Friday, 17 January 2020

Never use "I" in the first sentence - further thoughts on letters

I was surfing the web last night, looking to see if I could find some more letter / penpal blogs. A shame many do not get updated that often these days, with the world in general on short attentions spans swiping down / across picture posts instead.

 The posts I have read about first letters can be separated into two camps:
  • The CV-style letter applying for the position of your penpal - the "I am ..." and "I have..." and a thousand more "I" - and more or less the same first letter sent to everybody.
  • The personal touch where "I" is not used in the first sentence of the missive, and the universe does not revolve around the writer of the letter. Each first letter written is different.
I know which I'd prefer, but there can be great first letters via either style.

 February is a month of letters, international correspondence writing month, a handwritten letter every day. Many participants only see the letter as a one-off, so receiving a CV-style letter may well be a disappointment. The personal touch may persuade the recipient to continue with letter writing throughout the year, whether with that sender or with others.
Posted by at
Labels: ,

6 comments:

  1. Mail Adventures17 January 2020 at 12:03

    You are very welcome to visit my Mail Adventures blog. I am afraid there is not a lot about first letters there... But at least it is frequently updated!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M17 January 2020 at 12:17

      I do see the lovely stamps, postcards and envelopes you have up on there. I love that snail traffic light card!

      Delete
  2. jenclair17 January 2020 at 13:50

    I did try InCoWriMo once, but the every day part was too much. Still, the attempt is inspirational as long as I don't kick myself for failing. I join in (without registering) with more letters/postcards in February and National Card and Letter Writing Month in April, but since letters are a joy for me, I write them every month. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M17 January 2020 at 20:36

      LetterMo is every postal day! I don't fret about a letter every day, but I do manage to write each day. It doesn't matter if you do not finish a letter in a day. Postcrossing is great to fill in the gaps you don't feel like writing letters.

      Delete
  3. Nikki - Notes of Life19 January 2020 at 17:18

    I'm in two minds as to whether to do InCoWriMo this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M19 January 2020 at 20:26

      The alternate site is not yet up (my thoughts are with the person who's running the alternate site). The official may well be updated. LetterMo has been but the way their forums are arranged...

      You do snail mail year round, many who come to Incowrimo/LetterMo just do it for February. So, up to you whether you "officially" take part or not, it is supposed to be enjoyable. I'd like to see another month project but less "stressful" than every day.

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)