| Copyright © Shaun R. Fawcett | | | | templates. |
| If you've spent any time online looking for letter writing | | | | Here are the problems with the typical automatic |
| help you have no doubt come across software | | | | letter-generator software: |
| programs that "automatically generate" various types | | | | - For each letter, you get to choose from a half-dozen |
| of letters. | | | | or so, completely out of context, independent |
| There are two typical ways in which these software | | | | unconnected pre-written, one-liner phrases that you |
| letter generators work: | | | | have to plug into your letter as separate sentences. |
| Basic Letter Generators | | | | - The final software-generated-letter is a disjointed |
| The most basic type of letter generator presents you | | | | collection of weakly-linked sentences and/or |
| with a list of letters that you can choose from. Once | | | | paragraphs that actually needs a professional editing |
| you choose the item that comes closest to your need, | | | | job just to make it presentable before sending it out. |
| you are then presented with a short unformatted | | | | - You do not get "in-context" mental stimulation and |
| "bare-bones" generic letter template with a bunch of | | | | visual cues to help you visualize the final finished |
| blank fields that you must fill in such as: [name], [date], | | | | product, as you do with a real-life template. |
| [company], etc. After you've filled in the blanks you're | | | | - The final letters come entirely unformatted so that |
| supposed to cut and paste that resulting text into your | | | | you then have to completely set-up and format the |
| word processing program as your final letter. | | | | letter from scratch before it can be sent. |
| Phrase-Based Letter Generators | | | | In addition, software letter generators provide little or |
| The second letter generator model is a bit more | | | | no guidance in the way of tips, pointers and information |
| sophisticated but still has some problems. These | | | | on the best ways to approach writing the different |
| software programs present you with a series of | | | | types of letters. (Trust me, not all letters are equal! |
| "generic phrases" for each type of letter. You then | | | | There are some specific things you need to know |
| select and paste the most appropriate phrase choices | | | | about writing some of the more complex letters). |
| into your unformatted draft letter template. What you | | | | How do I know all of the above? |
| typically end up with is a bunch of unrelated generic | | | | I've done my research and purchased and tested the |
| phrases loosely strung together. The result is an | | | | most highly advertised software letter generators on |
| unformatted rough draft that will definitely require a | | | | the market. In fact, actually using these products and |
| serious editing job before you can use it. | | | | seeing the resulting "letters" was a major incentive for |
| All I can say about these products is BUYER | | | | me to continue developing the downloadable |
| BEWARE! Although it might have seemed like a good | | | | fully-formatted "real-life templates" that go into all of |
| idea at the time, these "software letter generators" are | | | | my writing kits. |
| only slightly better than the typical fill-in-the-bank | | | | |