Sometimes I can't remember exactly what I had written someone. It almost makes me wished that I had copied my letter and keep it on file, but then I think that no one else does this. Does anyone do this? If so, how do you make your copy?

I do. Otherwise i'd probably repeat things.
Plus I'm saving them for my daughter, so she can get a laugh at my expense.

J

Someone wrote me two letters and towards the end they looked the same, topic-wise.

I jot down the date I have sent someone a letter & a few one or two word notes as to what topics I covered in that letter. I keep this in a little notebook with my letter writing stuff. I usually write it in the same ink color as the letter was written, for my own amusement.

That's a great idea! Thanks.

I'm a little bit neurotic when it comes to snails. I copy mine before I send it. Each snailee has an index card with the dates I sent and dates I recieved. Sometimes I'll note a few things about the person (children's names, pets, hobbies). I also have a file folder for each snailee where I keep all their letters and the copies of mine.

Hmmm, perhaps I should just write. Maybe I'd be better about getting letters out!

I sometimes type up the text of my handwritten letters and put them in a looseleaf binder; other times I just send them out into the mails, and the next letter will have a passage of "If I wrote about this last time, chalk it up to escaping memory cells...".

I've also been known to photocopy letters before I seal them and mail them out, if I have access to a copier and remember.

One of my friends was having problems with a few of her letters never reaching their destination, so she took to scanning her letters before sending them off and then if they did go missing she could at least e-mail a copy.

I have gone through phases where I jot down on the envelope of the letter I'm replying to what date I replied and what I mentioned in the letter, but haven't done that for a few years.

Oh dear. I hope that wasn't me.

I don't but sometimes I wish I did.

This may seem weird, but I'm looking forward to the day I can quickly scan what I've written by hand and have some handwriting software transcribe it so I can search for something. Occasionally (very occasionally) I get a brilliant idea and rummage around trying to find what it was I actually wrote. Of course, I can't because it's buried under fields of blue.

I also go back to my emails to make sure I'm not repeating myself, but I can't do that with letters. One day...

Doug

HDoug,
that's what I started doing this week... I found out our department's new photocopy machines have a scanner function that will email you pdf's of whatever you scan. Black and white, however, but at least the content can be revisited...

...and I finally bought a scanner and now scan letters before sending them. Very easy once you set the "doofus buttons" the right way.

Doug

All my letters are drafted in a ring binder before I commit them to real stationery. They're all covered in corrections, scribbles and other signs of me changing my mind, but in general the content of every letter I write can be recovered from there.

i type my replies in a word document on my computer,save it to the hard drive to a file created for who i'm writing to,print off a copy then write it up by hand.Mistakes can be rectified and afterthoughts added quite easily before going to the print stage and i have an easily accesable copy of what i wrote last time.Now thinking of getting a memory stick to transfer them to just incase anything happens to the computer

I do this as well, except for the using the same color ink that I wrote my letter in. I don't mind if you repeat yourself, but I don't want to do it. I can spend 3+ hours writing a letter, but to make a scanned copy seems like too much trouble. Go figure. I'm much more amusing and verbose in letters than I am in my journal, so I sometimes wish I could keep actual copies. I keep so much stuff, though. My outgoing letters don't have to remain in my archives. About 15 years ago a friend and I used to type letters back and forth. I made carbon copies of mine and pasted them into my journal, in lieu of actual journal writing. I suppose I could do the same with an Esterbrook manifold nib, if I could round up some carbon paper.

Right now, my left pinkie has a splinter in it or something, so it's hard to type. I can write with my fountain pen with impunity, however. Think I'll go catch up on my (non-typed) correspondence.

Ringtop (Vida)

I scan mine before mailing.

I only copy mine if they are very long and/or if the topic is not covered in my personal journals already - then I keep it for the same reason I would have journaled it.

There are certain people - few and far between - whose letters I keep copies of because I want to have an accurate record of what I've said to them.

I normally draft letters on my computer before hand-writing and sending them. This allows me to edit the letters easily, save a copy for future reference, and make sure that my spellings are all correct.

I really don't do anything about copies, prewriting, etc. I like the spontaneity of letter writing.

I started scanning my letters, but gave-up, and I apologise to all/any of my correspondents if/when I have repeated myself

Like Imzadi, I write spontaneously and think that drafting & scanning removes some of the spontaneity.....also I am too flippin' lazy!

I also have problems on that score keeping records of all the names, addresses and who I have sent-to/received-from.... I seem to have lots to do now that I am retired

My letters tend to include a lot of scratchings out and revisions when I write them the first time. The natural result is that I have to copy out something clear and legible in order to send it. This has the fortunate consequence of leaving me with a copy of what I've sent.

Very convenient.

I recently put Microsoft Office OneNote on my computer. I set up a pen pal notebook with a section tab for each pen pal. Before I mail a letter off, I scan it into the section for the person I'm writing to. I used to photocopy letters before mailing them, but that meant I had to store these copies. Scanning is the way to go. Of course, I still keep all the letters I receive. I just can't stand to throw a letter out --- well, not yet. I guess I might have to eventually if I don't want to add a room on the house.

Judybug

Read and Write Gold is supposed to do exactkly that actually. You scan in the page and it deciphers the text and puts it into an editable document. It's supposed to work with handwriting too, though I have never seen it tested this way.

I also have a pen scanner - I have never tried it with handwriting but i will and will let you know how it copes. It's certainly great for short passages, i use it to scan references for academic literature.
edited to add:

at the moment I dont have an official strategy though I do find that I draft letters first because otherwise I end up writing 10 pages! Once everything is out of my head and onto paper I can then pick out that bits that are actually relevant to anything and copy those up to send. I guess if I'm going to have a system now would be a good time to start it.....*goes off to think*

I have file folders above my desk with names of the snailer and their address. I have dated some and refer back to some to realize I've forgotten info or check out inks that over passover for reading the letter. Scanning would save space....

When I write, anything goes...purely spontaneous including going off tangent, second thoughts in margins, drawings to show something, cross outs if I've misspelled anything. Often use all my inked pens in one letter...maybe 13..to change horse if the ink ride was too bumpy, slow, scratchy for my mood at that moment.

I try to be on my best behavior the first letter, then after that....

Wanda

There's a Windows software program out there called Evernote that can find text in scanned images or even from photographs! Works well, highly recommended. There's a free version out there too I believe.

That is what I do for the very few hand-written letters I've done. At the very least, I need the spell-checker!