The Art of Love Letter Writing
"The best directions for good writing are: Write as you speak, write just what you have to say, write exactly the things you feel, exactly the words you would say if your correspondent were sitting by you—in short, to use Lady Hesketh's phrase, write 'what comes uppermost;' so your letters will be true, fresh, life-like and interesting.
The best direction that could be given for letter-writing is, to ask you to call imagination to your aid. Fancy your friend or correspondent to be sitting by you, say what you would say if such were the case, and then write it down. Do this, and your letter cannot fail to be what a letter ought to be,—a picture of your thoughts, interesting to your correspondent in exactly the same proportion as he or she is interested in yourself or your concerns.
No one speaks in the longest words he can pick out of the dictionary; no one speaks in studied phrases, such as may be read in pedantic books; and no one ought to write in such.
The best writing for letters is natural, unstudied flowing fresh from the heart—just 'what comes uppermost.'"
Published by Oxford University in 1867, these words of advice apply to all kinds of letter writing, including love letters... and they remain true today... (click on the image above to download this entire book for free)
