!

Of course, most sparks of inspiration will not present themselves in such an explicitly stated way.  But once you start looking, you’ll find that inspiration to write to people is all over the place.  Some that I have recently encountered:

• a memory of someone I hadn’t been in touch with for a long time
• a friend’s FB post about a rough week
• a magazine article
• red maple leaves**
• an amusing encounter with a young child

I didn’t act on all of them, but they all stood out as possible starting points for creating connection by leaving a note or sending a letter.

As you go about your day, make an effort to really notice those moments that make you think of someone.  Then choose one and act on it.  See what happens.  And if you like the results, try it again!

___________________

*I would be willing to wager that there is a positive correlation between those who are poets and those who write letters.  What do you think?

** This time of year I have a tendency to enthuse about fall colors.  It may not make for the most compelling conversation or letter-writing, but I just love, love, love the brilliant red, flame orange, and deep gold that the trees are wearing these days.  ♥

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Letter Writers Alliance

Look what I received in the mail!

Inside was my welcome package from the Letter Writers Alliance!

Including the way cool LWA stationary

 

and my official Letter Writers Alliance membership card.

After deciding to start Scribbling Glue, I did some research, knowing I’d find other websites and blogs devoted to letters and other forms of slow communication.  When I read the LWA’s Mission, I recognized that I was already embracing it:

In this era of instantaneous communication, a handwritten letter is a rare and wondrous item. The Letter Writers Alliance is dedicated to preserving this art form; neither long lines, nor late deliveries, nor increasing postal rates will keep us from our mission.

As a member of the Letter Writers Alliance, you will carry on the glorious cultural tradition of letter writing. You will take advantage of every opportunity to send tangible correspondence. Prepare your pen and paper, moisten your tongue, and get ready to write more letters!

So, I indulged myself and joined.  At $3 for a lifetime membership, it seemed like the best bargain of the week.  (I splurged and treated myself to the stationary, too.)  The moral of the story is this: sometimes fun is the only reason you need for doing something.  :)  Make sure you’re having fun in your own special way this week!

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