If you want to write someone a letter but don't know where to start, don't try to make it profound.

Start with one honest sentence.

I think sometimes we put so much pressure on handwritten letters to be beautifully written or deeply meaningful that we end up not writing them at all.

But the letters we treasure most aren't necessarily the best written ones.

They're the ones where someone actually said what they felt.

The spelling might not be perfect. You might cross things out. Your handwriting might get messier as you go.

That's okay.

Actually, I think that's part of what makes a handwritten letter so special.

So if you're staring at a blank page wondering what to write to someone you love, here are 25 simple ways to begin.

25 meaningful things to write in a letter

You don't need to answer all of these. Choose the one that immediately makes you think of someone and start there.

1. I've been meaning to tell you...
2. One thing I never want you to forget is...
3. I don't say this enough, but...
4. One of my favourite memories with you is...
5. Something I really admire about you is...
6. I hope you always know that...
7. Lately, I've been thinking about...
8. Thank you for...
9. If you ever read this years from now, I hope...
10. There's something I've wanted to put into words for a while...
11. One ordinary moment with you that I never want to forget is...
12. Something you do that always makes me smile is...
13. You probably don't realise how much it means to me when you...
14. One thing you have taught me is...
15. If I could relive one day with you, it would be...
16. Something about you I hope never changes is...
17. When I think about you, I always think about...
18. One thing I hope we still do together years from now is...
19. I knew you were important to me when...
20. A little thing about you I never want to forget is...
21. I'm proud of you for...
22. One thing I wish I told you more often is...
23. You have made my life better by...
24. If you ever need reminding of how loved you are...
25. Years from now, I hope you remember...

What should you write in a letter to your child?

If you're writing to your child, try not to only write about the big milestones.

Write about who they are right now.

The funny word they keep saying.

What they currently want to be when they grow up.

The song they ask you to play over and over again.

The little habit that drives you mad now but that you know you might miss one day.

What makes them laugh.

What you're proud of.

What an ordinary Tuesday with them looks like.

These details can feel completely unimportant today. Years from now, they may be exactly the things both of you want to remember.

You could begin with:

"Right now, you are..."

or

"I don't ever want to forget the way you..."

What should you write in a letter to your partner?

You don't need an anniversary or Valentine's Day to write a love letter.

And it doesn't need to sound like a love letter from a movie.

Tell them something true.

Write about a memory you still think about. Something they do for your family that you notice but rarely acknowledge. A difficult period you got through together. What you admire about the person they've become.

Or simply tell them why you still choose them.

Try:

"One of the things I love most about the life we've built is..."

Sometimes the most meaningful letters aren't declarations. They're reminders that somebody sees all the small things.

What should you write to your mum or dad?

Ask yourself what you might wish you had asked, said or recorded years from now.

Tell them what you remember from childhood.

Thank them for something you understand differently now that you're older.

Write down one of their sayings.

Tell them which traditions you've carried into your own family.

Or write about a seemingly ordinary memory that has stayed with you.

Try:

"I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for..."

And if you can, ask them to write back.

Their answer, in their own handwriting, might become something you treasure far more than you expect.

What should you write to a close friend?

Friendship letters don't need to be serious.

Write about how you met.

The stupidest thing you've ever done together.

An inside joke nobody else understands.

A period of your life you couldn't have survived in quite the same way without them.

Or simply tell them what their friendship has meant to you.

Try:

"I don't think you realise how important you were to me when..."

We often tell partners and family members we love them, but some of the people who have shaped our lives most deeply are our friends.

Tell them.

What if you're not good with words?

This might be the most important part.

You don't need to be.

You're not writing for an audience.

You're writing for one person.

Write exactly how you would speak to them.

If the sentence isn't perfect, leave it.

If you spell something incorrectly, cross it out.

If you suddenly remember something halfway through, squeeze it into the margin.

If your handwriting isn't beautiful, use it anyway.

The point isn't to create a perfect letter.

The point is that you wrote it.

And I think that's becoming more meaningful than ever.

We live in a time where words can be generated, rewritten, corrected and polished for us in seconds.

A handwritten letter is different.

The little imperfections are part of the person who wrote it.

One day, their handwriting alone might be one of the things you miss most.

Don't wait for a special occasion

You don't need a birthday, wedding, anniversary or milestone to write someone a letter.

In fact, I think there's something particularly special about writing one for absolutely no reason.

I was thinking about you, so I wrote this down.

That's enough.

Choose someone you love.

Take a piece of paper.

Pick one of the prompts above.

And write.

You don't need to finish three pages.

You just need to begin.

Because the letter that feels like a small thing today might become one of the most precious things someone owns years from now.