Love Letters 101: How to Write a Cute (Not Sappy) One

Slip a note for him to find when you're not there. Don't want the hassle of the post office? That's fine. On a morning when you stayed at his place but won't be there that night, slide a note under his pillow wishing him sweet dreams. Or hide a little card in his suitcase as he's packing, so that when he's on a trip, he'll have a letter from you telling him that you miss him already.

Get a little sexy. An easy way to cut down on the sap factor? Make it so hot he'll be flushed with excitement, not embarrassment. You don't have to write the next Fifty Shades of Grey (nor should you), but take some inspiration from Georgia O'Keeffe, writer of one of the 10 best love letters linked below. Sample line: "My body is simply crazy with wanting you." Helloooooo. Blush. (Hide this letter from the future kids, though.)

Make it an annual event. Start a sweet tradition by writing your guy a note every year on an anniversary of your choosing (e.g., your first date, your wedding anniversary, first time you said "I love you"). Besides marking every year of your relationship, it gives you a great jumping-off point for what to start writing. You can say your favorite memory of the past year, or where you hope the two of you will be next year, or five years down the road. Writer's block, cured.

Embrace the cheese. Can't figure out how to say how you're feeling without sounding like an angsty teenager? Maybe just embrace it and go full-on, over-the-top cornball with a rhyming poem filled with silly cliches. After all, isn't part of what makes your relationship great all the laughter and funny times you've shared? Maybe it's not one for the history books, but it might be perfect for your history.

Just say what's in your heart. Don't overthink it. You love this guy, right? You think he's the best man on the entire planet? Exactly. So tell him that. Everybody loves a compliment. Just tell him all the things you'd brag about to your friends if he wasn't listening (but obviously, skip the other stuff you'd say behind his back, like how you'd complain about the way he leaves his wet towels on the bed). It can be easy to forget to tell the person you love how much you appreciate him, and it always makes more of an impact in writing.

Have you ever written a love letter? Received one? What's your advice for making them sweet but not too sappy?

Letters of note:

The 10 Best Love Letters Ever Written

You Just Got 7 Love Letters!

Lena Dunham's Other Writing Talent: A Sweet Love Letter to Her Boyfriend