Staring at a blank piece of stationery…

So you have some stationery to write on and your favorite pen in hand, but now you find yourself at a loss for words? No question that expressing your sentiments with the written word can be frustrating at times. You have these emotions inside of you and a specific feeling you want to convey, but the right words just aren’t coming forth so easily.  This is no surprise, especially if you haven’t written in this manner to friends and family for a while.  I’ve hit against this problem many times, fearing that I would sound silly or ramble on too much!  Over time I realized that the key is keep it simple…

The simplest way to start is to boil down your sentiment to what the greeting cards would say.  Whether it’s a simple “Thank You” or “Just wanted to say hello…” – that’s really as far as you need to go to get things started.  I often like to send flat note cards out as there is less room and thus helps me to focus on what I really want to communicate.  Also, don’t forget that it is perfectly okay to be short and sweet in your sentiment.  Here’s an example of a quick and simple note:

Dear Linda,
Thank you for the gift you sent over last week.  I really appreciate it!
Take care,
Mary Jane

It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than that and there’s no point in adding in superfluous words or fancy sayings.  If it doesn’t come naturally to you, then it’s not something you should be writing down.  After all, your friends and family expect your familiar voice and way of speaking.  Even the quickest notes have the greatest meaning, because you took the time to hand write your gratitude or feelings.

If you are looking for a more formal or composed note you can definitely look to poetry for inspiration.  It’s okay to write, “I think this poem expresses how I feel, so I am writing it to you…” followed by the poem.  Looking through what others have written is great inspiration and when it comes to personal correspondence it’s okay to reuse poems and verses that help to express your sentiments.  For more ideas, check out the Greeting Card Verses category of posts for samples and links.

I hope you will be encouraged to get started writing, now that you have been armed with some ideas.  The traditional handwritten letter or card will be cherished by your recipient, so go ahead and get back to paper!  Cheers!

Posted on December 9, 2008 at 2:34 pm | Back To Paper