Ever fall in love with... a song? Saw a play or movie that changed your life? Read a book that inspired a career? Art
certainly
has the power to move us, and though modern day stories often make them out to be cliches, a fan letter can be just the ticket to show your
appreciation for the one who created that work. Whether they are an actor, a writer, musician or, heck, even a chef, consider sending them some fan mail; a
fter all, as
Annie Neugebeaur writes, the purpose of a fan letter is to share an "experience that went above and beyond average."
When starting your letter, introduce yourself and share which of their work inspired you to write to the
celebrity
. You can tell a little bit about yourself, if you like, but remember this is not actually someone you know. So keep the personal information you share related any
anecdotes
about how their work impacted your life. Maybe the actor was in a film you watched everyday with your nan as she was in hospice. Maybe the book they wrote inspired you to write yourself etc.
A few do and don'ts to remember: Don’t write in hyperbole; try to be sincere and write in your natural voice; it is a fine line to keep it respectful without getting stuffy. If you know the person through real life or even through social media, you can mention that, but keep most of the focus on their work. Don’t go on about if you find them attractive- that’s creepy, no matter who they or you are. Also- don’t talk about the negative. If there is something you didn’t like; keep it to yourself. No one asked for
unsolicited criticism
.
Try to
keep the letter to a single page and c
onclude by wishing them well in future
endeavors.
Use a benediction like “sincerely” or “from your biggest fan.” Benedictions like “love” can be off putting, since in most circumstances the
celebrity
is unlikely to know you.
Snail mail adds a sense of authenticity to a fan letter, but it can be hard to find people’s mailing address. See if the
celebrity
has a mailing address on posted on a homepage, or if they have a fan club with their mailing address. Otherwise, send the letter care of their agency or place of work. If you want a response, make sure to include your mailing address, ideally on a self-addressed and stamped envelope to make it easier for them to return your
correspondence
. Even with this, please be aware that they may not have time, or inclination to respond to you and that that is perfectly fine. After all, you are writing to thank a person, and sharing that love of another's work; know that it is always
appreciated
.
Further Reading:
10 Tips for Writing a Fan Letter by Annie Neugebeaur
Love this! I think it would be fun to write fan letters.
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I was inspired into my career by a costume drama I saw on TV (it was The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby on ITV), there's a theatre scene in it that just gave me goosebumps. I read about the cast, and discovered drama schools in London through their background info. I wrote to the actor who played Nicholas (James D'Arcy), he sent me a signed photo and lovely handwritten letter...he kept in touch through email a little too. I actually ended up going to one of those drama schools and I kept his photo on my pinboard throughout. The scene still gives me goosebumps. It's at 1:35:47 here:
Reply Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38FhuxiyRCs
It fills me with joy at what I chose to do.
This is a fantastic thing to share- thank you for doing so Clare!
DeleteOoh! I was thinking of writing a few fan letters, so this is a helpful read!
Reply DeleteAnd I'm loving the choice of photos :)