For awhile I was about 3 days from receipt to reply but funny how life gets in the way and now I am probably talking months instead of days

So do you quickly write back like a discussion or do you take more time.

Kurt

It seems always to take me some time to respond, which always bothers me, but there's often little I can really do about it if I want to send a meaningful response. I could respond right away in most cases, but it would be a rather abbreviated response - not how I usually write.

- R

12- 24 hours, unless I'm writing a "book." If I know the recipient is on vacation, or just for a change of pace, I'll fill a small journal and send that out instead; it's like a week's worth of letters.

edit: So to answer your question, more like a discussion. But one can have an extended discussion. I have in front of me a Circle Journey book, that the other journaler held for 6 years before returning. We just picked up where we had left off.

Since the only correspondence I do is via Email the turnaround is very quick, within 20 minutes. As no one sends me snail mail, I can claim to be ultra fast there too, since no one can dispute my claim!! I did actually send a letter to an old friend this year but got no written response. Of course, the real reason for the mail was to give him my phone number and email address. We've talked on the phone and emailed numerous times since then.

I'm actually faster at snail mail than e-mail. Given the volume of email I get, I have to prioritize my computer time. There's a 24hr + turnaround. But for snail mail, I do that in my fallow time - commuting, waiting for my volleyball games to start, lunch. I have a significant amount of fallow time. :-)

Generally I try to reply within 24 hours (if I get the letter on a saturday then I have a little longer since there is no post on Sunday). Though sometimes my draft letter will be done that quickly and I wont get around to a final until much later (3 days or so). However, I have a long list of family and friends with whom I am trying to start a written correspondence. Depending on how many write back my response time may get slower.

For snail mail, I try to get it out in less than a week.

Usually I send a post out the very next morning, unless I have other more pressing things to attend to - then it can take up to a week for a reply.

Ideally I wish to reply in a week or less. The reality is, life usually gets in the way, & it can be a good six weeks before I reply.

For me it's somewhere between a day and a year. I don't think I've ever gone over a year. Don't let anyone kid you; I'm a lousy pen pal.
Ken.

I will usually write something within three days. Then, it will sit there, on my desk, stamped, addressed and sealed, for anywhere from two days to...uh...I think I still have some letters that are three years old that I haven't sent.

I used to be quite prompt with replies, but lately - since getting involved in some house projects - it has taken 3 to 4 weeks for me to respond. As someone else mentioned, I probably could reply sooner - but it wouldn't really be a response. Ideally, I like to re-read the last letter I received from the person I'm writing to so that I can answer questions or make comments on what they've written before I babble on about what's going on with me.

Judybug

Within a day or two---I don't like to read the same letter/piece of paper twice. Ditto for other correspondence, forms, bills and other items that need a response. For the latter I write out the checks or whatever, and with pencil, note on the envelope the date it should be mailed. Do that upon receipt of the missive. Have a "letter sorter" which keeps me on track as to when to get it out. Easy, efficient, reply's are prompt and don't miss due dates. As I read letters I make notes on same as to possible responses, things to make sure I include and so forth. Then write the response. Compulsive? Good manners? Haven't missed a deadline/due date since I started using this approach. I also figure that if the sender of a letter has taken the time and effort to contact me I ought respond in a timely fashion.

How embarrassing!

I'm terrible - the snail mailers I correspond with here will know I am not to be relied upon, simply because life gets in the way.
I generally try to do it quite quickly, within the week, so I don't forget what I intended to say.

I have, tucked into my work diary, two letters for FPNers I wrote about a month ago, but have not made it to the post office to mail - when I do make it to the post office, the letters are still on my desk in the office!

Conclusion? MUST DO BETTER!

There was about a month and a half in the middle of winter where we had some illnesses passing around our offices, then back and forth at home, so my correspondence all but stopped during that time.

Generally, though, I try to reply inside one week of receipt. At times, I'll reply the same day, but those letters tend to be awfully short. If I spend a day or two reflecting on the letter received, and what's been going on in my life since I last wrote....I find that I tend to come up with a much better reply.

So, as a general rule, within a week, usually less. Life can get in the way, though, and true friends understand that and won't mind a bit. If I have a friend drop off the radar, I'll continue to send letters every few weeks or so...not to be pushy, just to let them know I'm thinking of them.

I try to reply pretty quickly, but it depends a bit on what I have to say and how important it is. If I have some great story to tell, or my correspondent is waiting on information from me, I will usually write back the same day.