Don't Know What to Say in a Note or Letter?
Look up, out, and around...and write what you see and notice.
If you’d prefer to listen instead of read this post:
Welcome to my friend and fellow writer Karen R. Sanderson, who gave me permission to share this recent post from our Facebook group, “The Art of the Heartspoken Note.” It was a wonderful reminder that whenever we feel stuck about what to write in a note or letter, all we have to do is look up, out, and around. Ordinary details have power because they connect us through the memory of shared experiences.
I was looking out my back window the other day, and I saw a whisper of smoke wafting from the neighbor’s chimney. I thought, “How nice, a wood fire.” And darn if that didn’t invoke memories about the letters Mom and Aunt Agnes used to write.
When I moved states away, their letters were always so engaging, because they shared such rich details. I always heard about what was happening or what they were noticing at home:
The tulips we planted together are blooming.
We’re dying from the humidity.
The Phillies lost.
The leaves are turning.
It snowed!
But even better, they also shared details about what they experienced with friends, neighbors, and strangers: the little girl who smiled at them at the grocery, the mail carrier who knocked on the door with a package, the neighbor who brought over a bowl of homemade soup, the planning of a block party, or a challenging NYT crossword that took Agnes two whole days to complete!
These letters made me feel both at home and homesick.
What sort of news do you share in your notes and letters?
About Karen:
Karen R. Sanderson is an editor, proofreader, poet, writer, and a fabulous grandma. Her short stories have been featured in the “Rose & Thorn” Journal, Every Child is Entitled to Innocence anthology, “Valley Living Magazine,” BewilderingStories.com, and WritingRaw.com. Her first collection – No Boundaries, A Collection of Poetry – is available on Amazon.
Karen is currently working on a collection of horror and experimental fiction. She lives in Minot, North Dakota, and is active in politics and good trouble-making.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, just know I’m grateful for YOU! And whatever you’re grateful for, don’t just keep it to yourself. Tell God. Tell a person you love. Write a heartspoken note!
Get ready for National Letter Writing Day!
Next week we’ll be helping you prepare for National Letter Writing Day on Saturday, December 7. If you’re not already a subscriber, add your email now so you don’t miss the fun:
P.S. I’ve got the December Calendar for Note and Letter Writers teed up to send out to subscribers on Friday as a reprieve from your Black Friday sales emails. And it will include an exciting announcement from Heartspoken about a new offering in 2025!
Have a great week and always remember: whether written or spoken, words from the heart will never fail you!
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