Does anyone get a writer's block when writing letters?

[dfreely]

Just wondering..

Sometimes it just seems to take forever to get a letter together.. I may have an outline, or a summary of things I want to say, but putting it together and actually writing the letter seems to be give me occasional trouble. I've had some that took weeks or months, and when it's finally done, I read it over and can't believe it took that long to write it.

On the other hand, I've had some that were done in a half an hour or less.. go figure.

[Johnny's Fan]

Yes, yes and yes again.

I've written some letters that have taken me hours to draft, and sometimes I've even given up and gone back to months later and I still have trouble. What gets me is some of the people I write to that should be a bit more difficult for me to compose, I find really easy and others who should take me very little time... but after half and hour I haven't written anything. My record I think was about 25 minutes for dashing off a draft, but that is the only time I've ever taken under an hour.

[dfreely]

What gets me is some of the people I write to that should be a bit more difficult for me to compose, I find really easy and others who should take me very little time... but after half and hour I haven't written anything.

I definitely get that too.. it's kinda strange, looking back, there's some letters that I would've expected to take longer or shorter that didn't.

I actually keep my drafts and outlines in a text file.. every few days, I open it expecting to get some of it done, but I can just sit there, staring at it for 10 minutes, and not be able to come up with anything.

[Johnny's Fan]

Definitely. I keep the final drafts of all my letters in a folder, so I can always look back and maybe use a similar letter if I don't receive anything. It is quite surprising reading to remember how long it took me to write them in the first place.

The worst one is when I have seen a lot of films with an actor in, so I've got lots to write about that's fresh in my mind... but nothing happens when I try and write it all down. I really hate it when that happens.

[margotchanning]

It seems to take me longer to write letters to the people I love the most. I just want those letters to be extra special. My letter to David Caruso took me three hours!

[khackdrums]

Yes, all the time! My letters have been getting progressively shorter as time goes on. I keep it to a half page at most now. I like my letters to be unique, clever and humerous.

Khackdrums

[omgitscaro]

Always! - And I always have that problem of repeating myself, or saying the exact same phrases and words in letters.

"I think you're great!"
"I enjoyed you in..."
"Have a great (hey, that word again!) day!"

I think I just need to buy a giant dictionary, but IDK.

[chriscollector]

Never. These are not intended to be our biography or a novel about our love of a celebs work. It's a quick I enjoy you because, I look forward to, I appreciate your hard work, can you please sign, thanks for your time. Sincerely Me.

Most never even read them, a secretary sees the SASE and knows what it's about. And those that do read them don't have a half hour to sit and read a letter.

If you are taking more than 15 minutes or writing more than 1 page front and back you are working yourself for no reason. They are all well aware of their previous work history. There is no need to list their credits or summarize favorite scenes. Just be yourself and talk to them like you would a friend. I do feel a half page is pretty short, unless it's typed.

[packrat]

The only time I have troubles writing is when I'm being dishonest. If I try to embelish a letter, or try to write in a way that I think will get me a favorable response -- that's when I have troubles getting a letter written. I don't save any letters that I have written. I just get whatever facts I need and then I write a one page, three paragraph handwritten letter the best I can. I'm sure that everyone who writes tells them that they are the best at what they do. If I start having troubles writing, I stop thinking and just write.

[ursha]

I do. Sometimes. Sometimes I can write 10 letters in one day and each of them is unique but sometimes I can not write even one.