By now, a “Hallmark moment” is much more than a slogan. The phrase has become shorthand for a pitch-perfect memory made between two people, the kind that can be commemorated with a greeting card. Courtney Taylor knows this feeling well. “Cards have always occupied a very big part of my life and childhood,” she explains, speaking from her home in Kansas City, Missouri. Although you likely don’t know Taylor by name, you’ve probably seen her work: As a writer at Hallmark, her words can be found on mugs, on social media posts for Mahogany (the company’s collection celebrating Black culture), in viral videos and, yes, on greeting cards too. Here, Taylor shares the secrets to writing a great card.

Nathan Ma: What makes a memorable greeting card?

Courtney Taylor: A memorable card...