Dear stranger... It's me, Freya.

Fun flashy prompt

At the beginning of December, I downloaded the MyPostcard app so that I could send a postcard once a month to my Nan who can’t talk very well anymore. Instead of calling on the phone, the plan is to now send her a monthly summary and some pictures, hoping she might write back too.

The art of letter writing is an intriguing one, especially in storytelling. I feel like you can get away with a lot more ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’, using the first person narration. There are lots of ways and lots of types of letter styles we can use to help inspire.

Here are a few for inspiration! Note how they reveal information slowly or only at the end to keep you guessing or wondering.

• Dear Stranger by Catherine O’Brien (did you know there’s also a website called Dear Stranger, where you can write letters to people struggling with loneliness?)

• Dear Cat by Joao Morais

From Harry Potter’s Hogwarts acceptance letter to letters to God in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, the art of letter writing is far from over. It’s just gone digital. So pick up your stationery and pen, and let’s find us a pen friend to share our inner most thoughts and feelings.

Your prompt