The holidays are on the way whether you like it or not. You may have made your annual appointment for the holiday themed family photo and you may have started thinking about what you want to write about in your holiday letter.  Below are a few tips if you want your letter to be entertaining for all of your friends and family instead of just a list of everything you did in 2013.

Be real: Write about what really happened in the past year without sugar coating every event.  It’s much more relatable and interesting for everyone reading it.

Be conversational and funny: Write in first person. Family and friends who receive your holiday letter want to hear from the real you. Forget the big, fancy words; write as you speak.  Remember, this isn’t a formal essay that’s going to be harshly critiqued for a grade. This will bring a breath of fresh air to your readers. Telling a funny story about your youngest is better than bragging about their excellent grades and extracurricular activities.

Know your audience: Know who you are sending your letter to and if it’s personal then send it to your close friends, family, distant relatives, etc.  Your work colleagues may not be the best, especially if they already know about your daily life.  Remember, the whole purpose of writing a holiday letter is to update your readers on what has happened the past year.  Business associates won’t be interested in a chatty, family newsletter, and vice versa, distant cousins won’t care too much about the ins and outs of your workplace politics.

Keep it short and sweet: Hit the highlights of your year and save the ins and outs of summer vacation for personal phone calls or lunches with relatives.

Don’t “photo-bomb”: Sure you want to share your many photos that were taken throughout the year, that’s what Facebook is for, right? Send one or two shots instead of a page filled with tile size pictures.

Personalize: Take a few minutes to personally sign and write a short note at the bottom of your letter.

Overall, have fun with your letter!  If you didn’t want to tackle the entire letter and you have family members, then have each of them write a small paragraph in their own words about their year.  Happy writing!