Letter-Writing

Looking for good articles on letter-writing? Congratulations, you have reached the right place. Here you will find the most informative articles on all kinds of letters, informal and informal.

Let me, firstly, take the time to answer a few questions.

What is a letter?

Basically, it is a message from one person to another, from one organization to another or from an individual to an organization. It can either be hand-written, typed, or printed. The term epistolary is also used with reference to the letter and refers to anything that is related to letters or the writing of lettrs.

Doesn’t a letter belong to by-gone days?

Good question this! With the advancement in technology, letters have become all the more unpopular. There are faster ways of communicating nowadays. Talk about mobile phones, text messaging, e-mail, fax, to mention just a few.

But in the not so distant past, which you definitely were a part of, letters were the thing… I am sure you remember…

You and Johnny were pals—very good buddies. You could see each other everyday because he was your next door neighbor. Then things go terribly wrong. His father gets laid off from work, and so he and his family has to move to another town many miles away—so far away it is nearly impossible to visit. You bid each other a teary goodbye…

A week later, you are seating on your front steps, all glum and gloomy when the postman stops by your gate and pops something into your letterbox. In an indolent manner, you walk to the letterbox and sluggishly pull out the letter. When you stare at the brown envelope however, your eyes almost pop out of their sockets and you almost go crazy with sheer excitement. It is a letter from Johnny! With shaky hands, you tear open the envelope and pull out the letter inside…

You've got Mail!

Well, it certainly used to be exciting those days to receive a letter—especially if it came from a beloved friend. Letter writing was the most reliable means of communicating between individuals separated by large distances, and we used to heavily rely on them.

But now, things have changed. We have faster and more reliable means of communication. In only a matter of seconds, you can send an electronic message to a friend miles away—even on the other side of the globe! You can hear and speak to your family and friends using a cell phone which can conveniently be carried in your pocket! I wonder if grandfather, smoking a pipe under a tree while waiting for a letter from his grandson in the 1950s ever imagined that such things would be possible! Not even in his wildest dreams he didn’t!

Even so, letter-writing still has a place in today’s cyber-world, and to some extent, has some advantages over the other modes of communication:

• The letter can reach anyone, anywhere, whether or not they have phones, computers or any other sophisticated or expensive gargets. Truthfully speaking, not everyone can afford to own a computer or access one, so it is impossible for such ones to receive e-mails and the like. However, as long as you have a home, you can be sure that a letter will reach you.

• In instances where hard copy is preferable to soft copy, the letter is most useful. For example, you may need to send invoices, receipts, bank drafts, checks, certificates, resumes, application forms etc to someone or to an organization. In such situations soft copies will simply be impractical.

• When corresponding to companies or other businesses, hand written letters are often seen as an indication of someone’s seriousness or commitment. Since letter-writing requires some effort, the one who does so is seen to be a highly interested party.

• There is some kind of formality that seems more innate in the letter than any other mode of communication. Therefore, more often than not, business people send letters, especially to those whom they have never met before.

So as you can see, letters do have a place even in today’s world, and is it still not wonderful to receive a letter from a friend? More often than not, letters are a tangible reminder that someone really cares about you. So why not send me a letter? I will be thrilled!

 

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Now let us get down to the real business. Yes, let's write some letters!

 

Informal Letters

• Write an Informal letter:

  An informal letter is written between two close friends or acquaintances...

• Write Get-Well-Soon letters that Will Touch and Inspire Your Readers:

  A good-natured person demanded that I put samples of get-well-soon letters on my site. I thought it is a lovely idea, so I set out to work...

Formal Letters

• Write a Formal letter:

  A formal letter is also known as a business letter...

• Formal Letter Styles:

  When you are writing a business letter you have to choose from one of about two formal letter styles.

• Write a Cover Letter

  Is a cover letter simply another name for an application letter? Well, believe it or not, my research revealed otherwise.

• Letter of Complaint

  A letter of complaint—there is a very obvious reason why many people ask how to write a letter of complaint.

• The Best way of Writing Letters of Recommendation

  This is a letter written for the purpose of recommending an individual as suitable for a job, service, or position she has applied for.

Thank You Letters

• Informal Thank you Letter:

  Thank you letters are written to express appreciation for kind, generous deeds. These can be written to a close friend, a mere acquaintance, or a business partner.

• Writng a Formal Thank You Letter

  A Thank you letter is written to express appreciation for kind, generous deeds. It can be written to a close friend, a mere acquaintance, or a business partner.

• Thank you letter after Job interview

  Here is a guide on how to write ta thank you letter after that job interview that will more than help you to land the job.

Application Letters

1. Job Application letter

   Imagine that you are perusing through the newspaper, when suddenly, your eyes fall upon an ad that makes your heart jump to your mouth.

2. Scholarship Application Letters

   Scholarship application letters are quite similar to job application letters in that you have to learn the art of how to market yourself.

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