Writing Prompts: Dead Letters

In the United States and Canada (not sure about other countries) the postal service operates what is called the Dead Letter Office or otherwise known as Mail Recovery Centers. This is where undeliverable mail such as letters with a bad mailing address and no return address or letters to fictional entities, such as Santa Claus, are sent.

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I first heard about the Dead Letter Office when that movie “Dear God” came out and then again when I was on Craigslist and saw letter about a good deed done by an anonymous postal worker. This idea is so ripe with possibilities that I figured it would be a good theme for today’s creative writing prompt.

1. Write about a day in the life of worker in the dead letter office.

2. Write a story about someone who loses something that ends up in the office.

3. Write about someone who takes personal interest in a letter (or package) that ends up in the office.

4. The post office auctions off unclaimed property every eight weeks. Write a paranormal or sentimental story about an item bought from there perhaps to be sold on Ebay.

5. Write about a person who receives a letter they sent months ago to a bad address that just now gets returned to them. Perhaps to an ex-boyfriend (or girlfriend) that died in the interim.