A friendly letter is an informal missive to communicate something of interest. It is an attempt to reach out to the other person, a friend, relative or a colleague, with news that holds appeal to both of you. Such letters are extremely personal and are therefore also known as personal letters. They serve as a substitute for an actual conversation between two people. A friendly letter therefore includes news from the writer, as well as questions to evoke an answer from the receiver.
The format for a friendly letter follows the same pattern as any other letter. Begin with your name and address in the top right corner and use the right salutation. If you are close to the person, write "Dear" or "My dear" before the recipient's name. If you share a more formal relationship with the person, use the name or relationship to say "Dear Mr. Brown" or "Dear Aunt Sara." Start with what you wish to convey, breaking content into small, interesting paragraphs with spaces in between. End with a closing remark such as "Take care" or "All the best," followed by "Yours," "Sincerely yours" or "Love" and your signature.
A friendly letter is informal and should be written in a familiar and intimate tone. Use grammatically correct sentences and the right punctuation to convey your message with feeling. Feel free to ask questions, use contracted forms such as "I'll," "you're" and "can't," and informal speech patterns. Keep your sentences short and to the point; long, elaborate sentences often sound too formal for a friendly letter. Write the letter as you would speak if the person were in the same room. This gives the recipient a feeling of hearing you speak as he reads your letter.
Begin with an interesting bit of news that is of interest to the receiver. Information about a common friend, an upcoming family event, and your scores on a test or a vacation you returned from --- all are potential topics. If your letter is in reply to questions from the friend, answer them in the subsequent paragraphs with as much detail as necessary. Take care you don't focus too much on yourself --- ask a few questions about what is happening in your friend's life, or invite his opinion on a thought you express.