Writing greeting card sentiments can be overwhelming. But don’t freak out; this is not a midterm. It’s just a greeting card. Greeting cards are just simple communication. We communicate with each other everyday. How hard can it be?

Inspiration is everywhere! Use daily life as a way to inspire greetings. You may find that you get ideas people watching at the laundry mat, an encounter at the grocery store or listening to people interact at the bar. Think about what feelings these events triggered in you. Your audience will probably have similar feelings.

You just need to figure out the style that suites you best. Are you comfortable writing inspirational messages? Do you easily gush love-filled sentiment or express sincere sympathy? Or are you humorous and sarcastic? Maybe take a trip to your local greeting card vendor and see what interests you most. Brainstorm and write down your ideas. Once you know the general tone your line of cards will have, the greetings should start flowing.

Take a minute and think about a few key things. What occasion is your card for? Who is your target audience? What emotions are you trying to portray? Maybe list your answers and imagine the person you want to buy your card. Write the greeting as if you are talking to them. But be careful not to be too specific. You don’t want your audience to be a tiny percentage of card buyers. For example, do not make a card for a Great-Aunt to give to her God-Niece on her 6^th birthday. Sometimes the best answer to what to write in the card can be as easy as, “Happy Birthday!”