In the days before email and social media, writing a personal letter was much more common, but because it takes time and effort, a lot of people used pen pals to write a friendly letter.
Presently, just type your friendly letter in an email. Yes, email is a valid form of communication.
Follow these steps to write your friendly letter.
What is a Friendly Letter?
A friendly letter is one you write mostly to someone you know. Writers often craft friendly letters to friends and family they wish to keep in touch. It is also exchanged with people you do not know.
Friendly letters are not exclusive to friends alone, you can write them to anyone you are associated with.
Friendly letters are also called informal letters or personal letters because they do not follow strict rules for writing and sending one.
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What Are The Types Of A Friendly Letter?
There are different types of friendly letters but it depends on the purpose and relationship with the receiver. Some of the types of friendly letters include;
- Congratulations letter
- Letter of condolences
- Thank you letter
- Letter of invitation
- Love letter, and
- Thinking of you letter
- Job offer letter
- Cover letter
- Business letter
How To Write A Friendly Letter
Step 1 Write a Date
If you’re going to take the time to write a letter by hand, it’s a good idea to include a date in the upper left corner of the letter. Many people keep their letters for many years, and they want to be able to see what day and year they were written on. Put the date in writing, such as “May 18, 2024,” or just abbreviate it with the month, day, and year indicated by numbers.
Step 2 Write a salutation
A greeting is the first line of a letter, whether it is written by hand or electronically, and then you address the receiver by name, such as “Dear Emmanuel” or “Hello, Christian.” When selecting your greeting, consider your relationship with the recipient, as well as your personal tastes and writing style.
If you prefer to write in a slightly formal way, addressing someone as “dear” is actually rather pleasant and shows that you are interested in them. You don’t have to take it that way, though; “dear” works just as well in a letter to your closest friend as it does in one to a complete stranger.
Consider starting a more informal letter with “Hello, [name]” or “Hi, [name].” This greeting is appropriate for a friend or relative, but it is a little too casual for a business letter.
Write a more intimate greeting for someone you’re linked to or want to get closer to, such as “Dearest [name],” “My [name],” or “Sweet [name]”.
To end your greeting, use a comma, and the body of the letter should begin on the next line.
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Step 3 Begin with pleasantries
In the first few sentences of a friendly letter, say a warm, lighthearted pleasantry, crack a joke, or refer to the time of year. The opening paragraph is usually humorous and affectionate, and it serves to establish the tone of the letter by informing the recipient that what follows will be more informal than formal or businesslike.
It is usual to start a letter with “How are you?” or “How have you been?” Posing a question adds to the letter’s sense of being a longer debate, and you are welcome to pose questions throughout your letter if you want an answer.
The opening paragraph allows you to dig deeper into the recipient’s life, such as “I hope little John has been enjoying kindergarten.” I can’t believe she’s grown so big!”
Another common letter opener is mentioning the season, which is similar to starting a chat before diving further. For example, “I hope you’ve had a wonderful fall.” My neighborhood’s trees are shining brighter than ever before. I believe we are in for a cold winter, however.”
After exchanging personal information and news, it’s time to address the main point of the letter, which is why you wrote it. Do you want to tell someone you miss them, reconnect with a long-lost friend, or express gratitude for their assistance in any way? To properly communicate your message, be honest, transparent, and articulate.
Write about your personal experiences; your letter will probably be liked regardless of what it says, but if it’s revealing, the receiver will feel much closer to you, and the letter will be more effective. Describe what happened, how you felt, and what you have planned for the future.
Don’t make your life appear too perfect; it would negate the intent of a kind letter. Avoid writing a holiday newsletter-style update; if you only summarize your accomplishments since your last letter, your friend will start skimming the bottom. You don’t have to delve too deeply into your problems but try to present your life as it is.
See also: How To Write A Letter To A Friend in 17 Steps: Sample, Format, Example
Step 5 Make references to topics that your friend finds interesting
Make references to topics that your recipient finds relevant. When was the last time you spoke with your friend? Was she about to end her relationship with her boyfriend? Was he in the middle of a difficult soccer season? When you follow up, show your interest in your friend’s life by providing references and asking questions.
You can talk about topics that interest both of you. Write down your thoughts on whatever you would discuss in person with your friend, whether it’s politics, art, current events, or anything else.
Consider recommending books you’ve read or movies you’ve watched that you think your buddy will enjoy; good knowledge is typically valued when given through letters.
Step 6 Close the friendly letter
In your final paragraph, wish your friend or loved one the best. Typically, the final paragraph has a more relaxed tone than the body, but it still needs to fit the overall tone of the letter. Try to close the letter in a way that will make your buddy feel good.
Restate the letter’s goal. For example, if you wanted to wish your friend a happy holiday season, you may write, “Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!” or something similar. Alternatively, if you invited them to a party, write something like “I hope you can come!”
Encourage your friend to answer in writing by saying something like, “Hope to hear from you soon,” or “Please write back!” If you’d like an answer.
Step 7 Summary
Write a conclusion. Whether your letter is official or informal in tone, the closure you employ should represent the general tone of the document. It should be based on your relationship with the receiver, just like the salutation. Put your signature after the close.
If you want to write a formal ending, try using “Sincerely,” “Warmly,” or “Best wishes.”
Consider using “Yours,” “Take care,” or “Cheers” to make your message more conversational.
For a more personal ending, choose “Love,” “Much love,” or “Thinking of you.”
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Step 8 Consider including a postscript.
Consider including a postscript. A postscript, or PS, is commonly used at the end of a friendly letter to add information that isn’t important enough to warrant its own paragraph. You can omit it entirely or write a lighthearted joke instead, but make sure it fits the tone of your message and conveys the emotion you want the recipient to feel.
Format and Parts of How to Write a Friendly Letter
Address
If you’re writing a letter to a friend or family member who lives in another country, make sure to include your country’s address in the address, which should be written at the top of the left side of the page.
Date
Next, we write the date exactly beneath the address, which gives the reader a point of reference for the address’s writing date and helps him understand the contents of the letter.
Greeting
For example, if you were writing a letter of congratulations to your teacher, you could address him or her as Mr. or Mrs. If you are a friend or someone around your age, you can address them by their first name, like “Dear Chris.” If you are writing to a relative, like your mother, father, aunt, uncle, etc., you can use a salutation like “Dear Mom.”
Introduction Paragraph
Informal letters should begin in a friendly and relaxed manner, not as direct and stiff as business letters. The tone of the entire message is established in the first paragraph, so you could start by asking for an update on the recipient’s health or stating that you hope the letter finds them well and cheerful.
Body of the Letter
When writing to a friend, you can afford to be carefree and even flippant, but if you’re writing to an elderly relative, you should write with the greatest consideration and respect. Overall, the letter should be cordial, but the language and phrases should be modified to suit the recipient.
Consider how you would speak to the recipient in a chat to help you choose the tone of your letter, and then write it using the same language and attitude.
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Conclusion
In the final line, restate the letter’s main reason and explain why it was written, and bid the reader a genuine goodbye. Also, remember to provide an invitation to the reader to reply to your letter, which shows a want to continue the conversation.
Signature
Informal letters can be signed in a variety of ways; there is no defined format for them, so you can sign off anyway you choose. Some commonly used phrases are
Lots of Love
Best,
Best Wishes,
Kind Regards,
Kindly,
This is the format of how to write a friendly letter, see the example below.
Friendly Letter Example: Sample Letter To A Best Friend
Your Name,
Your Address,
Date
Dear (Recipients Name),
How are you doing? Sorry, it took me too long to long to write back. How has summer been? What have you been doing during the summer? On my part, I have been traveling around the country with my family. I made new friends and new memories.
I miss you and cannot wait to go back to school and see you again. Also, I want to tell you about all my travel experiences when we are back in school. I will send you some of my pictures.
I hope all is well with you. Send your family my love. See you soon.
Love,
(Your Name)
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Conclusion
A friendly letter is also called an informal letter you write not just to friends but for semi-formal purposes. Did you know that a cover letter is a friendly letter? This article has been all expansive in describing how to write a friendly letter, format, and example for your friend and some you know. We hope you make good use of the information contained.
