February is the shortest month

 As we approach February., I look for new people to write to, hoping for more than a one-off correspondence, though whether they'll become good penpals is another thing. I know I cannot write to every one (even with money for postage, and time unlimited). InCoWriMo, International Correspondence Writing Month should be about friendship, connection, making the world a better place. I was disappointed to hear on a podcast that it isn't about any of those things. Instead, write a letter to your representatives (politicians, councillors), and to other public bodies and services. LetterMo is similar, having had the call to write to representatives before, but also prisoner penpals allowing an account to seek addresses for someone in prison (for not an easy to forgive crime). No wonder it has an 18+ policy. I don't recall if this was so back in 2012 when I joined. The change over to the new site lost a lot of information, connections and comments, and they've also lost me. 

The new InCoWriMo address exchange page was eventually created, but, Disqus has been marking genuine posts as spam. The frustration has turned somewhat nasty. Ahead of the frustration, I knew would be coming (posts marked as spam last year), I started a new forum for address exchange behind a login and approval process. Getting interest in it was hard work, and I've stepped back from promoting it (in the past, I've been thanked for helpful contributions and more). It seems many prefer the in the moment instant gratification of social media, with or without addressing privacy. I take privacy very seriously, and was utterly mortified when I accidentally shared an image with someone else's address (deleted as  soon  as I found out, and have apologised to them for it). I am human. I know my forums are not perfect, and I accept I am not perfect. 

Instagram has become dysfunctional. I searched the #InCoWriMo hashtag - the results terribly disappointing, repetitive, same posts a couple of rows down, and very little recent or even relevant for a hashtag with over 21K of posts to choose from, but would I ever be able to see even 100 of them?

I have been deleting Instagram posts, and don't have many shown at the moment (says 24, but I don't see that many). I did venture over to Threads, and while more wordy, and can see recent post results for a search, the algorithm shows me stuff I do not want to see. I've decided I can't deal with it, all the forced on you click-bait, dis/misinformation supposed hacks/advice. Browsing it was also glitchy, especially if you comment on a comment, it loses your place; stealing the bookmark from the novel you are reading. So, my account there is scheduled for deletion at the end of Feb. The comments and posts I made, although attracting some likes, didn't really mean much. Did my input interrupt you and to fob me off, you click like to say, "That's nice!" but it doesn't mean anything. 

I'm reminded that it is quality not quantity that matters. The great connections made through my main forum mean the world to me. So, while I don't have enough new people on the forums to write to for Incowrimo, Let's Write Letters Month does not have a minimum letter quota.

I know some members have not logged in for a while. That's fine. Some people want to have screen-free evenings away from work. I know mobiles are not the best devices to read forums/messageboards - the interface doesn't like you seeing the full picture. If I browse forums on my phone, I use the desktop version, and I think it is much easier to navigate. Yes, a phone may be handy, but you do lose something with the convenience. Typing on a phone isn't great either! 

February is Let's Write Letters Month

It is a shame a February letter writing project I loved, and have actively supported has become more or less unusable. The main issue is the use of automatic something-or-other, marking posts as spam and therefore not visible. Another project also has an automatic something-or-other so can't even make a new comment with updated information. It is a pity, as both projects are about human connection, with the chance to build friendships. Some of the friendships I have through these sites have lasted over 10 years. I do accept/understand that life/events can get in the way of things, such as for the alternative incowrimo site - I too had lost my enthusiasm for a while.... 

This I think went off to a penfriend found at a February letter writing project

Does this look like spam to you?

So, I've come to the conclusion to do something myself. Whether it will work or not... A work in progress. Anyway. Let's Write Letters Month hopefully promotes what it says on the tin... to write letters... No target number of letters, no need to write every (postal) day... As I write this, inco hasn't put up a new public address exchange page. So, Let's Write Letters Month is on a forum. Although still relatively public, it is behind a login, and also behind a manual approval process - https://febletters.boards.net/. Though at this rate, people would much prefer unsocial media, or a site that allows someone in to collect addresses for someone in prison for pictures/abuse. Can't compete with that.

Edit, 15th January - the inco site has been updated, but... still the same problem remains with many posts being marked as spam. Across a few sites, I'm aware of at least 5 people have had their posts marked as spam, on the new address page.

It is almost February...

Just a week and a bit away until the start of February. I should be excited, but this year, I am not. I have participated in the February letter writing projects since 2012 but this is the second year I am not ecstatic about both A Month of Letters and International Correspondence Writing Month. Both want you to send nice mail every (postal) day. However, for some, it is just a check box exercise, rather than seeking meaningful connection and penfriendship. 

Also, the decision to allow an account on LetterMo to seek addresses for a prisoner have worried some people, even declining friendship request is met by another request with no ability to say F OFF. It is one of the reasons I deleted my account. And while prison penpals can be a good thing, it should be for the "free" person to seek postal contact with an inmate via a prison penpal website. 

Then, this year, a post appeared on the InCoWriMo address exchange page for 2025, from this same person requesting penpals for the inmate. It has since been deleted as has the LetterMo account (edit - 6th Feb 2025 - there appears to be a new account for him). The person claims not to be grabbing addresses for the prisoner, but I'd take that with a pinch of salt. 

The account I set up for myself on disqus is having comments marked as spam. Even my upvoting is invisible. (edit - 6th Feb 2025 - I can comment again).

It is such a shame... the idea for the projects is good, but... 

March thoughts

InCoWriMo and LetterMo are over for another year, and March is a month of replies. However, with the announcement at the start of the month from Royal Mail raising postage rates in April, I have found my enthusiasm for all things postal has diminished (including for the snail mail forum I run). I knew the postage rate increase was coming, but didn’t think it would be an extra 10p domestically, an extra 20p international economy (can't use for letters to Europe), and 30p extra for international standard: huge increases. I know it isn’t much in the great scheme of things, and can afford it financially, but even so… How much money do you spend a month on hobbies?  Some people like to fishing, hillwalking - may have a largish outlay at the start; good quality board games can cost quite a bit (£50 or more, e.g. Power Grid, Agricola, Talisman, and then there’s the expansions); a weekly or even daily cup of fancy coffee from a large coffee shop chain costs (£3+)…. so snail mail doesn’t seem that expensive, and if it comes to it, can buy postage only when it is needed, and no need for expensive stationery (£30 letter writing set with 10 sheets of A5 + 10 C6 envelopes one stationer's sells is taking the biscuit).

It is heart-breaking what Royal Mail are doing to a long-time appreciated institution with its micromanagement of the posties, tracking them, complaining when they are idle (perhaps on the mandated breaks). The regular posties were almost social workers during the pandemic on rural routes may have been the only face some folks would have seen. La Poste even offered a service to check in on people, albeit for a fee. A regular postie is very much part of the community. A while back, had someone’s pet rabbit escape into my garden, and the postie knew whose bunny it was. Perhaps I feel betrayed by Royal Mail, yet I am reliant on them for this hobby - no choice is available; I will not do email. 

I haven’t kept up the pace of daily letter writing I managed in February. I will respond to all the surprise letters I received through the February projects, and will probably have replied to all the letters received in February before the postage rate rise immediately after the Easter bank holiday.

As for the forum, it is still quiet. This July will have been running for 9 years, but it hasn't turned out how I imagined: I wanted a forum full of discussions on all-sorts of snail mail issues, plus it is something off Facebook (can't read my "feed" most days without some sort of scam/fake but paid-for accounts posting things) and Instagram (the one-upmanship, look how fancy "this" is, and the disregard for other people's privacy by not-covering/obscuring the other person's address). I want the forum to remain free (money complicates things), and available to "all" (in quotation marks, because there are those who post forum spam, and those accounts get deleted). I know it is somewhat ironic to have all this online, for an offline hobby.

Just over halfway

Half way into February and it feels like any other month. It shouldn’t as February is A Month of Letters & International Correspondence Writing Month. I have been doing both since year dot, yet this is the first time I am not shouting from the rooftops about these projects. Maybe I am burned out from having very little acknowledgement to all the surprise letters I have sent out through the February projects. Maybe also I am at my limit for the number of penpals I feel I can handle. I know Incowrimo and LetterMo aren’t necessarily about finding long-term correspondence, and there is joy to receiving great one-off missives however most of those seem to go unthanked. However, this year, there seems to be more people looking for penpal, but I’m not one of them, which makes a change as I’ve previously always hoped to find penfriends through these February projects.  I have written a few surprises though.

With the revamp of the LetterMo site, I’m having to remember who my friends are! I have stressed I’m not seeking new long-term penpals (but perhaps there can be exceptions), however have accepted a few perhaps one-off requests. Indeed have received a couple of letters I am very much looking forward tor replying. One of the letters received is a reconnect after a break of so many years, connection started way back during my first LetterMo of 2012! One reconnection this year through Incowrimo after a few years is due to illness/stuff.

So, I shall be heading up to my archives to look for the letters from these 2 "old" correspondents and putting those letters into my active letter storage.

I had been thinking about culling some of the early one-letter wonders; those received over 10 years ago, but haven’t led to anything. I know correspondence can peter out even after a few letters but there was something in them that kept it going a little while. I am not one to always follow up after months of expecting a reply to come. I know life/events get in the way and maybe a follow-up missive can put pressure on them/make them feel guilty about “being a bad penpal.”

It can feel somewhat odd: to connect not only via letters, but also to follow on social media, online groups/messageboards, and online live events possibly via Zoom! I keep missing (forgetting/not realising) the online letter socials. I do quite like seeing penpals’ posts on social media/messageboards, even if it is just to say that they are still kicking, or say something that would explain why they might be slower than usual in replying to letters.

It is nearly February, and yet...

I am not as enthusiastic as I usually am at this time of year for the February letter writing "madness" - the letter writing projects A Month of Letters (LetterMo), and International Correspondence Writing Month (InCoWriMo). Maybe as I've been taking part in these from 2012, and am, I dunno, a little disappointed that out of so many of the 300+ people I've written to through these February projects, just shy of 50 have led to longer more meaningful correspondence (although some of those have faded away - one through moving, another through a not-great-postal service...), with over half of that 300+ having not responded at all.

Perhaps I should stop putting my heart & soul into these surprise letter. Should I do the equivalent of the bare minimum seen over at Postcrossing where the sender has, other than the address & postcard ID, only written, "Happy Postcrossing" and write nothing else? NO - because I wouldn't be "happy" to receive that outside of Postcrossing. Send the sort of thing you are happy to receive! It doesn't have to be much... e.g.

Seeing as you wrote that you like cats, I saw this cat card and thought you might like it. I hope you are well. Take care...

Even something as brief as that says something. 

And then there are those who write their entire biography/family history, with names of pets, siblings, parents, aunts/uncles, children, work history: all about them, perhaps even all printed out with very little to hook you into replying, or with generic questions you've already given answers to in an incowrimo disqus comment they'd have seen to get your address. I know, I'll send some of my favourite meat recipes to everyone I choose to write to, even if they've stated in their address/profile post that they are vegan!! 

So, I have not put my address up this time. However, it is up on LetterMo (restricted access), but I'm having to decline a few requests. I'm not sure if everyone actually reads the profiles of those requesting friendship (access for the postal address) as I've noticed one profile seeking addresses for someone incarcerated (written backwards and in background colour so to read, you need to highlight, for the crimes of: yhpargonrop dlihc, esuba xes dlihc according to a prisoner penpal site he has a profile on) has over 60 "friends" on the LM site.

A couple of little rants....

I have been using the festive period to sort through old but not-continuing correspondence from over the last 16 years. One InCoWriMo, I received an introductory/generic letter, but it was from someone I had previously received an introductory/generic letter 3 years prior - am I that forgettable? As I was going through the letters, I realised I was also forgetful of some of the names I'd sent letters to, but also many I do remember. There was Katy in Israel in 2015 I had written to: one letter I wrote was being composed in a McDonald's and I had put sugar on my fries, instead of salt - at least edible; I doubt salt in a cuppa tea would be delicious! 

Many of the failed correspondences have come via the February letter writing projects. The idea is to write a letter every (postal) day that month. One of the projects says also to reply each letter/postcard you receive through the project. And that is where it falls down. So many letters - they can't have all gotten lost to/from me? There is a forum associated with that project and Disqus comments for one of the other February letter writing projects, so if you really don't want to write back, letter acknowledgement is possible. 

I do know I can't get on well with everyone, and penfriendship would not work with some people. Maybe there's also a time/moment issue -  you'll probably have a day here/there where you don't want to speak to a particular friend, but would be willing to catch up another time. 

Another little rant is postage... It ain't cheap, I get that. But I am less likely to respond / acknowledge a letter if it has insufficient postage from overseas. I don't know all the postal rates from overseas, but do know that ONE domestic FOREVER stamp from the US is not sufficient postage to pay for a letter INTERNATIONALLY. Do you really expect me to think that it costs the same to send something regardless of whether domestically (within your country) or internationally? 

Domestic forever valued postage stamp, of a volleyball

OK, perhaps one or two people new to snail mail or Postcrossing might not know any better, but there was one letter I received I  haven't acknowledged (not even in my correspondence diary, incoming mail list) with a postage label (presumably bought from a machine in the post office) for one cent (0.01 euro). Definitely am not surprised the sender decided not to use a return address on the envelope nor even in the letter itself (email address was provided). 

Deutsche Post postage label, for 1 euro cent

That is definitely wrong, and not a genuine mistake. Postage rate then I think was 1 Euro and 10 cents, DEFINITELY NOT ONE CENT ONLY, not mixed up in a postal rate change (as was the case this month, I received something with stamps adding up to 68p, which was the second class rate at the start of the year but now is 75p). Surprised Deutsche Post let this one through and postmarked it.

Mid-incowrimo musings.

 We are just over half way through the month and I've received over a dozen surprises, but have only surprised about half-a-dozen so far. It can be hard to pick people to write to. Sometimes in past years, I have picked people by their address - perhaps part of it sounds a little amusing, or raises questions - is the view from North Scenic Highway picturesque? I hope life in Bland isn't bland or dull. 

But then, what to write? LetterMo and Incowrimo do not have long term correspondence as their main aim, though these letters can yield long lasting penfriendship. So, if the aim more one-off/occasional correspondence, why send introduction / CV-style letters that just focus on the writer? You are not applying for a job / business arrangement, but could be looking for penfriendship. 

The artist and author Susan Branch said that she remembers being told to never use the word I in the first sentence. Occasionally, I have forgotten that and started with, "I'm writing to you from [not my usual writing place]," instead of a, "Thank you for your letter," if I'm writing a reply, or, "Hello, how are you?" Sounds easy to put the other person first. 

So, what now? On the Incowrimo site, I posted 5 not-all-that-serious questions (one about clocks, one about ducks) and I've already received some answers with stories to them that warm the heart. Little snippets and insights to life, funny tales. So please, just jump write right in and write, perhaps use the kind of prompts in guided journals to convey who you are. No letter should be the same in LetterMo / Incowrimo but perhaps should elicit joy, laughter, mindfulness. You want to brighten the recipient's day. 

February Letters - 2023 Edition

Want to take part in Incowrimo but can't manage a whole letter-a-day to send? Maybe you could compromise and do this challenge instead. It doesn't matter if you can't do it every day. The main thing is to enjoy writing letters/postcards.

28 challenges for this month, one for each day. When writing a letter, please answer the question or use the writing prompt or do the task for that day, or just pick one you fancy doing (or at random).

• 1st: What was the last fiction book you read?
• 2nd: Doodle the weather
• 3rd: What was the last game/sport you played?
• 4th: What book(s) are you currently reading?
• 5th: What was the last film/play you saw in the cinema/theatre?
• 6th: What is your favourite hot beverage?
• 7th: Do you have any houseplants?
• 8th: Do you collect anything?
• 9th: What has made you smile recently?
• 10th: What was the strangest/oddest thing to happen to you in 2022?
• 11th: Write a sentence with your non-dominant hand
• 12th: Writing prompt: local geography
• 13th: What languages have you learned (including ones you've learned in school)?
• 14th: What sort of picture(s) do you have hanging on your walls?
• 15th: What was the last decision you made with a coin toss (or via random number generator)?
• 16th: Share an interesting quote.
• 17th: What outdoor activities do you enjoy?
• 18th: Do you do any arts and crafts?
• 19th: What was the last museum you visited?
• 20th: Write a sentence backwards
• 21st: What sport(s) do you like to watch?
• 22nd: Do you belong to any clubs/societies for your hobbies?
• 23rd: Where did you go for family holidays when you were young?
• 24th: What are the closest orange, red, and yellow items to you?
• 25th: When was the last time you got wet in the rain and where were you going?
• 26th: What was the last music album on vinyl/cd/cassette you bought?
• 27th: Have you played bar billiards, pool, billiards, snooker or darts?
• 28th: Do you send postcards while you're on vacation or from somewhere on a day out?

Royal Mail hit by ransomware - international outgoing affected

 It has been a week since Royal Mail reported a cyber incident affecting their International Export Services. For me, I thought this would only mean parcels, as due to Brexit, all parcels heading out of the UK would need a CN22 or CN23 customs declaration form affixed, and postcards & letters don't require customs declarations. So, I posted a letter to a penpal in the US on 12th January bearing a new postage stamp celebrating Iron Maiden - sorry R.C., it'll be a while before my letter should arrive. International outgoing mail problems started on the 10th (and public notified on the 11th). So, everything is affected - no outgoing letters, postcards (bah humbug for UK-based Postcrossers), parcels... for the time being. The cause wasn't reported in their service updates, but elsewhere, it was announced as ransomware. It doesn't look like a ransom has been paid, but I wouldn't expect them to confirm if they've paid one if they decide to pay. 

Royal Mail's parcel competitors must be laughing and rubbing their hands with glee at all the extra business that could come their way.. So much is exported from the UK and quite a bit of that in small packages was sent via Royal Mail. Royal Mail's parent group rebranded themselves last year as International Distributions Services. How's that working out?!  L.O.L. !!! 

Royal Mail have no competition on the ordinary letter / postcard delivery front. They are required by law for 6 days delivery a week, and cover all UK addresses (I suppose weather/tide exceptions happen in the highlands, and islands). My hobby relies solely on Royal Mail being able to do their job. Without a postal service, this snail mail hobby of mine cannot survive. The only other choice is to quit snail mail and correspond directly with people only through electronic means - that is not a prospect I would relish: I love the texture and feel of paper; the flow of ink writing words across the page; the stickers & washi tape I use to decorate the missives; the postage stamps I use for postage and see on replies; the offline-ness of the hobby; a few moments of calm while I write.....

When that Icelandic volcano erupted a few years back bringing to a halt practically all air traffic in the northern part of the globe, Royal Mail sought other means to get post overseas. There's ferries from quite a few locations on the UK coast, and then there's the Channel Tunnel. Mail to continental Europe didn't seem to be delayed much. They made the effort to get capacity for shipping across the Atlantic. This time, with the cyber incident, they don't seem to be a in a particular hurry to sort it out (from what I can see).

I do hope post will be moving again abroad before February starts, when there are the letter postal projects of INternational COrrespondence WRIting MOnth (InCoWriMo), and A Month of Letters (LetterMo). I'm signed up and all on the latter, but am undecided about InCoWriMo as I write this. 

Mail is still making its way to the UK. This week, I've had letters from Canada, and from MN/USA. 

[edit 18th January 2023 - letters and postcards, those that don't need customs declarations, can be sent abroad, from 7pm today]

So, how was my Month of Letters / International Correspondence Writing Month?

February came to a close on Monday, and I posted over 40 letters in that month. It was a quieter month than in previous years, when I've surprised almost one new person every day for the month. This time, I've been concentrating on replying to letters because I have been behind on answering missives over the last 9 months or so (family member became progressively unwell, and passed away late 2021). However, I did manage to surprise a few new people, half a dozen across the writing projects. I have my address on a couple of the sites, not publicly, and so far, have received post from 14 new people. Post, especially from overseas, can be a bit slow getting here. 

The incoming have been a mix of postcards, wonderful letters, as well as some not as great letters. But that is OK, not everything can be outstanding otherwise there'd be a contradiction and wouldn't stand out. I will start replying to those letters & postcards next week. 

The alternate inco site with the year in the url  is no longer available. Sometimes good things have to come to an end. I do miss some of the blog posts and comments on there though. 

February Letters - 2022 edition

Want to take part in Incowrimo but can't manage a whole letter-a-day to send? Maybe you could compromise and do this challenge instead. It doesn't matter if you can't do it every day. The main thing is to enjoy writing letters/postcards.

28 challenges for this month, one for each day. When writing a letter, please answer the question or use the writing prompt or do the task for that day, or just pick one you fancy doing (or at random).

• 1st: Write a sentence with your non-dominant hand
• 2nd: What flower(s) have you noticed blooming outside recently?
• 3rd: Writing prompt: books
• 4th: What is the weather like?
• 5th: Will you be watching/following the Winter Olympics?
• 6th: Have you learned/tried to learn any musical instruments?
• 7th: When did you send your first ever email?
• 8th: What are the best 3 things about where you live?
• 9th: What are your three favourite films/tv series?
• 10th: If you could write a book about anyone, who would you write about and what would its title be?
• 11th: Write a sentence backwards
• 12th: Doodle some eyes
• 13th: What was the last book you started to read but decided not to finish?
• 14th: Have you written Valentine's cards to pets (or even received one from a pet)?
• 15th: What was the last board game you played?
• 16th: What is a favourite quote from fiction?
• 17th: What has made you smile recently?
• 18th: What outdoor activities do you like doing?
• 19th: What is your favourite season
• 20th: Would you join clubs/societies for your hobbies?
• 21st: Have you ever written letters to your future self?
• 22nd: Do you volunteer or raise money for good causes?
• 23rd: What can you hear/see around you while you write today's letter/postcard?
• 24th: What museums/attractions in your area would you want to visit?
• 25th: What was the strangest/oddest thing you did in 2021?
• 26th: Do you like doing crosswords/sudoku or other puzzles?
• 27th: Writing prompt: music
• 28th: Do you keep a diary or journal or scrapbook?

Another February is almost upon us.

As another February looms, it heralds in a couple of letter writing projects I've talked about before: A Month of Letters, and International Correspondence Writing Month. These projects draw in people new to letter writing, as well as seasoned correspondents. So, how should someone new go about writing the first letters for either of these projects?

One size does not fit all, and you must find your own way. Finding what works for you can take trial and error. What do you want from these projects? If you aren't looking for long term correspondents and you don't want to take up a position of their penpal, perhaps do not write a CV-style letter all about yourself/your family/your pets: you don't speak all this when you have an ephemeral conversation at a bus stop, on a train, or in the queue at a supermarket checkout. 

Handcraft (or type) your letters uniquely. OK, you will need perhaps to tell the person you are writing to your name, and if you want a response, your postal (or email) address. Anything else is fluid. A letter is a gift of time and energy, but if you send the same letter to everyone it may not reveal enthusiasm, sincerity and passion a good letter has.

I find this sort of letter below is just so boring:

Hello! My name is Jennifer. I live in Newport. I have a partner called Rhys and four children - their names are Cai (10), Eirian (7), Bethan (5) and Owain (2). We have three cats, one is a tabby called Simon,  the ginger tom is called Goofy,  and the black cat is Jetson. I like ice-skating, hill walking, darts and quilting. We go on holiday every year to Weston-Super-Mare and visit my grandmother, Jean. I am a 43 and my partner is 45. We met on New Year's Eve 12 years ago in the pub. He likes doing DIY, wood turning and supports Cardiff City. I go to bingo with my neighbour once a month. Write back soon xxx.

I'm afraid that sort of missive doesn't inspire me to reply. It doesn't engage with the recipient. I've received a few of that type of letter, and well, finding it almost impossible to write a reply on occasion (but I have managed to thank them electronically when I haven't been able to respond via letter).

Sometimes I do look up the town/city on a map - to see its rough location. I am hopeless at US geography, so even knowing if some town is near the sea, inland, north/south/east/west may help me write a letter. 

Now, what if Jennifer in Newport was writing to someone in Toledo, OR/USA who has mentioned hiking in their request for correspondence:

Hi there Kathy,

My name is Jennifer and I live in Newport, not the Newport in Oregon not too far from you but one in Wales, UK. My partner is a Welshman called Rhys, but I come from Bath in England originally. We have four children and have given them Welsh names - Cai (10), Eirian (7), Bethan (5) and Owain. The home is ruled by three felines. One of my hobbies is hill walking and I like to go walking in the Brecon Beacons at least once a month. I see from an online map that you've got some interesting scenery nearby. Where do you like to go walking/hiking? Another hobby is quilting. Rhys likes DIY and furniture making. He surprised me last birthday with a handmade sewing table. He is a big football (soccer) fan but likes most sports too. He even stayed up to watch the Super Bowl. I don't want to overwhelm you in first letter, so I will end here. I hope this finds you well. Write back when you can. xxx

A few more words (add better layout on paper with paragraphs/spacing) but not revealing as many hobbies/information, maybe not much more time/effort but there is something to draw you in. A question. A friendliness. Which letter would Kathy prefer? 

Penpal letters should be ongoing conversations. Questions should be asked but not too many - you do not want it to be an interrogation or inquisition.

You could enclose extras, such as a postcard of your area, a map/leaflet for your area, even a photograph (not necessarily of yourself/family), a bookmark... 

Postal services at the moment aren't all running a full speed operation. Post can be slow. Patience is needed for this hobby. Check your postal authority's service news page for updates. 

Musings on InCoWriMo & LetterMo

 I joined LetterMo in 2012, and looked at InCoWriMo the following year. Over these Februarys, I have written so many letters as part of these projects, and most were not replied to. A rough count, maybe 150 surprise letters sent in February over the years. Can I remember the names of everyone I wrote to? NO, not everyone but some yes. There was a Dr. Cindy in 2015 (I don't know her surname, but she's a Canadian who was working in the NHS in the UK - I do hope she's OK, she moved around a bit...), a couple of people in Israel, one in Malta, .... memorable perhaps because of their location, and others memorable because of their name - I wrote to one person who had the same name as someone I know in my vicinity.

Many who participate in the February projects return year after year, or again later. Their names are familiar, from these projects or other postal ones. A small internet, someone elsewhere commented. Perhaps we'd crossed postal paths before, but had forgotten. So, I went through my correspondence diaries (logging in/out post). One letter I received this year was from someone I had a correspondence with in 2012 (and she did remind me of that), another letter was a reply to an InCoWriMo-reply of 2018. This year, I had what appeared to be a surprise letter, but the name was familiar, it was on my list of people I'd surprised in 2018 and had received a nice letter that month too. Had this person forgotten about our brief correspondence 3 years ago? I had! I will, of course, reply and will perhaps make fun of this, forgetting who we've both written to over the years.

February Letters 2021

I no longer have my address up on the incowrimo website, and I don't want to explain why. However,  my name and address is up on at least a couple of other snail mail websites, including LetterMo. I am still intending to reach out to new people this February via the written missive, as it would be childish to let a little ..... get in the way. 

With the various letter writing projects for February starting soon, one thing I've noticed from past experience is that some people don't know what to write, and what they do write may have very little joy in it. So, to lighten the mood, how about these little daily challenges in your letters. 

1st: Write a sentence with your eyes closed

2nd: Do you have any pictures hanging on your wall(s)?

3rd: Writing prompt: time

4th: Doodle the weather

5th: What are you looking forward to this year?

6th: What are the best 3 things about where you live?

7th: Writing prompt: games/sports

8th: Write a sentence with your non-dominant hand

9th: Where do you imagine you will be this time next year?

10th: Writing prompt: gardening

11th: If you had an autobiography, what would its title be?

12th: What is your best memory of childhood?

13th: What is the weather like?

14th: Have you written Valentine's cards to pets (or even received one from a pet)?

15th: What are three of your favourite films?

16th: What book(s) are you in the middle of?

17th: What has made you smile recently?

18th: Write a sentence backwards

19th: What time do you have breakfast?

20th: Writing prompt: radio

21st: Doodle some eyes

22nd: What is a favourite quote from fiction?

23rd: Do you keep a diary or journal or scrapbook?

24th: Writing prompt: spring

25th: Have you written any poetry or verse?

26th: Writing prompt: music

27th: Do you volunteer for good causes?

28th: When did you send your first ever email?

February letters round up.

This is what a month of letters received looks like. Not for the whole of February but midway through until midway through March. I haven't counted them, and I should be replying to them in due course.

So, how did my Month of Letters / InCoWriMo / February Letters go? Quite well in the end, after flu in the first week (yes, just flu, not coronavirus). I sent over 50 letters (and a few postcards too).

As for receiving mail, I was away from home for over half the month, and so I have no idea exactly when some of the letters arrived. Overall, it was a good month.

One of the things I bought while away was a wax seal coin. I haven't tried it out yet. I have also ordered other wax seals. I am not going to tell you how many I have got, but I was rather shocked at the number I have.

I also bought a couple of bottles of ink, and 2 more ink samples, to be included on my inks page soon.

Penultimate Day

February is almost over for another year and InCoWriMo / LetterMo draws to a close. Apart from having flu early in the month, I have enjoyed writing missives to strangers. I have written some responses as well - but March is looking like a month full of replies.

One question that could be asked of me - why write to new people when you have plenty of penpals already? My response would be that I see this month as bringing the joy of letters to new people, perhaps trying letter writing for the first time or  since childhood. Making new connections also makes the world a smaller place.

Although it would be nice to have a reply, or at the very least a thanks either by snail mail or by electronic means, I am in part glad that not every InCoWriMo / LetterMo letter sent will not  yield long term correspondence. I know I cannot write to everyone. I respond to almost all InCoWriMo / LetterMo letters via snail mail. It may take time. I think I will be kept busy if I want to reply within a month of receipt.

Some letters do not have a hook to catch a reply. Some letters can be boring, or phrased politely and infer no response is required.

Apart from flu wiping me out for a week and no letters were written then, averaged over the course of the month, I have definitely written more than one letter a day. I am not disappointed, although I did start the month expecting to be able to write daily. I did also fail the Challenge A Day with the writing prompts. On days I could write, I didn't always use the prompt. Do writing prompts help?

Overall, I think it has been a good InCoWriMo/LetterMo. I hope everyone received at least one surprise (or first) missive. I also hope the person behind the alternate InCoWriMo site (the one with the year in the URL), will be OK, and my thoughts are with him.

End of the first week in February

I have to admit "defeat" this year for InCoWriMo & LetterMo. Am I a bit disappointed? NO, because my body said no. I was hit heavily by one of the winter bugs going around earlier this week and struggled even mentally to open letters, not alone reply. This bug has sapped energy out of me, more than any other bugs for quite a while. I recovered somewhat today, but still feel lousy and I have lost my voice. OK, I don't need a voice to write letters, but I do need to have the energy. I wonder if I am starting to have InCoWriMo/LetterMo fatigue as this is my 9th year taking part in the one, and 7th in the other. Or whether the shortest month is not the best month for the daily letter-writing projects because of flu and colds going around. At least with February Letters, there is no pressure. Letter writing to penfriends is supposed to be enjoyable, not a chore.

It sounds so simple, to write a letter/postcard a day. And it can be, but not when you are severely under the weather. I couldn't even pick up a pen on Wednesday. All I wanted to do was sleep. Some days, can write more than a couple of missives, and on average, should be able to make it a letter-a-day.

Some of the comments (some have already been deleted) across social media about the lack of the address list at InCoWriMo-2020, do not take into account the series of unfortunate events beholden that site's owner. I know he enjoys writing letters, and while he was seeking to delegate for 2021, I don't think anything can be done this month for this year, although in early January, I did believe there was hope. A tinge of sadness for the site, and even more thoughts for him. I hope things will be OK for him.

I hope to be back letter-writing this weekend. Stormy weather is forecast. So, I intend to either be snug as a bug in a rug, in bed, or wrapped up warm in my chair at my writing desk.

February Letters 2020

[edit 1st Feb. 2020]  incowrimo.org has been updated [/edit]

[edit 23rd March 2022]  incowrimo-2020 link no longer works [/edit]

With February nearly upon us and neither incowrimo.org nor incowrimo-2020.org updated for 2020 as I write this (but LetterMo has), some of the momentum has been lost by people who were eager to start something new, to try snail mail or to catch up on correspondence neglected over the months due to life/circumstance. Those projects want a letter (or postcard) a day (or postal day), and this can seem daunting. If you add up the cost for postage, then it can be quite a bit if you are also sending internationally.. Time constraints could rush a letter in order to get it finished on the day. 

So, a little less demanding is February Letters. InCoWriMo & LetterMo can forge new penfriendships, so with that in mind, February Letters suggests you reach out to a few new people to write to. No demands/requirements, other than at least one letter! Try for at least one letter a week to someone new! You can sign up on https://s-mail.proboards.com/

Many also see February as a time to catch up on replies. So, instead of writing to new people (one picture on Instagram lists types of people to write to each day for InCoWriMo - parents, elderly relatives, someone in armed forces, your pet, and their vet, a fictional character...) how about A Challenge a Day to include a specific word, a drawing, answer to a question,... to be included in a letter you write. The letters don't have to be finished on the same day. Grab a moment of calm, a cuppa, sit down, and write a letter. 

InCoWriMo-2020 preparation

I have been thinking about International Correspondence Writing Month, where I will be writing at least one handwritten every day, and it will be a month of letters. However, none of the usual sites are ready. incowrimo.org has not been updated. incowrimo-2020.org looks to be delayed (but is in progress), and lettermo.com has technical difficulties. So, where else can I get my fix for that month? At the moment, one forum has been getting ready for the missive madness, and that is A World of Snail Mail and many of the members have participated in the February letter writing projects before.

Myself, I'm preparing by making sure I have plenty of letter writing paper. I have a lot but some is stored away. Maybe I need to bring some of that into rotation, from bright/colourful/cheerful designs to plainer but still nice papers.

Stickers, yes, need them, they can be used to brighten up some plain papers. Some of the stickers can illustrate better than what I can draw!

Envelopes - some of the postcards I might want to enclose will not fit in the standard C6 envelopes, so I will need either to buy some (there is a crafting shop I've bought 5 x 7 inch envelopes before), or make some (maybe with my We R Memory Keepers board).

I had to clean out some fountain pens, and filled them up, but may have to do this again towards the end of the month as I am still writing letters. The two pens below look to both have orange-ish inks in but only one of them does, the other ink is pink.

Also this month, there's a new issue of postage stamps, celebrating the UK's part in video games, so last century. Worms and Lemmings are to name 2. I shall probably get some, but I'd best get there first thing on the day as that post office won't get that many in.

I do like to use the nice postage stamps where possible. They cost the same as postage labels and Machin stamps so why not go for something that would also bring a smile to the recipient's face (as well as the enclosed nice letter...). If the recipient doesn't want to keep the stamps, then many charities accept the used ones as a means of raising money (and they would possibly get more money for the commemorative stamps than ordinary definitive ones). 

I do like finishing off the envelope with a wax seal. There are so many designs you can have, not just initials (I use the initial for my first name, not surname).