Writing a Love Letter

Valentine's Day is just a few days away, and many people are thinking about ways of expressing their love. Even if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day, this is as good a time as any to write a love letter.

Here are some love letter writing tips that you might want to keep in mind, if you're struggling with getting words onto paper.

How to Write a Love Letter

1. Start with some nice paper. If you don't have any fancy stationery, try to find some colored printer paper and cut it in half, into a sheet of paper that's 8.5 by 5.5 inches in size. If all you have is plain paper or even notebook paper, try decorating it by drawing some flowers around the edges or in one corner. If you have access to a computer and printer, create or download a fancy border to print on the paper. Of course, in the end, it's the words that matter the most. If your love letter is heartfelt, it won't matter if it's written on the back of a candy wrapper.

2. Be sincere. Don't write a love letter because it's Valentine's Day and you think you're supposed to. Write one because you love the person you're writing to.

3. Use your own words. You may not appreciate your talent for writing, but your letter's recipient would rather hear what you have to say, no matter what.

4. Write from your heart. Dig deep into your soul and discover the depths of your love. Now, put that on paper.

5. Make sure the sentiment is appropriate. If you've only seen the object of your affection in your apartment complex's laundry room once, a letter professing your undying love may not be the first step to take. On the other hand, if you've been dating for six years, a "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue" rhyme might not be the way to go, either.

6. Keep it simple. You don't need to say "love" 15 different ways. Close the thesaurus app and just write a simple love letter.

7. Use the L-word. You know which one I'm talking about. It's not a "love letter" if you just express your appreciation, deep fondness or strong feelings.

8. Stay focused. This is not the time to make plans for next weekend, slip in a grocery list or ask how the job's going. Keep on the love track.

9. Hand-write the letter. It will mean so much more if you actually put pen to paper. If you have a lot of work to do to make the letter sound the way you want to, try using the computer to work out your ideas, check your spelling, etc. Then, hand-copy the love letter onto that nice paper mentioned at the beginning of this list. If you insist that your handwriting is so bad that your recipient will never be able to decipher your words of love, go ahead and print it out, but use a simple, casual font and print it on some stationery. And, of course, sign your name yourself.

10. Include a poem or an appropriate quote. The internet, a bookstore or the public library will have many collections of love poems and quotes that you can use to add a little extra pizazz to your love letter.

Happy letter writing!

(Top two clip art pictures courtesy of www.webweaver.nu, and the last picture is from http://vintagefeedsacks.blogspot.com)