5 Tips on How to Write Christmas Letters
1. Don't brag. The number one Christmas letter complaint heard every year around the water cooler and around the web is about the over-the-top bragging in which some people indulge. Keep it low-key. If your son's team won the state baseball championship, yes, you can and should mention it, but keep it simple, such as "Joe's team won the state baseball championship and we were thrilled."
Your letter readers will be snickering behind your back about your bragging, however, if you say, "Joe's baseball team was so amazing this year, all the kids were outstanding and the coach was fabulous. The season was unbelievably amazing, and they went all the way to the state championship, where Joe scored the winning homerun by knocking it out of the park." It's too long with too many adjectives. Keep it simple and avoid the bragfest.
2. Focus on the highlights. Sure, you survived another 365 days in the past year, but not every one of them deserves to be mentioned in your Christmas letter. Pick three or four important events to mention in your letter and write a few sentences about each.
3. Write a first draft. Sit down and write your first draft without slowing to make every sentence or paragraph perfect. Just focus on what comes to your mind and try to include all the important points you want to include in your final version. Then put it aside for a few hours or overnight.
4. Read your draft out loud - and then rewrite. Now that you've got all the essentials on paper, read what you wrote, preferably to someone who will give you honest feedback. Is it too long? Did you fall into the bragging trap? Go back and edit anything that sounded too long-winded or awkward out loud, and then read it again. Your readers will thank you.
5. Add a personal note. Another common complaint against form Christmas letters is they're too impersonal. You can avoid this pitfall by adding a quick note at the bottom of each letter. A single sentence or two will let the reader know you cared enough to take time to address them personally.
That's it! You've survived another year of Christmas letters and won't have to do it again for another 365 days.