Creative Writing Lesson – Don’t Bore Them with the
Thank You Note!
by Elaine Ernst Schneider
Writing a thank you note can be scary if you don’t have a plan. Many a person has sat and just stared at the blank paper, wondering what to write. Worse than that is the B-O-R-I-N-G thank you note.
Imagine that you are the person who bought the gift. You put a great deal of thought into it. You went to several stores to find just the right one. You wrapped it in the most unusual paper you could find and spent an hour selecting the card to go with the gift. Then, THIS is the thank you note you get:
Dear Ms. Gift-giver,
Thanks for the gift. It was nice.
Love,
Me
Kind of a disappointment, wouldn’t you say? Thank you notes don’t have to be boring. Try to think of things that would tell the giver why the gift was special to you or how you will use it. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Thank you for the new glove. I used it in the game on Saturday and we won! I never played better. I think it was the glove
2. Thank you for the gift of money that you sent. I used it to buy a CD that I had been wanting for some time. Every time I listen to it, I will be reminded of your generosity.
3. Thank you for the picture frame. I have a picture of my girlfriend that will fit in it nicely. A pretty girl in a pretty frame – what could be more perfect?
Try to tell the giver things about you that will make that person feel he or she has been a part of your life through the gift.
NOW – here’s your assignment. You may choose any one of these situations and write a thank you note.
Elementary:
1. A puppy from your Aunt Agnes. She left it on the porch of your home so that you would find it when you got home from swim lessons.
2. Your favorite video from your grandmother. You wonder how she knew that you wanted it.
Junior High and High School:
1. A long-distance phone card so that you can call your friend who moved away. It dropped out when you opened the card from your Uncle Pete who lives in a retirement home out of state.
2. A gift certificate to your favorite clothes store from your married sister.
3. Two passes to the movie theater from your best friend who knows about your hot date on Friday.
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