Open Letters are Fun to Read and Write
Results of reading a week’s worth of Open Letters To …
Funny or ranting, open letters are cathartic to write and fun to read. I know because I read everything posted in the publication Open Letters to for the past week as part of my July reading challenge.
If you’ve never stumbled across this excellent little gem edited by Scott Hughey (TheWriteScott), Deborah Weir, and Courtney Burry check it out. As their about me page says:
Open Letters are sent to the world and beyond. Here we say what must be said, whether it is harsh, humorous, or even a teensy bit passive aggressive. Share your open letters with the world, the meta-physical, or your micro-managing boss.
I found all of the above in my week of reading.
The great thing about open letters is they let you say all the things you usually leave unsaid. Tired of all the self-censorship in your life? Stuck with writer’s block? Try dashing off an open letter.
Reading them can be just as enjoyable.
Wow, someone else is as petty as me. I didn’t think it possible.
You go girl. Express that rage while I sit safely in my office swallowing my annoyances.
I like the funny ones best. There’s lots of room for creativity in an open letter format. But the serious rants have a place too, especially when the cause resonates with me.
Here are my favorites from my week of reading.
It has come to my attention that you have, for many years now, been heaping a lot of blame for various bad decisions at my door.
John Bullock comes down hard on his future self’s judgemental attitude towards his current and past actions. But don’t worry. Present John has a revenge plan. This was a fun, light, relatable read.
Because Nature is so darned quiet and peaceful and soothing to the human nervous system that any non-nature sound immediately propels us back into the World of Men. Which, as you know, is quite different from The Shire and the land of Elves.
Men clomp, oppress the innocent forest creatures, and own cell phones.
Jean Campbell writes the classic open letter rant. Her letter is based on a specific person and incident but the latter is really a message to everyone who spoils our ability to get away from it all in nature.
I would have been sleeping right now, but you don’t even want that. You wanted to write and here I am at 6 telling you to start working and all you can think about is ice cream.
Sushmita Singh’s letter to her brain is highly relatable. Who among us hasn’t been betrayed by a brain that simply won’t focus when and where we want it to?
I get it. You have a fear of being catfished, but I have five, sometimes six, pictures already on my online profile. Headshot, full-body shot, and you have access to my Instagram account, yet it’s still not enough for your pornographic gaze.
Jehan Senai Worthy rips out a righteous rant in her open letter pointing out the sheer ridiculousness of men on dating sites who demand more and sometimes specific photos. I sincerely hope she sends this open letter to every man who does this in the future.
What rankled, however, was the final paragraph which was essentially a hush agreement and a non-disclosure agreement rolled into one. If I signed, I would be prohibited from “directly or indirectly” talking about our negative experience “to anyone in any way.”
David Martin pens another classic of the open letter genre, a letter to a specific company who let him down. Way to go David, sticking to your principles and rejecting their measly hush money. Always hold out for the big bucks if you’re going to sell your soul.
As part of my reading challenge, I write a story for the publication I’ve just been reading. I went fishing for an idea at the dinner table.
“I need to write an open letter. Who should I write an open letter to?”
“Unopened Letters,” responded my smart-aleck kid.
Bingo. The idea was there immediately.
This is a great publication to add to your list as a writer and a reader. Be sure to check out the archived letters tab at the top of their home page. There are some awesome letters in there. Enjoy!
