Vol. 75, No. 6, June
2002
Organization Matters Structuring Your Letters
A three-part structure breaks writing into
manageable pieces, anticipates and answers the readers' questions, and
is easily tailored to many situations.
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 Mary Barnard Ray is a legal
writing lecturer and director of the Legal Writing Individualized
Instruction Services at the U.W. Law School. Her coauthored publications
include Getting It Right and Getting It Written and Beyond
the Basics, published by West Publishing Co.
If you have an unresolved writing problem, send your
question to Mary Barnard Ray, c/o Wisconsin Lawyer, State Bar
of Wisconsin, P.O. Box 7158, Madison, WI 53707-7158. Or, email your
question to wislawyer@wisbar.org. Readers who
object to their names being used in this column should state so in their
letters.
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by Mary Barnard Ray
Great letter writing is an art. The right touch with tone, point of
view, level of formality, and personal references requires a clear eye
and ear. Great letter writing cannot be reduced to a dry set of rules;
but good letter writing can be.
A good letter, in any situation, needs three parts:
- an opening, which orients the reader to the letter's purpose;
- a middle, which delivers the content with any supporting detail or
explanation needed; and
- an ending, which reaffirms the writer's original tone and purpose in
writing the letter and which closes politely.
The Opening: Orienting the Reader
A letter reader's first question is usually something like, "Why is
this person writing to me?" or "What is this letter about?" It also may
be "Is this letter good news or bad news?" A good letter opens with an
answer to the reader's question. Thus, for example, a cover letter for a
resume can begin by stating that the writer is interested in a job. A
request for information from an insurance company can start with the
reason for and nature of the request. A letter answering the reader's
question can start with a reference to the question. Whatever the
situation, the opening sentences should answer the reader's initial
question.
The Middle: Delivering the Content
As soon as the reader is oriented to the purpose of the letter, he or
she is ready for the content. To delay delivery of that content is to
frustrate the reader. Thus the writer should deliver the main point by
the beginning of the second paragraph at the latest. Then the writer can
elaborate as needed, adding details, caveats, or further questions. The
reader may read this elaboration carefully or in cursory fashion; but in
either case he or she will read with understanding of the main point,
rather than with frustration. The writer's goal in this part of the
letter should be to answer the reader's questions and deliver needed
information without ever causing the reader to ask, "Why am I reading
this?"
The Ending: Closing Consistently and Politely
| Three-part Structure Applied to Various Types of
Letters |
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Kind of Letter
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Orient the Reader |
Deliver the Message |
Close Consistently |
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Giving Good News
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State the news
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Elaborate as needed
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Close politely
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Answering a Request
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Refer to request
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Answer and explain
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Say where to go if questions remain and close
politely
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Making a Routine Request
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Identify self and make request
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List what is needed
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Thank reader
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Making a Special Request
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Explain why you need this
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Make request, with list as needed
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Thank reader and explain how to reach you if there are
questions
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Giving Directions
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Overview task
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Explain step-by-step
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Say what to do if the reader has problems
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Persuading to Take Action
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Refer to background that puts writer in position to
recommend
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State recommend-
ation and reasons
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Refer to recommend-ation and action it would require
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Cover Letter
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Refer to project to which materials relate
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List what is enclosed
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Refer to project for which materials will be
used
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Answering a Complaint
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Summarize the complaint
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Answer and explain
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Explain next step if appropriate and close politely
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Giving Bad News
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Establish your role with reader
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State the news and explain
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Echo the role established in first paragraph
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After the content has been delivered and explained as needed, the
writer needs to exit gracefully. This usually involves echoing the tone
of the original paragraph, explaining to the reader the next step, if
applicable, and telling the reader where to go with further questions,
if needed. Thus a cover letter for a resume can thank the reader and
state how to reach the writer. A request for information from an
insurance company can thank the reader and give the phone number to call
if questions remain. A letter answering the reader's question can tell
the reader how to reach you if further questions exist.
The letter's ending, although often short and almost a formality,
should echo the tone and level of formality used in the letter's
opening. This detail, often overlooked by writers, is important for
creating a sense of the writer's sincerity. If a letter is friendly in
the opening but distant in the closing, the reader is left questioning
the writer's true attitude.
This three-part structure breaks letter writing into three manageable
pieces, and with variations, can be applied to all sorts of structures,
as the accompanying exhibit illustrates.
Most often, a good letter sent on time is what is needed. For those
times, the format presented above can help. And, when you want to write
a great letter, this format can help you quickly reach the place where
you can begin focusing on your art.
Wisconsin Lawyer
