I Am Doing Incowrimo Because...

[Misfit]

I saw a thread on not participating in InCoWriMo, but I am participating. I thought it fair to hear from our side.

 

I need reasons to use my pens, and letters are my primary way. I have pen pals. I am using the Travelers Notebook calendar insert Weekly and Memo.

 

I have succeeded at InCoWriMo in 2013 and 2019. I hope to succeed like I did last year. I wrote to pen pals, and people on an InCoWriMo list. I also wrote to some companies. When I wrote to Reeses, telling them about my love of their peanut butter cups, and a few of their other candy bars, I got a reply letter. It included coupons! I wrote to a museum in 2013 praising the experience but sorry the pressed penny machine did not work. They sent a reply that included pressed pennies.

 

I am not promising you get these replies, because others did not send any reply. But that is part of the adventure of letter writing. I will try to succeed at InCoWriMo this year, and be a full participant for 2 years in a row.

 

So, are you participating in InCoWriMo? Tell us why.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Misfit

[clazbill]

I'm trying to do InCoWrMo for the first time. A list exists of people to write, but it is not enough to fill the entire month. No doubt I'll send some letters to companies and possibly to my congress reps; actually, congress reps is probably a really good idea for a letter.

 

If anyone is looking for a letter or a person to send mail to - I'm open and looking!

[Misfit]

Some people write to a person who made a difference in their life, a teacher, family member.

Congress people is a great idea. I did that in 2013. My US Representative wrote back in long hand, a US Senator’s response was typed. Guess which one I kept? Ha!

 

You could write to an ink company whose ink you like, same for pen company, or online seller. If you have a restaurant you like, write to them and tell them why. I looked around the living room last year, saw my globe, and wrote to Replogle globes. They did not respond.

 

Two threads that could help you

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/2314-snail-mail-writing-list/

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/293480-the-next-poster-gets-a-letter-and-the-nextetc/

[asnailmailer]

I am doing incowrimo because it is nice to reach out to new people, make new connections.

[Sk8rcruz]

I am doing InCoWriMo for the first time this year. Goulet Pens blog had some great suggestions. My first letter was to my childhood home, whoever lives there now, to tell them what it was like growing up there before we moved in 1971. Tire forts, block parties, creeks that are no longer there. I hope they get a kick out of it. I left a general delivery return address though lol. I have several people on a list, but I try to notice things during my day that would merit a letter and then just go with it. Good luck to all and just have fun. I have a stash of stickers so some kids I write are gonna be pretty happy.

[Sk8rcruz]

I'm trying to do InCoWrMo for the first time. A list exists of people to write, but it is not enough to fill the entire month. No doubt I'll send some letters to companies and possibly to my congress reps; actually, congress reps is probably a really good idea for a letter.

 

If anyone is looking for a letter or a person to send mail to - I'm open and looking!

I’ll send you a message with my address. I’m on Instagram @sk8rcruz -give you some inspiration on topics. Yay!

[Misfit]

I’ve made a poor start of it, but I’ve had to catch up before. I still try to write the same length of letter to regular pen pals. At some point I can write 3 letters on one day.

[sharonspens]

I do InCoWriMo as a prompt to catch up with the letters that arrived in January (I never have time to respond in a timely fashion). I also drop a quick line to penpals I haven't heard from in a while, or to whom I haven't written in a while. Finally, it gives me the opportunity to clear the last tidbits of stationery (e.g., the last notecards in a box, or the random postcards I bought over the year). That way I'm ready for the rest of the year.

 

I was behind by four letters today. I've spent the last couple of hours getting caught up, and am now trying to get a little ahead. I do not write daily, but as I do it in batches I can generally stay on track.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Misfit]

Hi Sharon. I must use you as inspiration to get with it tomorrow, and write some letters.

I’ve been saving letters to answer in February. And it’s February 10 already since it is after midnight CST.

Maybe I should use lined paper so I don’t have to take the time to fix the line guide per side of Tomoe paper.

[clazbill]

Hi Sharon. I must use you as inspiration to get with it tomorrow, and write some letters.

I’ve been saving letters to answer in February. And it’s February 10 already since it is after midnight CST.

Maybe I should use lined paper so I don’t have to take the time to fix the line guide per side of Tomoe paper.

 

A few months back I visited an exhibit on letters written by authors. Some were professional letters and most were personal. After seeing some how crazy Hemingway drifted on the page, I've given myself a break. I still like using a line guide though.

[sharonspens]

Hi Sharon. I must use you as inspiration to get with it tomorrow, and write some letters.

I’ve been saving letters to answer in February. And it’s February 10 already since it is after midnight CST.

Maybe I should use lined paper so I don’t have to take the time to fix the line guide per side of Tomoe paper.

 

The more you write, the easier it is to justify a visit to The Pen Place. Just a random thought . . .

 

I write until I get sleepy and start leaving ink blobs on my paper!

[Misfit]

Ha ha! Pen club gets me right outside the pen store. I impulse purchased a Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen at the January meet up.

 

Right now I’m in the emailing process of getting the Edison pen I have been wanting for a long time. It will take willpower to keep from buying at the February meetup. Unless they have a Retro 51 Smithsonian Discovery pen, or the Crossword mechanical pencil.

[sharonspens]

Ha ha! Pen club gets me right outside the pen store. I impulse purchased a Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen at the January meet up.

 

Right now I’m in the emailing process of getting the Edison pen I have been wanting for a long time. It will take willpower to keep from buying at the February meetup. Unless they have a Retro 51 Smithsonian Discovery pen, or the Crossword mechanical pencil.

 

Oh, my gosh - pen club meeting outside a PEN STORE? That is deviously evil, my friend.

 

I'm glad to hear that store is still running. I haven't been there in 4-5 years, but recall it as a nice, compact store.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Misfit]

Oh, so youve visited Kansas City and the Pen Place? I know from a past post you have been to Anderson Pens in Chicago.

 

The Pen Place is small in the customer area especially.

 

Edited to add pen club members get 20% off. But that often puts the price at the same price of online sellers. Like a bottle of Noodlers matches online prices after the 20% off.

Edited February 12, 2020 by Misfit

[sharonspens]

Oh, so you’ve visited Kansas City and the Pen Place? I know from a past post you have been to Anderson Pens in Chicago.

 

The Pen Place is small in the customer area especially.

 

Oh, I've been to Pen Place at least twice. And actually, Anderson Pens in Chicago might be my most recent pen store visit!

 

I try to hit the B&M shops wherever I travel`, even I only buy some ink.

[sharonspens]

I received a PM post from someone named Lisa offering to exchange letters. However, the PM copied to my personal email account but strangely there is no record of it in my Messenger section here so I can't respond. Never had that happen before.

 

Lisa, please send another PM message with some contact info.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[sharonspens]

I received a PM post from someone named Lisa offering to exchange letters. However, the PM copied to my personal email account but strangely there is no record of it in my Messenger section here so I can't respond. Never had that happen before.

 

Lisa, please send another PM message with some contact info.

 

Sharon in Indiana

 

Although I still don't know HOW it happened that her message was lost/invisible on Message, the mysterious Lisa has surfaced! Woo hoo - now I can break out a new box of stationery. [Like I needed an excuse . . .]

[Misfit]

I’m caught up on InCoWriMo, and hope to be so to the finish which is a week away. Last year I rewarded myself with a Jinhao x750 Shimmering Sands pen. This year, I’m going to ink up another pen. Shouldn’t because I have too many inked. But there is a Polar white Nemosine I have not used, a new bottle of Rohrer and Klingner Cassia ink, and paired together a fitting reward for InCoWriMo 2020.

[Sk8rcruz]

I had an unfortunate incident of 5 outgoing InCoWriMo letters stolen from my mailbox. I wouldn’t have even known but I went out to check, the flag was still up, and letters gone. I spoke to the postal carrier when he came and hour later and assured me the letters had not been picked up by USPS. I wrote an online police report (my neighbor lost a piece of mail, too) and included pictures I’d taken of the decorated envelops so i includes photos. So far I’ve rewritten 3 of the letters. Now I’m waiting until my once a week outing to drop them off or handing them directly to the mail carrier when I can catch him. Anyway, in spite of the setback I’m enjoying the process very much-I have a 5 year old niece who I rarely see. She was so excited about getting a letter that she FaceTimed me and we spent an hour singing songs and getting to know each other. BTW clazbill I receive your letter and thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Response will be soon. I hope everyone is getting something rewarding from the event!

[Misfit]

How awful to have your mail stolen. That is a federal crime. But good on you for writing the letters again.

 

I have one more fairly new pen pal to write to. My problem was not mailing letters each day. I took 5 or 6 at once, so have yet to receive a letter. I did get one from a regular pen pal.

 

I wrote to TWSBI LA office, and received an email about it.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Misfit