We all read how the handwritten letter is dead. Is it? Do you make the effort to write friends and/or family when it's so easy to e-mail or just pick up the phone?

Yr post got me thinking... and the poll results are encouraging too... at least on this forum...

Actually I think its the other way round ( living in a hi-tech , infotech, superfast comm , age ...etc when communication gets very impersonal easily ).
When there's something really important you want to say and do it in a personal way as possible, short of meeting the person face to face, the handwritten letter is almost irreplaceable.

There are times when its best not to meet the person face to face.

It takes extra effort to write a letter. Receiving one is already indicative of the sender's effort put into that message - just for that recipient....

BTW, since there's a majority here who write at least monthly, do you folks pick ink colours to match the tone of your message ? Just curious. Or shld this be posted elsewhere?

I really had fallen out of the habit of writing letters until discovering fountain pens a few months ago. Now I write my parents, and 3 or 4 penpals every month. I think I write a couple of letters a week at least.

As to ink, my favorite is Pelikan violet, and that's what I use most of the time. I do have several pens inked at once, however, and some of them have dark green ink in them, so I often switch back and forth within one letter.

I do write friends occaisionally, but since they almost never write back, it's hard to remember if I've even written them!

Ringtop

My daughter is away at college, and I write her almost every day.

Bill

Bill, that's wonderful!!!!

i used to write letters daily but then i ran out of time so it's only about 6-10.

Just a suggestion to others who want to write--

My day often takes me several locations during the day. I will also often be waiting in rooms or offices for meetings with clients. I carry one of those foldover leather-like covers that holds a letter-sized legal pad and has a pocket in the inside front. I'll often start a letter and add a line or paragraph at each stop as I sit and wait. Then, by the end of the day, it's ready to send. In fact, if I waited until I made the time to actually sit and correspond I'd never get any sent out! I've found that this method, over the years, doesn't really require any more time than opening the laptop and e-mailing. And, of course, people love getting handwritten notes. Used to be that sending a letter was so much cheaper than by phone; in my family long-distance was like telegrams, only used for special occasions and great events. Now, with first-class mail costing 39 cents it's often the more expensive way. BTW is there still a special postcard rate? I've got a lot of very old postcards from long-deceased family members. My family was pretty poor and often my ancestors would write, very small, on penny postcards!

I write about 15 letters a month -- mostly to other pen enthusiasts. I also take every opportunity to write handwritten notes (like thank you notes) to non-pen people. Letters are like gifts because you get to open them and don't know what's inside. I'm always delighted on the days I receive personal mail.

I write regularly to two old friends and to my mother, and then I try to answer all the letters I get from FPN folk. I probably write an average of two letters a week.

I wouldn't say I pick ink colors according to the message in my letters, but I do give thought to the recipient. I just wrote a letter to my grandmother wishing her a happy upcoming 95th birthday. I didn't want her to find me flippant or rude, so I used Waterman's blue-black. Everything else I had loaded seemed like it might look show-offy to her.

I often switch pens & inks with pen people because I figure they might find it interesting to see the different lines and ink colors.

For my very artsy writer friend Barbara, I use colors I think she will respond to--she is very visual and likes offbeat, strong, highly saturated colors. For my dear friend Sophy who lives in LA and loves 30s antiques, I look for quirky midtones like off greens and purples.

For an FPNer who writes letters that are little works of art, I recently wrote a letter using Diamine Emerald for the body and Noodler's Shah's Rose for emphasis and for the initial words in paragraphs. It was a way to try and entice the reader with something she might like, but I probably wouldn't do it for most non-pen people.

And just about everyone gets a letter written with Noodler's Golden Brown at one time or another, because it's just about my favorite.

I don't know very many people who would appreciate a handwritten letter. My kith and kin would think that it's corny. I do try to write at least one love letter a month to my girlfriend though. She likes the thoughtfulness of it and I've found that she is very happy after receiving one.

I usuallly hand write at least 15 letters a week. I wrote four today. I've been a part of the Pentrace Snal List since early 2002. In addition to my snailing partners, there are about 4 friends with whom I regularly exchange letters.

Ringtop,
I though your penpals were friends

I write about one letter every other week...... the problem is that I never send any of them........

I don't know if I'm just thinking on paper or what..... I have actully gotten a few of them as far as into an addressed enevlope... then they never get to the Post Office.....

I'm doing such a good job of paving that pathway to Hell with good intentions.......

i've started catching up on snails. i'm also a member of the Pentrace Snail list and i snail Mary.... she has nice handwriting.

for this month it would be over 10.

Patrick, would you like to send them, or do you think maybe they're better unsent?

I keep about 10 sheets of stationery with all of my unanswered letters and a sheet with addresses on it in a folder, and envelopes and stamps, and that stays in my briefcase so it goes with me to work and then home again. When I have ten minutes or more to write, I do, and when a letter is done everything is there and I put it in our "out" basket at work.

Sorry if that is overly Martha Stewart Helpy Helperton, and maybe not sending them is what your unconscious (or conscious) would rather rather be doing.

Nah....


I wrote one today.... a thank you letter....


looked at it.. then saw a spelling mistake... well I wrote one letter wrong.... Dang those big and small S's.....

So do I send it "as is"... or re-write it.... (and it was fun to play with the Pyrate type round hand.....)

I'm not that icky (there was another word that worked better...but did not sound polite..)... but..... awh heck..... I want it to be just so right.........

So I never send them.... (where is that stupid smilly that goes right here...)

OK... that is just one example.....


Awh....... RATS.......................................

Just neatly cross out the mistake, correct it, and send the letter anyway. That's WAY better than not sending anything at all, especially a "thank you".

At least that's what I do
Bill

I'm getting back into the habit of writing letters now that I've got FPs to use. I write to a few people back in the US and someone on the SnailMail list here. There is something incredibly special about receiving an envelope that has not been addressed by computer!

However, with me being here in the UK and about 50 people back in the US to keep up with, I find email is much more practical. If I had to write the same news fifty times over to cover everyone I email I think I would go mad - not to mention that one of my letters to the US usually runs to a 72p stamp - this really adds up when you're sending several.

So - I've started to use email to cover information that I want going to everybody and writing personal letters with news that would only interest a few people.

I look forward to the day when I have to decide which ink and which pen - I've not many to choose from at the moment.

kamagong - I think it's wonderful you write your girlfriend letters! Actually, I met my husband through writing to him........now that we're on the same side of the ocean we don't write any more........maybe it's time to bring that back!

Patrick, my letters always have a few misspellings and the like, I just cross 'em out and make a correction. In fact, I very often read a letter before I post it and add some corrections, post scripts, random thoughts, explanatory drawings, & what have you in another color ink. (I try to pick one that looks good with the original color.)

Machines make perfect things. The imperfections are part of what make handwritten letters so wonderful. They're how people will know you didn't just buy a really cool font.

Awh... I just re-wrote it with my new pen, and sent it off today....

I might not have sent it.... but after all the post saying that I should. I felt kinda guilty about not sending it......

Perfectionism is paralyzing.

Judybug

Patrick, it makes me happy that you sent it.

Yeeeeup! That's me. 4 or 5 letters, but one of my penpals often gets 15+ pages.

Greetings all,

An interesting question- I used to write a lot more than I do now, but since they have come out with flat-rate long distance telephone service and e-mail; I write less. However, I do have a friend back in Jersey that works long and erratic hours, so I usually write to him because I never know what is a good time to call.

I do write letters to companies when I approve/disapprove of something they have said/done- I agree with those that say handwritten letters carry more weight. Many years ago, (when hand-written letters were more common), it used to be the opposite, when you wanted to impress someone; you typed the letter- now the pendulum has swung the other way- which I suppose is a good thing for the likes of us.

Best wishes,

Sean



PS: I voted 1 to 5 per month.

* Edit: PS added.

Greetings All,

I am just now getting back in the habit. I used to write to folks when I was in college. Being penurious student, and with long distance rates what they were, my Mother gave me an air mail stationery and envelope set-and said "WRITE!" ( My mother was an English teacher, so of course, I had to use only the most impeccable grammar and spelling.) What with work, family, and so on, I let the writing slide. I offer this as a reason, not an excuse. However, I am trying to get back into the habit. I voted for 1-5.

I write nearly a letter a day to friends or family, sometimes up to 5 in a single day depending on how much mail I received. I still use email for quick notes and "gotta have this now" type of stuff.

It's alot of fun corresponding with people back in the states. Drop me a PM if you are looking for someone to write back and forth from Iraq! My address is at the bottom of the article at stylophilesonline.com

I started tracking my incoming and outgoing snail mail back in October. Over the past four months I have written an average of 25 letters per month and received an average of 27... which explains why I'm not caught up.

MMMM... for 6 years I was in a city near my friends, then I met woman and come back to my city. I write to her almost every day in my journal and she reads it periodically, but I hope to find time to write to my friends too, not only by email or calling them. I think handmade letters are best mode to have contact with human people.
By my side If I consider journal pages to my dear as letters it can be counted as around 20 letters /month.
If not, considering that I also write her some romantic good looking and high quality paper letters, I can tell I write around 5 letters /month.

I write my everyday journal, but I write it in Word... Average 0,75 page with Arial 10pt font every day. Yes, it would take much more time if I wrote it by hand.

However, since I've already answered 0 letters in this topic, I want to write my first handwritten letter. I have already bought some writing paper and envelopes, more than that, I do know whom I want to write to. Just one question, do you wtite the letter on both sides of the paper or only on one? I've tested my paper and it's good enough for writing on both sides of it... Thanks a lot.

Hi,
I think that writing on both sides of the paper is best. That's how people used to write their letters.

Vida (Ringtop)

hi,

i bought clairefontaine triomphe writing paper from pendemonium. i use, for the most part, wet, juicy broad nibs and stubs. i am able to use both sides of the paper, with no bleed through.

the fpn pads can also be used. no bleed through and no feathering.

i enjoy snailing and intend to do more.

Ringtop, thank you. Starting write my first letter this morning!

I'm working on one, but never seem to have enough to say. Too used to keyboards to help me think.

At least 175 letters. Just practice writing letters with my FP.
Write em, then throw em out. Approaching 100 legal pad size letters
in 2 weeks. Writing with my m200 is harder for me than rollerballs,
but definitly more fun. Doing it mainly to improve my FP handwriting
quality. (only been using FP's for 2 to 3 weeks though)

I write about three letters a week. More if you count postcards. Mostly, I just really enjoy getting letters in the mail. It's nice to have something other than bills to come home to.

Thanks to snail mailing with other FPNers, I now write in the region of 2-3 letters a week. It's years since I wrote at that level - maybe twice a week home while in boarding school, twice a week after I finished school keeping up with classmates. It died off through uni a bit, then four/five times a week when husband was working away. We've been happily living under the same roof for over a decade now so no need to write to anyone! Until FPN came along, that is . . .