by Brittany Shoot

Letter writing, and by extension, postcard writing, is becoming a bit of a lost art. Those of us who were lucky learned about the importance of nice stationary, quality ink pens, and thoughtful prose from our mothers or grandmothers.

Everyone has her own style, which is important to cultivate. How do your postcards and letters represent more than just your words? How do they reflect your inherent style, your values? One of my Grams, a lady named Charlotte now in her early eighties, still types folded paper notecards on her electric typewriter. She begins her letters to me, “Dear Little Brittany,” and types the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST (all caps) on the back of every envelope. By comparison, I write stream-of-consciousness postcards by hand and use a lot of exclamation points. I crowd the whole card with thoughts and sometimes forget to leave enough room for the address.

Some practical considerations if you’d like to get into the habit of sending (more/better) postcards.

1. Keep an arsenal of lovely stationary or quirky postcards. Buy arty cards in museum shops and stock up on kitschy ones when you’re traveling. If you’re artistically inclined, it’s also easy to make your own mail-ready cards from old photos, blank card stock, rubber stamps, and magazine clippings. Whatever you like, collect it. When the mood strikes, you won’t have to go looking for the perfect card because you’ll probably have a really good one on hand. I recommend covering a large shoebox in clear packing tape and using it to store your unused cards. (Fortified shoeboxes also work well for keeping cards you’ve received.)

2. Write small. This is about lettering, not subject matter. You can cram a lot onto a single postcard if your penmanship is tiny. One friend recently texted me, “Just got your postcard. You fit 19 sentences on it!” That didn’t strike me as a lot, but then, I write very, very small. Obviously, my friend thought it was worth mentioning. (And she wasn’t the first.)

Here are some other ways to make your postcards enjoyable missives for others to receive.

1. Avoid questions. Don’t ask, “How are you?” This is especially important if you don’t think the person will write back. (Many people won’t. If they do, it might be a long time from now.) Instead, share the reason you thought to write to the person and use it as an opportunity to express heartfelt appreciation, love, and devotion. “What have you been doing?” is a far less compelling sentiment to share than, “I thought of you today when I read a story about satisfaction at work. Do you think you might be suffering from email overload? I’m so thankful we are friends that can talk honestly about our career aspirations!” Questions are really only useful as a way to share information. “Did you know that Daniel got engaged?”

2. Tell a story, share an anecdote. Don’t just describe what you’ve been doing by saying, “I went on vacation last week. I really needed the time off.” Give proximities, dates, and explanations about what you’ve been doing. Any writing teacher will tell you to avoid telling and to describe instead. Sometimes my postcards are one long story, bookended by the person’s name at the beginning and a short signoff at the end.

Friend! This is the story of the skateboarding kid who nearly hit me today, then circled back and apologized and said deeply insightful things about public space. What an amazing city! Love, B.

3. Write like you speak. I often write to friends without much order or reason behind all of the ideas I cram onto one card. My stream of consciousness on paper is a bit like how I talk: jumping between ideas, suddenly struck by inspiration, veering back to a long-forgotten subject to add a detail. This also means that I have to be discerning about what I include. Nineteen sentences might seem like a lot, but if I have five ideas to explore, I’ve got to construct fairly tight sentences, packing in as much relevant info as possible.

Another example. One friend sent me a tacky postcard from his summer holiday last year that depicted an overly tan naked man on a beach and began the card by writing, “Hi guys. I look like this now!” It was especially funny because it’s easy to imagine that my friend would say such a thing. He’s a hilarious guy!

4. Don’t expect a reply. But do remember: To get a letter, write a letter.