When was the last time you wrote someone a letter that wasn't a formal school/company requirement?
I plan to write a letter to an important friend for their birthday and it's kind of important to me that I write a good one for them.
Do you have any tips /lit/?
Well first of all , we shoul talk about the form.
Use proper Paper, a ink pen (black ink of course) , leave a margin of about 2 cm on each side (left and right) while writing. try to "block" it.
Here is how I write: Bic pen on notebook paper. Preferably crumpled a bit so it looks authentic.
Yo,
AS I PUT MY PEN TO PAPER...
Then just whatever you want, who gives a shit? It's a letter, not a state of the union address. Finish it off by putting it in the envelope, melting some red crayon wax on it, and then sealing it like that. Don't forget to fuck your mailman.
I wrote letters to my friend when they were doing their military service.
My problem is my penmanship is atrocious but I don't ever write except notes to myself so I never cared to correct it.
What's objectively the best kind of pen for writing a letter, and paper?
>>7691676
That's an extremely autistic can of worms you don't want to open. You'll probably get some pipe smoker with a passing knowledge of the subject that will claim to know what they're talking about. But any paper that isn't cheap will work with any ink that isn't cheap
>>7691676
Fountain pen. Thick paper. If you want the letter to be proper, don't use lined or dotted. Only blank.
>>7691704
What's a good, affordable fountain pen?
>>7691935
cheap ones aren't going to be any better than your disposable pilot
>>7691676
>>7691690
Indeed, the best you'll get is a style guide from 1845 or some such, telling you the variety of inks, papers, and accoutrements based on the sender, receiver, and style of the time which are long since dated.
Some basic tips:
Plainer stationery is better, but choose something with a good g/sm (80+) if you're not using biro.
You should avoid biro if you can, especially if you choose good quality paper. Gel pens are a good alternative to fountain pens if you aren't used to them.
If you want to find very good quality paper, it's often stocked by stationers for weddings. Avoid fibrous ones and hand made papers; though they are beautiful, they are hard to write on without bleeding. Plate finished or wove paper will be kinder to you than vellum, if you do go for wedding stationery, which most white and off white papers are sold as now. Vellum finishes are about the most you'll get away with for writing on neatly.
You can also use bristol, which is more durable than paper but flexible enough to fold, and is often ribbed so you can follow the lines in the paper and biro won't look as cheap on these. It also isn't watermarked like many of the other options will be.
If you're using plain paper, you can also keep your lines straight with a guide sheet laid behind it, and most letterwriting bond papers will come with one of these inserted at the front or back of the pad.
You can break down all these rules and go for something very funky if you want, but the key to any letter is legibility. Making your writing neat is common courtesy to the reader, and you should think about re-writing a page if you find yourself constantly making errors. Drafting can help, but do not edit your words to create a better impression of your prose skills: one of the most valued things in traditional informal letterwriting is called "artful artlessness" which involves conveying one's honest sentiment and displaying reserve only to spare the reader unnecessary embarrassment.
Do not scent letters unless you are a girl.
Sealing wax kits are usually available in places where stationery is found, and especially those that stock wedding paper or paper specifically for autistic letterwriters, but it's generally unnecessary and many of the kits are wedding orientated rather than personalised. If you won't use it again, it's not worth the price.
The form really isn't as important as being genuine. You could write it on punched, lined, foolscap and your sentiment should still carry, but it will be a flimsier keepsake than if written on acid-free paper with a heavier weight. Put more thought into what you want to say earnestly rather than how you wish to appear or what paper and pen you are using. There is a real risk of pretense writing such a letter these days, so, try to be as natural and true to your own form as possible, rather than being hung up on details if you are not detail orientated. The content of the letter should always be the most important.
>>7691967
What about the prose of the letter? How do I choose words and be courteous and such?
Writing my girl a letter for valentines day because she likes cheesy shit, would it be disingenuous to type up a draft before putting it down on stationary?
>>7693520
You write what you feel. If you care more about your prose than your recipient, it'll show, and you should probably write a novel instead. Don't worry about being fancy because people react better to honesty than affectation.
For being courteous, keep their feelings in mind and do not try to manipulate them or force them into giving you the answer you want. Be clear, honest, and unassuming. That way you can be rejected for who you are instead of who you are pretending to be.
>>7693531
It's fine to draft but don't edit for anything other than clarity and spelling.
Do not, whatever you do, send typed personal letters. No, not even if you have a typewriter you want to use; it's rude and impersonal. Write slowly if your penmanship is crap, and try to make it legible.
If you don't have problems with clarity and spelling when writing, there's really not much need to draft, because letters are supposed to be read for their honest emotion and won't be graded. You're trying to communicate rather than bamboozle.
