How often do you write to them?

Started with 20.Down to 5 or 6.Write straight away when a letter arrives,maybe 3 times a month.

Would love more penpals if anyone wants to exchange letters.

Jim

I *think* I have three... but I'm one of those boring people who isn't very good at writing about non-FP topics, so I may have bored all my correspondents and actually have none left.

I usually reply within a week, but because mail takes two weeks to get in and out of AU, it's a rather leisurely exchange.

I've a core of 8 people that I write with a max of about 24 occasional letter writers who come & go. I probably write 2-3 letters out a week but that can change like right now I have 5 in process

Kurt

I ashamed to admit that I never hand write correspondence anymore. Despite my infatuation with pens, email and Microsoft Word are my instruments of correspondence.

I have had one regular snail-partner for many months now. I have another periodic one. I just added a third today!

My regular is about monthly, my periodic is 2-3 times per year. We will see how the frequency on the third develops.

I have also exchanged about 20 postcards through FPN!

Andy

It would seem only natural to find that not all snailers are a good match.
Do you just not respond when you want to quit? Write to say we're not
a good match? Make up some other excuse?
What would you do?

If it isn't good, it peters out and stops. No hard feelings. No keeping score.

Andy

Funny but I have never intentionally severed a correspondence. And I have only received one saying 'now isn't good'.


Kurt

I agree with Andy here.Some of mine have just never written back after awhile.Life changes,times,family,etc.No reason needs to be given.
I'm happy to have had a chance to correspond.

Jim

Currently, one or two or three or four. My boyfriend, a friend from Germany( I sent her a letter and her first attempt got returned), a penpal who I was paired with almost five years ago and she started it up again two or three years ago out of the blue, and sometimes my mum and other friends or family members.

Currently 6 plus family. Most are from FPN. The people I write most to are Muther and an ex FPN member (4 times/week for each). Other than that, I write when I get a letter then wait for a reply, although I am woefully behind with one person because I had nothing interesting to say. You know who you are...

Could still use one or two more, as I hate opening up the mailbox and finding nothing to read while I eat my lunch everyday.

Kath

I currently have active correspondences with about 20 snailers. I kept track of my letter writing from October 2006 to October 2007 and received approximately 235 letters and sent back 235 in response. Many people seem to drift off after a while but some stay writing for years. I have definitely slowed down in my letter writing. At one time I wrote to about 50 people and was always looking for new pen pals. Lately I've been extremely busy with work and am about 10 letters behind.... but I will get to everyone eventually.

Well, this makes me feel a little better. I was getting a bit daunted at my growing collection of addresses (26 so far, just from FPN ) but I always assumed some, if not most, would drop off. I generally get one letter per business day. That's an easy pace to maintain.

I now have an on-going correspondence with 6 people from around the world. Two of those people are from this forum and 2 are family members. One is a high school buddy that I have not seen in 37 years. We have corresponded off and on during that time and it is amazing to me that we both prefer hand written letters to e-mail or typewritten ones. The 6th person is in federal prison for another 11 years. I picked his name out of a list of inmates posted by an organization that were desiring outside correspondence. Although a new relationship, I am finding it fun and challenging at the same time. I usually write two letters a week as well as a number of note cards and postcards. /Craig

People do seem to drop off or, at least slow down on letter writing. I recently asked a few more of you delightful FPNers to snail with me because I got caught up on letter writing and really missed having letters to write!

Five with more added as I can.

Right now it depends on the weather- too
hot to write downstairs and I can't get comfortable
enough to write upstairs!

Currently 5, 2 from FPN.

I don't write nearly enough letters, though. More penpals are always a good thing!

*Edit to add a response to the other question* I try to write to the people who don't respond too well (my cousin is only 12 and isn't the best at writing back. I'm trying to impart a love of the written word to her, though, hence the continued letters) about once a month. That gives them a chance to get a response out at a leisurely pace. With people who respond regularly, it's about once per week domestic and one every 2-3 international. In other words, as I said above, I have time for lots more letters. ::hint::

Zero, zero. I feel deprived.

Get thee to the Snail Mail thread and that'll turn around right quick.

That's a good idea. I've received a prive from JBB, so now have my first correspondent, but it would be fun to have a few more in other parts of the world as well. I'll see if anyone is interested.

My most regular correspondents are from FPN and there's five of those with three of them being in this country to keep down on postage costs. I have another penpal who I've written to since 1993, but our letters have become rather infrequent. Other than that a three penpals who write fairly regularly (every couple of months) and another two who write infrequently, there might be 12 months or more between our letters. I used to have more penpals when I was at uni, but have found less time for these things as time goes on and the cost of international postage also has to be considered. I find that if I go a while without letters then I'm more likely to be on the lookout for new penpals and my details are posted on the snailmail list here.

I currently have four or five regulars; close friends and grandparents. I try to keep turnaround time to about two days, otherwise I forget what I was going to write about! My policy is to keep letters on my desk until they're answered, so I am continually reminded about who needs to be written. Plus my innate neatness gene nags me until I write them so that I can finally clear off my desk!

Eight, including two added as a result of this thread.

I now have four, including Mac in Alberta.

If all goes well I might try adding one or two more. I should see how well I can keep up with four, I guess.

All being well and assuming I don't scare people off on first correspondance I should have 6 - all FPN , 2 domestic, 4 international.

I don't know how the frequency will pan out because it is all soooo new.

Once things get going I am sure I will have room for more - writing letters is a needed escapism from the housework, parenting and mounting assigments.

=======================
I have about a dozen that correspond regularly and by regularly, I don't mean immediately. Everyone has his/her own pace to reply and that's fine.

Like a previous poster I've never officially severed diplomatic relations with anyone. A few have taken the time to write to tell me that their life had changed and they simply didn't have the wherewithall to snail anymore. One or two stopped abruptly. I'm assuming some major sea change in their lives. Then many who just petered out. I think some times
people get enthused about writing letters and using their pens and inks but when faced with that blank piece of paper, they blank out. SURELY it wasn't my breath!?

And let me just say that I like to read about ANYTHING. With my snailers some talk about politics, some religion, cooking,
literature, movies and tv, the daily activities, gardening, what's going on around the house... all kinds of paper, handwriting, inks...

I'm on the snail mail thread but so far, no joy.

I'm patient though.

Only one and I reply within a week. I think I could handle 2 more snailers. jejeje