February 11, 2010How to write a good love letter

What with email, chat and social networking, who sends letters any more? Arguably, the long-letter format is a dying art. At most, we can expect the occasional postcard from family members abroad. But there’s one day of the year when you might want to say something a little more personal than ‘wish you were here’.

Love it or loathe it, Valentines Day is the mandated time of the year when we’re supposed to make a pitch for our lover’s heart. Some say it with flowers, with a special breakfast… or even a special ring to surprise their loved ones. But what if you’ve got something more to say? What if you’ve always struggled to explain how much someone means to you?

A love letter could be just the thing.

So what can a copywriter teach you about writing a love letter?

Well, you’ll find that all the basic advice that applies to good copywriting applies to writing a good love letter. Doubly so:

Avoid cliche.

If you wanted to say something trite and unoriginal, you could’ve sent them a store-bought card, right? The point of a love letter is that it’s personal. Be original. Be truthful. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Like most pitches, battles are lost or won over the issue of trust.

Don’t go overboard.

‘Purple’ prose, overwritten prose, that’s full of outrageous metaphors or overly descriptive passages, always strike the reader as untrue and distract from your overall message. Don’t say “thou art lovelier than the gorgeous burnt ochre dawn of a summer’s day” if what you mean is “I want to screw your brains out”. Say “I can’t control myself when I see you. Your eyes burn into my very soul and I need to feel your lips pressed against mine.” It’s better to be honest and passionate than try to sound like a 16th century poet.

Passion is good.

You’re not writing an essay, you’re not going to be marked out of ten. You don’t have to set out a rational argument for why your lover should love you. Nothing kills romance like the cold steel blade of logic. So no bullet point lists, no detailed explanations of why you’re in love. Love is there to be felt, not thought about. There’s a reason Mr Spock never gets any Valentine’s cards. Open up to your instincts.

Show off.

Okay, this might sound like a contradiction, but don’t forget, a love letter is just a pitch. You’re trying to prove yourself to your beloved. And that means playing to your strengths. Fantasy is good. Include them in it. Tell them how much better you are as a person when they’re in your life. Tell them all the crazy things you’ve dreamed about doing with them. Make sure that they know that they’re the missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of your life. But whatever you do, don’t sound like a sap. Put yourself in their shoes. What would you want to read in a love letter written to you?

As for us copywriters, what can we learn from you lovers?

Copywriting is a fine art. So is writing a good letter. But moreover, the thing they really have to have in common is passion. It’s more important that the words are true than perfect. It’s more important that they convey enthusiasm than sound strict and formal. It’s important to make a personal connection. In many ways, the love letter is the ultimate sales pitch. This Valentine’s day, how are you going to market yourself?

This lonely old writer will be staying in with a good book. As the Beautiful South once sang, “write your love letters on rice paper, at least you’ll feed the poor.”