How to write a postcard
When you’re traveling, you can send postcards to friends or family to show them you’re thinking of them and to tell them about your whereabouts. Choose good images and familiarize yourself with the format of most postcards to make sure they get to the right people. It also helps to know how to compose a message in a way that gives interesting information about your trip without taking up too much space for your recipient to enjoy. Here are some tips on how to write a postcard.
1) When you write a postcard: take your time to pick a good image
Look for a postcard that represents the place you are visiting. When you send a card to someone, choosing the image is part of the fun of the process.
2) Mind the date
This step is often omitted, but the date is an important element of the postcard. It allows your reader to put your story in context. But it is also useful to date the postcard if it is found years later. Indeed, the postmark is often illegible and therefore does not allow the reader to identify the date. Also, the card may have been written at one time but mailed much later.
3) When you write a postcard: acknowledge them
Yes, you’re on vacation in a great place and have a lot to talk about. But, to be polite, don’t start talking about yourself right away. Ask about your recipient first. “How are you?” or “I hope you’re doing well”. Granted, this question won’t get an immediate response, but it indicates that you care about the person.
4) When you write a postcard: be brief
Writing on a postcard is a rather special exercise, because there are certain limitations: since you don’t have much space, you have to get to the point. Write on the left side, making sure you have enough room for what you want to say.
It is customary to sign your postcard, and this, at the bottom right, under your text. We are not talking about an illegible administrative signature, but your first name, with or without a possessive.
Even at the edge of the swimming pool, one is divided between writing the text of a very traditional holiday card, even banal, or finding something original and amusing to write. Be assured: when you write a postcard, you almost never regret it.