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Writing The Perfect Letter

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Lindsay Gillies | 12:44 UK time, Tuesday, 1 June 2010

On MacAulay & Co last week Fred celebrated handwritten letters with . Fred asked his listeners to take the time to write to us here at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland - Pauline and Margaret took the time to do so - check out their beautiful letters below.

letters to Fred from Margaret and Pauline

If you feel inspired, write to Fred MacAulay at

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland
4.07 Pacific Quay
Glasgow
G51 1DA.

And if you need some tips, here are some tips from Dr Wiggins;

1. Subject:
There is no doubt that it takes time and effort to write a letter. It can certainly be quicker to throw a sheep at your gran on Facebook, to text "U Rock" to your significant other, to click an online petition to your MP, or send out a standardised C.V to potential employers. But you have to ask yourself; what is going to achieve the best results? If you really want to get your message across, sometimes a letter can give you the edge. The key is to make sure your time and efforts are well spent - send a letter when it counts and to someone who will appreciate it!

2. Materials:
A formal letter, by email or post, must be typed. Go for black ink and stick to a nice grown-up font like Times or Helvetica, maybe Verdana for email. No Comic Sans. Please. An informal letter is another matter altogether. Give yourself a break from the computer screen and write to your friends and loved ones on pink paper, or on the back of an old map, photo or train ticket. Be playful, be romantic, be memorable, be creative. A handwritten letter is a gift, but priceless.

3. Address:
For a formal letter. The addresses should be set out well. This is important. To neglect this in a formal letter is worse than using Comic Sans.

4. Opening:
The classic way to start a letter is to frame it as a response to something, an event ("Just to say...thanks for the party...") a development ("After a miserable series of delays, I am writing to complain about the train service...") or a precious exchange ("I received your email this morning...!") This is your chance to set the time and agenda, so make the most of it. Be polite, be direct. Get their attention!

5. Content:
Make sure your letter is not too long (boring) or too short (shallow). There are a million ways to write a letter. If you're stuck, here's a tip: aim to write 3 paragraphs each about the past, present and future. This model works for most topics. Try it! Magic!

6. Subscription:
You'll remember this from school: when you start "Dear Sir/Madam" subscribe "Yours Faithfully", when you start "Dear Mr. MacAulay" subscribe "Yours Sincerely". Fine. Easy. In an informal letter of course, the rules are less rigid. This means you can use the subscription to define your relationship with the other person. There is a scale of increasing warmth here. So you might go with a cool-to-icy "Regards". Or a temperate "Yours" or "Cordially". Or a warm and affectionate "Much love" or "Thinking of you". Or go volcanic with "Counting the moments until you are in my arms again".

7. Signature:
Make sure you sign your name clearly. Be careful how free you are with the number and size of your kisses. A string of 'xxxxx's' can be perfect for your mum, but possibly not for your boss.

Yours Faithfully,

Lindsay Gillies, producer of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio Scotland's MacAulay and Co.

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