Letter to an Author assignment
This exercise, writing a letter to the author of a book you’ve read, is a way to practice writing — in concrete, detailed form — about the way a book can affect our lives.
Write a letter of up to 500 words to the author of the books you chose for third trimester.
Tell the author how reading his or her work (name the title) somehow changed your way of thinking about yourself or the world around you. Make a connection between yourself and a character or an event in the story. Did the book mirror your life in some way? What questions did the author force you to ask yourself or others? How did the book inspire you? Did it open your eyes so that you saw the world or yourself in a new way? Did it animate, motivate, or spur you into taking action to help yourself or others? Did it encourage, reassure, or just plain cheer you up when you were down? Maybe it caused your spirits to soar, your imagination to bloom, your belly to laugh, your throat to tighten, or . . . gasp! . . . your heart to beat, beat, beat with suspense. Whatever your reaction, exploring how and why you respond to the books you read is a valuable lesson. It helps you learn more about yourself—your hopes and fears, your secret desires and your not-so-secret disappointments. Using the books you have read explore the feelings you felt about the books and why you reacted the way you did.
Make a connection between yourself and a character or an event in the story. Did the book mirror your life in some way? What questions did the author force you to ask yourself or others? What surprised you about yourself when reading this book? What strengths or flaws do you share with a characters or characters in the book?
Explore changes. Before-and-after is a great way to organize your thoughts. What did you believe or how did you behave before your read the book? How did your thoughts of behavior change after you read the book? Was this change in you noticeable to others? How do you know?
Think about a book that inspired you, then write a personal letter to the author and explain why. DO NOT summarize the book’s plot. After all, the author wrote the book and already knows what happened. What the author doesn’t know is how the book affected YOU. Here’s another tip: Don’t write a fan letter. Forget the flattery. Instead of trying to impress, express yourself honestly. Just tell the author how his or her work somehow made a difference in your life. Then follow the how-to-enter guidelines on the next page.
Writing the Letter
Recommended word count
Level II: 250 - 500 words
Lead paragraph: Don’t waste words telling the author your name or where you go to school unless that somehow relates to the way the book affected you. Instead, begin with a question or an interesting but little known fact about yourself or where you live.
Tone: A letter is less formal than an essay or school research paper. It is conversational, friendly. Write honestly and sincerely, using your natural voice. But remember—this isn’t a fan letter meant to flatter the author. Correspond, don’t compliment!
Organization: A good letter, like any good piece of writing, has a concluding paragraph that sums up the key points made in the body of the letter. Your ending may also mirror your opening paragraph.
Return address: This is a letter, so include a return address. Print your name and complete address (either home or school) in the upper-right corner of the first page of your letter.