Thursday, October 28, 2010

Letter #286 -- Ask a Question

In journalism school, students are taught to ask the 5 Ws and the H -- who, what, where, when, why and how. When those questions are answered -- sometimes multiple times -- you have a pretty good story.

But, as a letter writer, you can use the 5 Ws and the H in a couple of different ways. You can use them as guidelines for asking questions of your letter's recipient. Some examples: What is your new job? When do you start working? Where is your office? Why did you decide to switch jobs? Who are your co-workers? How did your old boss react when you told him you were quitting?

You can also use the 5 Ws and the H to make sure your letter -- and the stories within -- are thorough and newsy. When writing your letter, ask yourself if you've answered all of the questions your reader might have.

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