Incowrimo 2019

[cattar]

Like aworldofsnailmail said, clear tape, a rub of wax. Also art spray fixative.
Dilute Noodlers inks 10% or more with water, and they're less smeary and dry quicker.

 

Think of a letter as the start of a conversation, and keep it to a single page since you aren't yet exchanging letters regularly.

Write a sentence a two about why you're writing.
ie. Why are you doing incowrimo? Why did you choose that person - it's someone you know and wanted to write, or it's someone from a list and you chose based on the name, the street, the city, the country, random toss of the dice.

Maybe write about your pen and nib and ink.
But keep it to a sentence or two unless you know the person is into pens/nibs/inks.

If writing to someone known,
you'll know topics of mutual interest. Keep to that.

If writing someone you don't know,
ask a question that you'd ask at a party or event where you'd just met someone. Nothing too personal.
Then answer that same question about yourself.
ie. What kinds of things do you like to cook and are good at cooking? What do you enjoy doing in winter/summer (whichever season it is where the recipient lives)? What's your secret talent? (Google dinner party questions or conversation starters for ideas.)

 

Then close.

[asnailmailer]

Cattar has good points.

 

On some penpal groups on Facebook, many people send the same first letter intro to everyone regardless of who they are. I don't like these form letters. They seem so artificial in starting a conversation.

 

Some of the very best incowrimo letters I've received have told little stories, some funny. The words genuine, caring, meaningful, interesting. If correspondence continues, you introduce yourself in subsequent letters. You find out about someone over the course of time. I have been meeting a friend from an old course we took as adults, once a month since - 10 years later, we still don't know everything about each other.

[Rhincodon]

https://incowrimo.org/2019/01/incowrimo-address-exchange-2019/

 

The address exchange is on! I'm addressing my envelopes, and I just ordered way too many envelopes from Paper Source. Gotta fill up my pens and make sure they're ready.

[asnailmailer]

I won't be signing up on the "official" site - I dislike the way Disqus comments work. Even Facebook group comments are easier to navigate.

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

I think a whole month of writing letters will be a bit much for me this year. I might choose 10 names off the list and send them a letter just for fun. I would love to have some more pen pals but I have a lot going on this month and I know the fastest way for me to lose interest in something is to get overwhelmed by it.

[asnailmailer]

I think a whole month of writing letters will be a bit much for me this year. I might choose 10 names off the list and send them a letter just for fun. I would love to have some more pen pals but I have a lot going on this month and I know the fastest way for me to lose interest in something is to get overwhelmed by it.

 

The most important thing about the projects/challenges is to have fun, to enjoy it.

 

I'll let you off if you think about letters every day!

[5thhistorian]

Kind of odd that there are two Incowrimo sites. I posted my address on both, and will write to a few addresses from either. It'll be a good excuse to use the pens and inks I have. I try to avoid the long winded letter of introduction and focus on one or two things about myself. Otherwise I feel like I'm rewriting the same letter every time I address a new correspondent. This year I'm also hoping to try a meetup with other local fountain pen people for letter-writing. If anyone needs a penpal for Incowrimo drop me a PM!

[fionafish]

I think a whole month of writing letters will be a bit much for me this year. I might choose 10 names off the list and send them a letter just for fun. I would love to have some more pen pals but I have a lot going on this month and I know the fastest way for me to lose interest in something is to get overwhelmed by it.

 

That is wise, incowrimo can be a huge even though very fun challenge, and I often do not feel like I have anything like the time to do it. This year I am giving it a go, and I'm sure there will be bumps as well as pleasures along the way. Another thing to consider is that your letters do not have to be long. Yesterday I had a letter that was the inside of a note card filled and I was delighted with it. Other times, I have had correspondences with huge numbers of pages, and that has been much less sustainable.

 

Regards,

 

Fiona

[KARD]

I plan to join Incowrimo year, but I'm going to try something different. I want to try to write letters to people in need of encouragement and support. I was able to find two organizations and thought I would share their information for those who might also be interested. Or perhaps you know of another organization I might be interested?

 

More Love Letters:

http://www.moreloveletters.com/the-letter-requests

 

From Me to You:

https://www.frommetoyouletters.co.uk/copy-of-donate

[MG66]

3 sent and 1 already received!

 

C

[CMaurer]

Thanks! I hadn't heard of this before! I'll definitely be checking it out!!

[LizEF]

For those looking for people to write for InCoWriMo, someone over on reddit posted a link to this:

 

https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Family-asks-for-cards-to-make-WWII-Vets-birthday-special-505190191.html

 

I'm sure this guy would appreciate some letters, even from strangers.

[sharonspens]

I just finished two postcards and two short letters. This now puts me ahead by two postings (or it will when I mail them tomorrow morning). I have four letters awaiting responses, and I have plenty of postcards I can send if I don't have time for full letters. During a trip last month I picked up 120 postcards, so I am definitely ready to go.

 

Sharon In Indiana

 

Edited to note that I added two international postcards, for a total of six items done last night.

Edited February 14, 2019 by sharonspens

[Misfit]

I have found all my pen pals right here, and some have happily lasted long past February. But when I run out of pen pals, I did find addresses at the InCoWriMo site. I picked pen people to write to. I’m about to run out of people to write to.

 

So as the first year I participated, I think i’ll write to places I have visited and let them know how much I enjoyed it. I only got one response that way, but I wrote a letter. I also might write to my Congressional representatives. Truth be told, I got a personal, handwritten response from my Congressman!

[Misfit]

For those looking for people to write for InCoWriMo, someone over on reddit posted a link to this:

 

https://www.wibw.com/content/news/Family-asks-for-cards-to-make-WWII-Vets-birthday-special-505190191.html

 

I'm sure this guy would appreciate some letters, even from strangers.

Thanks for the link Liz. I think I might send him something.

[Noihvo]

[Rhincodon]

If you don't want to write to a person, The Letter Writers Alliance blog had this interesting post (https://16sparrows.typepad.com/letterwritersalliance/2019/02/the-library-of-letters.html) about a Library of Letters. I guess the idea is you send it to a collective where people can read and maybe reply if they like you? Like Sketchbook Project but for letters. Anyway, another address to add if you need more.

[Misfit]

I did it! I wrote a letter to the 92-year-old man who loves to get letters. This comes from the link LizEF shared.

 

I hope others write to him too. I think it will brighten the WWII vets days.

Edited February 20, 2019 by Misfit

[Noihvo]

[Misfit]

Hip hip hurray! InCoWriMo is over, and I did it! Twenty eight letters written, and I felt satisfaction when the last one was finished. I hope this makes me a better letter writer the rest of the year.

 

I purchased a Jinhao Shimmering Sands on eBay as a reward for a successful InCoWriMo (positive reinforcement).