Blog/Journal, Fun Things

Where is your favorite place to write letters? To read letters?

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A Collaborative Blog Post

I usually write my letters at the very desk I work at ( I am working from home) for two very simple reasons – the light is the best and I have my washi tape and stamps right next to me.

It’s a whole different deal with reading: if it’s government letters or invoices, I read them directly in the staircase – and the same is true for postcards. Letter on my couch, with a hot beverage to really dive in.

Toucan

I love to write letters sitting at my desk or the kitchen counter. I write most often with my fountain pens, so I do need a flat surface and some space to set my things out.

As for reading letters, I’ll read letters anywhere but I love to sit down with a cup of tea and my cat purring in my lap when I open letters from new and old friends.

catholicamanda
Black and white image of woman sitting at writing desk, writing a letter

Hello, My favorite place to write letters is oddly enough at my kitchen table.


The reason being is I have a great view of my window to see all the birds at my feeders and boy do I get alot of birds! So i love sitting there at the table with my stickers, my stationery, or my plain ole notebook paper, my variety of pens, my cards, my washi tape and just write away! Very relaxing and peaceful and enjoyable! It’s just incredible to see all the birds at the feeders while I write.

If it’s night time…. and I am a night owl….I still love writing at the table but also will write on the couch with my stickers etc around me.

Alaina

I love to sit in an armchair with a cup of my favorite tea and read my letters with a direct view of the trees in front of my window. When writing I prefer my desk cause I can’t concentrate on the letter fully otherwise. Although in the last years I learnt how to write on trains cause I spent a damn lot time in trains thanks to a long distance relationship.

Fabi

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Tell us about a letter you received / sent that has special meaning to you.

Due Feb. 13

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Blog/Journal, Fun Things

Tell us about the pen pal who is farthest away from you, geographically

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Collaborative Blog Post

My pen pal who is the farthest away from me? Mhm…I guess from Germany it would be Uruguay that is the furthest away. And we just started writing like a year ago, so not too much to tell. It is interesting to see the different kinds of cultures though.

Fabi
Globe with paper airplanes circling around them - Created by verry poemomo from Noun Project

From Florida, the pen pal who is furthest away from me is from Australia. I met her here, through the LetterMo.com site. I find it interesting to realize that when I’m suffering from a cold winter, she is deep in summer, and vice versa.

Christy S.

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Where is your favorite place to write letters? To read them?

Due Feb. 11

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Blog/Journal, Fun Things

Cursive, Print or Typed? Why?

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A Collaborative Blog Post

I have been told that my handwriting can be impossible to read, so I TRY to write legibly which means s-l-o-w-l-y. When I speed up and my thoughts to express are flying to fast for my hand to keep up, it gets messy. (I can still read it but, yeah, I get it!) Fountain pens help me to write pretty and also help slow me down, and if I have been told that it is hard to read my script, I will type. I wonder sometimes what a handwriting expert would say about my personality — I tend to lean left AND write and switch up my cursive with print, even in the same sentence.

Carrie H.

I prefer to write in cursive, cause it is faster for me. I like to read all kinds of different hand writings.

Fabi

Hello I prefer cursive writing because it just feels more natural more connected to my pen pal. I love the feel of pen on paper. I have used my computer tho when I’m behind on writing and want to catch up or I have access to the computer and can ‘write’ several letters quickly. However I much prefer pen on paper …. different color pens and themed stationery when possible.

Alaina

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Tell us about the pen pal who is farthest away from you, geographically.

Due Feb. 8

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Announcements, Blog/Journal, News

A Message from Your Admins re: the future of LetterMo.com

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Open envelope with a letter inside

We like getting letters. We like sending letters. And we really like the community here on LetterMo.com

And, we bet that if you found yourself here, you like doing those things, too.

But here’s the thing, maintaining the LetterMo.com website is not without cost. Both in time and actual, fiscal cost.

And so we, the current Admins of LetterMo, are considering what the future of this fine project looks like, and what kind of help we need to get there.

TL;DR: In order to keep the LetterMo.com site alive, we need support in both time and money. If we don’t get the support, LetterMo may continue, but in a different, yet to be determined, format.

(jump to So, How do I Help?)

Continue reading A Message from Your Admins re: the future of LetterMo.com →
Blog/Journal, Fun Things

Tell us about your first pen pal

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A Collaborative Blog Post

Olga, from NSW Australia, was my first pen friend. I met her through the pen pal exchange at the New York World’s Fair in
1964, and we corresponded for a few years, both of us using aerogrammes. As I recall, we both loved dogs, and would write
about our own and others we knew. Our main bond, though, was Peter O’Toole, courtesy of “Lawrence of Arabia.” Those blue
eyes! That intelligence! That story(which I know now was highly … shaded …)! I’m sorry we lost touch after 3 years or so, but I
think of her often.


(2nd pen pal, not as much, because all she ever seemed to write was “it’s raining in Tavistock” … )

Melanie W

My first pen pal was a friend I met on a holiday trip. We were crying so hard on our last day that our parents exchanged addresses and we started writing each other for 10 years.
I still think of her sometimes.

Fabi
Girl writing a letter

It was in first or second grade when our class had a partner class (like a sister-city) in the UK. I am a bit fuzzy on the details, honestly. We each received a letter from a student at that school, distributed from our teacher. All them them had a generic “hello” since pairs weren’t assigned until the letters arrived to Florida. I wrote back the boy who was assigned to me.

And yeah, that’s it. I guess my first real exchange of letters beyond that first awkward “Hi, this is who I am” was in High School, when a friend who attended a different school told me about a boy she thought I’d like. She acted as a go-between and we passed notes across town to each other that way. I have a few gifts from when he went on vacation in Europe. I never actually met him, despite living in the same city, but I have fond memories.

Christy S.

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Next topic is: Cursive, print or typed? Why? 

Due February 5

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Blog/Journal, Fun Things

Reasons to Write – 2023

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Need a reason to write? Check out these official and unofficial observances:

January

Jan 3 — National Write to Congress Day

Jan 8-14 — Universal Letter Writing Week

Jan 8 — World Typing Day

Jan 23 — National Handwriting Day

February

Month of Letters / InCoWriMo

Feb 4 — National Thank a Mail Carrier Day

Feb 7 — National Send a Card to a Friend Day

Feb 26 — Letter to an Elder Day

March

Mar 1-7 — National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week

Mar 5-11 — Words Matter Week

April

National Card and Letter Writing Month

Apr 1 — National Handmade Day

Apr 26 — World Stationary Day

May

May 1-7 — National Postcard Week

May 14 — Mother’s Day

June

June 1 — National Penpal Day

June 8 — National Best Friends Day

June 18 — Father’s Day

July

July 1 — National Postal Workers Day

July 1 — National U.S. Postage Stamp Day

July 26 — National Aunt & Uncle’s Day

August

Aug 7 — National Friendship Day

Aug 16 — World Calligraphy Day

September

Sept 1 — World Letter Writing Day

Sept 10 —- Grandparents’ Day

October

Oct 1-7 — International Postcard Week

Oct 1 — World Postcard Day

Oct 9 — World Post Day

Oct 21 — Everyone Writes Day, UK

November

Nov 3 — Fountain Pen Day

Nov 5-11 — Dear Santa Letter Week

December

Dec 7 — National Letter Writing Day

Dec 26 — National Thank-You Note Day

Blog/Journal

Welcome to LetterMo 2023

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Dateline: February 1st around the world and the start of LetterMo!

Thank you to all who have registered to join our community of letter writers – newbies and long term LetterMoians.

  • Remember that you need to log in to the members only forums
  • For the newbies and a refresher for those returning, look for the START HERE thread in the forums
  • Say hello in the Introduction thread
  • Remember to write your return address in your letter in case the envelope gets separated from the envelope
  • Record your new penpal addresses in a separate location other than on the website.
  • Write back to everyone you receive a letter from.

LetterMo embraces the spirit of letter writing. We encourage you to do your best and what fits with your life – and adjust accordingly when life happens. If you miss a day, write two the next or make your goal for a total number of letters if you’re unable to write everyday. If you can’t get out to the post box or you live in a rural area without regular pickup, adjust your goal for a total number and get your letters out as soon as you are able.

A special thanks to all the volunteer administrators who do so much work behind the scenes – from the website to the Facebook groups – who make this wonderful snail mail project possible.

Happy letter writing and have FUN!

Blog/Journal, Fun Things

What tip or trick do you have for those new to letter writing?

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A Collaborative Blog Post

Welcome to the first day of Month of Letters 2023. Here are some tips from our members to help you get started.

Find a simple way to keep up with the letters that come in. For example, when a letter comes in, I like to read it right away. If there are any “goodies,” I won’t take them out until I reply to the letter. The letter, back in the envelope, then goes on a small (or larger) pile that is rubber banded together the the order they are received. When I’m ready to reply, I take the oldest letter first.

It is helpful to have a basket or bag to have favorite pens, stationary, stickers or other goodies, stamps, and envelopes or whatever you need so you don’t need to go searching for writing supplies.

Kris R.

“Just sit down and think about a different setting when you’re writing to someone. Like…what would you tell that person when you first meet them in a coffee shop? Or what would you share about your surroundings if they were blind? I love to just sit down and sip my coffee while writing whatever comes to my mind.” – Fabi

Here are my tips/tricks to those new to letter writing:

  1. Have a designated space/area that brings you joy when you write.
  2. Store all of your letter writing items, i.e., pens; washi tapes; envelopes; postage stamps; stationery, etc., in a nice storage container that will make you smile; easy to find and easy to keep organized.
  3. I tend to write how I speak, meaning, a long letter, 2 or more pages. I view letter writing as a conversation, with the only difference being that we’re not face to face.
  4. Don’t expect an immediate response and don’t be surprised to not receive one at all. If that should happen, please allow grace and do not send a letter that hints along the lines of, “I wrote you and you didn’t write back.” I wrote someone and they responded a year later. They explained the delay, but for me, the joy was to find a letter in my mail box.
  5. Remember that the purpose in letter writing is to make someone’s day and perhaps yours as well.

ILove2Write

Find a place that you enjoy where you can sit and write. A peaceful place, a relaxing place. Mine is my kitchen table or my couch. I also have a writing container that has my pens, my stickers, my stationery and just plain old paper so I just grab it and go to my writing place and it’s ready to go. It also has envelopes and a variety of stamps and seasonal address labels so that everything is there and my letters can be written and addressed and sent easily.

Alaina

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Next topic is: Tell Us About Your First Pen Pal

Due Feb. 3

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Blog/Journal

Countdown to LetterMo 2023

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Keep calm and countdown to LetterMo!

It’s hard to believe that it is already February tomorrow! Are you ready? Here’s a quick checklist:

  • Postage stamps  – Did you know? You can pick them up in more places than just the post office. Supermarkets, drug stores, convenience stores. They may not be the fanciest ones, but at least your letters can be sent out. (Just check on the rates for domestic or international). You can order your stamps online too.
  • Pens and Ink – while we love a good fountain pen or gel pan, there’s nothing wrong with using a good ol’ ballpoint, even if you, ahem, picked it up from the dentist office (and we love a typewritten letter too).
  • Stationery – again, it doesn’t have to be fancy! Lined notebook paper or a page from your sketchbook. You can make envelopes (here’s a tutorial, or simply take apart one and trace) and some countries have pre-stamped envelopes.
  • Postcards – easy to write a short note; some countries have pre-stamped postcards that can be sent anywhere in the world.
  • Washi and stickers – fun and nice, but not necessary.

The letter writing community is lucky to kickstart the year by having two different programs during the month of February. Why February? It’s the shortest month of the year and often not the best weather, so letter writing is a great way to pass the time while staying cozy indoors.

So what are the two different programs? A Month of Letters, or as we call it LetterMo around here, was started by writer Mary Robinette Kowal who took a month break from the internet. International Correspondence Writing Month or InCoWriMo, is an obvious nod to NaNoWriMo for the inspiration to write every day.

So what are the differences between #LetterMo and #InCoWriMo? See the chart below.

You can see there are various elements of LetterMo that require a team of dedicated volunteers who run things behind the scenes. It is a strong community built over the years that welcomes newcomers each year and shares their knowledge of the program and love of mail.

You may wonder, do people participate in both? There are definitely people who do the crossover as well as write and send out more than one letter a day! If you want to see some of the mail that is sent out, visit our Instagram profile and check out our stories – #LetterMo2023.  Tag us if you want to share and we may repost! 

With people around the world discovering or rediscovering the joy of the written word received by post, we hope letter writing will no longer be classified as a “lost art” but more of a revival.

If you’re stuck for what to write about, check out the calendar of occasions below!

Let us know in the comments where you can get stamps other than the post office in your country, especially outside of North America or UK. 

Are you ready? Come join the fun – sign up today! See you in the forums!

In February, mail one item every day it runs.