Each Friday I receive a newsletter from Dan Blank a gracious and generous man who works with writers and artists about how to share their work. A couple weeks ago, one of the things he wrote about was encouraging his readers to write a word of thanks to an author of a book that's been meaningful to them.

Years ago, after similar encouragement in the book Making a Literary Life: Advice for Writers and Other Dreamers, by Carolyn See, I started writing notes of thanks to writers and often heard back in kind and grateful correspondence. I lost the practice somewhere along the way, though, and only recently have tried to pick it up again, at least occasionally.

Dan's email was a good prompt and so I sent a note yesterday. I haven't heard back yet and likely, I won't. But that's not the point. I feel good for having sent it because who doesn't long to know that work they poured themselves into meant something to someone else. Consider doing this: send a note/email of thanks to someone who wrote something you loved. Maybe think back to the last book that meant something to you and start there.