How to Write an Informal Letter

Formatting Your Letter

Note your address and the date (optional). In the upper lefthand corner of a clean sheet of paper or new word processor document, put down your current location in one or two lines. Directly under that, record the day's date, making sure to mention at least the month and year. You can either spell out the full date ("Wednesday, February 12th, 2018") or use the abbreviated numeral form ("2/12/18") to keep things simple. Including these details is a good way to let your recipient know when and where the letter was written, which can be especially useful if you're in different parts of the world.

Write your recipient's name at the top of the letter. Begin your letter by addressing the person it's intended for by name. Traditionally, the opening address goes in the upper lefthand side of the page, but you can put it anywhere you want as long as you have enough room to include your message beneath it. If you want, you can add a salutation before your recipient's name, such as “Dear,” “My darling,” or even just “Hey.” If you're composing an open letter and don't know the name of the person who will be reading it, start with a general address like, “To whom it may concern” or “To whoever reads this letter.”

Fill out the body of the letter with your message. Use the space underneath your recipient's name to say whatever you want to say. The body of your letter can be as long as you want it to be, so don't feel like you have to keep it within the confines of a single page. Pour your heart out! Once you run out of room on the first page, start a new one or flip your paper over and continue writing on the back. Picking out a lined type of paper, like notebook or journal paper, can help you keep your handwriting neat and organized.

Write a short closing to wrap up the letter. Once you've gotten your message across in the body of your letter, leave a little room (about the space of a single typed line) below your last sentence to include a brief sign-off. Your closing line might say something like, “Sincerely,” “Yours truly,” or “With love.” The closing essentially signals to your recipient that they've reached the end of the letter. Since you're not sending a formal letter, there's no need to add a closing if you don't want to—you can always just sign off with your name.Tip: Come up with a closing that reflects your reason for writing. A letter of condolence, for instance, could end with “My deepest sympathies.”

Sign your name at the bottom of the letter. Put your name right under your closing line (if you included one) so that the closing acts as a lead-in for your signature. You can sign your name in cursive or formal script if you like, but it's also okay to simply print or type it instead. You might use your full name, first name, or a nickname depending on your level of familiarity with the person you're writing to.

Adding Some Style

Keep your language conversational for a more personable feel. Informal letters are meant to be read in a relaxed, casual way. Feel free to use contractions, hypothetical questions, inside jokes, and other figures of speech. This will help your natural voice come through to your reader. If you're not sure what to say, it can be helpful to imagine that you're having a conversation with a friend and simply write the way you would talk.Tip: You might kick off the body of your letter with something like this: “Hey bestie! Isn't it crazy how time flies? One minute we're chasing boys at summer camp, and the next you're getting married! Being an adult is WEIRD!”

Use colored ink or fonts to liven up your correspondence. Black ink is for newspapers and dull, rigid formal letters. Grab your most vibrant pens or change the default text color in your word processor and put a little personality on the page. Blue, green, red, and other funky shades can all be fun attention grabbers, especially if you're writing to a close friend. Mixing up your use of colors is a great way to break up the monotony and emphasize key words or phrases. Make sure the color you choose contrasts your letter paper enough to be plainly visible. Otherwise, your message may be hard to read.

Draw in the margins of handwritten letters to lend a little visual flair. Take advantage of the extra space on either side of the page by filling it with doodles, symbols, or quirky notes. Elements like these will allow you to express yourself creatively and give your reader something else to look at. You might spice up your description of that time you spotted Bigfoot at the mall by including an artist's rendering of what he looked like. Similarly, if you happen to catch a typo while reading back over your letter, you could turn it into a joke by crossing it out and scribbling, “I promise I know how to spell!” next to it.

Mailing Your Letter

Fold your letter twice vertically so it will fit in an envelope. Take the bottom two corners of your letter paper and fold them about ⅓ of the way up the sheet. Then, fold the doubled section over one more time to create a neat that will fold in any business envelope. This method works best with standard 8.5 inches (22 cm) x 11 inches (28 cm) printer paper, but it can be used to fold papers of other sizes, too.

Place your letter in an envelope and seal it up. Slip your letter into the envelope widthwise to make sure it will fit. To seal the envelope, lick the glue strip lining the inner edge of the flap to moisten it. Then, lower the flap and apply gentle pressure for a few seconds until the adhesive sticks. Keep in mind that envelopes come in various shapes and sizes. If you're having trouble cramming your letter into a standard business envelope, try shopping around for one that's a better fit.Tip: If you don't like the idea of licking your envelope, you can also use a damp sponge, cotton swab, or glue stick to make sure it stays closed.

Print your recipient's mailing information on the face of the envelope. Somewhere near the center of the envelope, write the person's first and last name, their full address, and the city, state or province, and postal code where they live. Don't forget to specify an apartment number after the street address if your recipient doesn't live in a house. If you want the person to know who the letter is from before they open it, scribble your own address in the upper lefthand corner of the envelope.

Stick a stamp in the upper righthand corner of the envelope. Position your stamp directly across from the return address, where it can easily be seen by your mail handler. Once you've applied the proper postage to your letter, you'll be ready to drop it in the mailbox and send it off to your recipient! Know How Many Stamps to UseMost letters up to 1 oz require one stamp, unless they are an odd shape or not uniform in thickness. Affixing your postage somewhere other than the upper righthand corner of the envelope could confuse the sorting machine at the post office. In some cases, your letter may even be sent back to you.