In the words of philosopher Max Muller, “A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.” [1] If you know how you feel in your heart but you’re having a hard time putting your thoughts into words for a love letter, don’t worry! Whether you’re writing to your life’s partner, your significant other, or just a “special someone,” getting started on your romantic magnum opus is just a few helpful tips away.

Steps Edit

Method One of Three:
Writing to Someone You Admire Edit

Forget traditional formatting rules. If you’re worried about how to write your love letter’s header, how many lines to indent before you start writing, or which corner the date goes in, don’t be. Love letters aren’t exercises in formal writing. In fact, they can be some of the most casual, personal, and intimate documents written in a person’s lifetime. The content of your letter is much, much more important that the way it’s organized, so feel free to play fast and loose with the standard rules of letter-writing.

• If you’re looking for a conservative option, simply write the reader’s name on the left edge of the top line, followed by a comma. For instance, if you’re writing to Rebecca Samson, your secret crush from math class, you’d just write “Rebecca, ” in the top left of the page.
• If you want something more bold, don’t be afraid to bend the traditional rules of formatting as you see fit. For instance, if you want to include the day’s date like you would in a traditional letter, you might want to make the most of the opportunity by writing something like, “September 29th, 2014, 145 days since I first met you. “

Can you please put wikiHow on the whitelist for your ad blocker?

wikiHow relies on ad money to give you our free how-to guides. Learn how .

Pick a salutation that shows your reader is special. In letter writing, the salutation is the greeting that begins the letter — usually, it’s something like “Dear John,” “To whom it may concern,” or something similar. Depending on the purpose of your letter, literally dozens of salutations can be appropriate. [2] While you can use an ordinary salutation for your love letter, getting creative here is a great way to show you care enough about your reader to put some thought into it. If you want to, you can even leave out the salutation entirely — it’s up to you!

• For example, if you’re writing to John Ramirez, the hunk you met at the local book store, you could try referencing this in your salutation by writing something like, “Dear John, my bookworm beau,”

Aim to intrigue or excite with your first line. Love letters can be many things (sweet, sassy, sincere, or salacious, for instance), but they should never be boring. A love letter isn’t just your chance to tell your secret crush how you feel — it’s a chance to actually get this person interested in being with you! Your first line should reflect this — be witty, funny, or even scandalous. but whatever you do, don’t begin with, “I’m writing to inform you that I am very fond of you. Here is why. ”

• Here’s a good example of an exciting opener: Let’s say that we’re writing to Susie Jackson, a “total babe” you know from debate club. There are a million different ways to go with this — here are just two:
• “The hardest thing about debate club isn’t having to deal with Mr. Nelson’s rules — it’s having to argue with someone I’m so crazy about.”
• “Last week, when you stepped up to the podium, you fought hard for a flat tax, but it felt like you were fighting for my heart.”

Use a playful but respectful tone. While lovers in ages past may have used stilted, formal language to court each other, modern lovers can usually get away with having a little more fun. Don’t shy away from being goofy or even gently teasing your partner in your letter. If you already know each other well, this sort of informal approach will usually lead to laughter or flirtation — not hurt feelings.

• For example, as long as you eventually make it clear that you’re joking, you can get some serious mileage out of playfully using flowery, archaic language. Don’t be afraid to “go big.” For example, you might start off with “My dearly beloved — the one for which my heart continues its dance. You enchant my each and every day. I would be honored to take you to the sock hop.”
• On the other hand, you don’t want to be too wild. Beyond one or two soft teases, don’t be rude or disrespectful and don’t use curse words unless you already have a history of using them with this person. Remember, you’re trying to win this person’s heart, not crush this person’s ego.

Heighten the romance with personal touches. Your love letter shouldn’t read like a form letter. Ideally, your writing should make it clear that you’ve written your letter with one person (and only one person) in mind. Try including specific details about your partner, like the way they look, the way they make you feel, and the ways they make your life better to show you’ve put some thought into your writing.

• For example, if you’re writing to Stefan Burnett, the star of the swim team, you might take a tongue-in-cheek approach and include the following details: “Stefan, you make my heart skip five beats every time you climb out of the pool. Your eyes are bluer than chlorine, your abs are harder than locker room tiles, and your hair is blacker than your speedo. Marry me.”

Know what to avoid. Confessing your love to someone is tricky — no matter how elegant you are with a pen, it’s easy to make mistakes. Luckily, some mistakes can come across as sweet, endearing quirks. On the other hand, other mistakes can come across in very unflattering ways. Below is just a short list of things you may want to leave out of your letter:

• Self-deprecating humor (i.e. making fun of yourself or putting yourself down). While some people have mastered this tricky skill, it can often come across as insecure. [3]
• Poems. Unless you’re a master poet or you’re already with your reader, your masterpiece may be shared with friends and family (and not in a good way).
• Mention of other people. Try to write only about two people: yourself and your reader. Now is no time to be making your crush jealous.
• Crass, dirty, or overly sexual references. Wait until you’re dating.