Since November 2023 I have picked up a new habit of sorts – writing letters without posting them. I address them to people I know, some alive, some no longer so, and they’re usually short – an A5 page or two at the most. I write them with no intention of ever posting them, and I deliberately phrase them as letters to a specific person.

Why would I do that?

This started because I wanted to write about certain things with a particular person in mind, and I knew that with the state of our local post office they would never be posted. This was fine by me as I didn’t have the time and mental capacity to start and maintain a true correspondence with someone.

I wanted to write a letter and not a journal entry because I wanted to address my thoughts to someone. When you write a letter you find yourself shaping your thoughts, points, ideas to fit to the person you’re addressing – whether you’re trying to convince them of something, explain something to them, let them know what’s going on in your life, or argue with them. The writing needs to be clear, poignant, convincing and oftentimes entertaining.

I can be sloppy in my journal writing, but letter writing requires more discipline and care. It’s a good writing and thinking practice even if you have no aspirations of being a writer.

Who do I address the letters to?

Mostly dead people. Dead mentors, dead relatives, people that are no longer in my life. I keep them posted on what’s going on, wonder what their opinion would be of current events, and through writing to them I work out what I think of what’s going on in my life and the world. Occasionally I’ll write to people that are alive and well and in my life – just things that I want to get off my chest but that are better off unsaid. Unlike what social media would have you think, not all thoughts are worth publicly airing.

I use a Rhodia blank steno pad and whatever fountain pens I have in rotation. The medium is less important than the actual practice. I tend to write about one or two letters a month, although there are months that I write more letters in and those where I write none at all.

I’d recommend giving this idea a try, and start by writing to people you know and not celebrities or famous people. It’s easier addressing someone you’re familiar with – like a grandmother, aunt, cousin or teacher. You can destroy the letter after you wrote it – the point of this exercise is the writing process of the letter itself, not the resulting letter.

I think you’ll find that it will give you some clarity and peace of mind.