Letter Writing
How to Get Results
ESTHER SELSDON
1BEFORE YOU BEGIN
THE PURPOSE
WHY WRITE?
THE PEN
PEN OR MOUSE?
CHOOSING YOUR MATERIALS
WRITING TOOLS
WITWOUD: Madam, do you pin up
Your hair with all your letters?
MILLAMANT: Only with those in verse, Mr
Witwoud. I never pin up my hair with prose.
William Congreve, The Way of the World (1700)
Why not telephone? Before you set pen to paper or mouse to mat, ask yourself why you need to write a letter. Think about your reason for writing. Do you want, or need, to make a permanent statement and, if you do, and your letter is put in a box and filed, would you be embarrassed to see that very same letter turn up again in twenty-five years time? These are the first questions to ask yourself when you think about whether you should be writing a letter at all.
Generally speaking, we write because the process of putting words to paper is more effective than speech. It demands the sole attention of the recipient while being read and can be more intimate than speech; it is certainly more durable.
WHY WRITE?
Hundreds of letters are opened every morning. You will want your particular missive to be the one that is clearest on the page and therefore read first, and you will want it to be understood immediately and acted upon without delay.
Ask yourself:
Do I know what my message is?
If yes, then is my message necessary?
If yes, then is the recipient my friend?
If yes, then would a telephone call be more appropriate?
If no, then is this mainly a social or a professional communication?
If professional, then am I trying to make an impression?
If yes, then will I be embarrassed to be reminded that this letter exists in a years time?
If no, then continue.
THE PEN
The modern fountain pen was invented by Lewis Edson Waterman in 1883 and technology hasnt looked back since. Waterman created a special device which managed to slow down the ink feed to the nib and thereby reduced the chances of any extra ink leaking from the pen. The age-old habit, familiar to cinema-goers all over the world, of dipping a quill into an ink pot was instantly eliminated. Writing became faster and faster still in 1943 when Laszlo Biro, a Hungarian inventor, patented his quick-drying, ball-point pen. Since Biros new invention did not leak at high altitude and could even be used underwater, it was offered as a writing tool to US and UK forces during the Second World War. It was an immediate hit. But the revolution had only just begun.