Snail Mail Writing List

[craynerd]

Hi all

 

I would certainly like to join in on this one.

 

I`m married with a young child. I am interested in writing in response to handwriting and all things FP. I am looking to build a collection of hand-wrote letters as samples of various cursive/writing styles.

 

I work in the area of science and chemistry and would love to join debate and discuss fact in this subject.

 

CHECKERS

I am also interested in playing a game of checkers or (draughts in the UK) by snail mail. Again, I`m no expert at all but I know a few people who play snail mail checkers and although a slow game, would add interest to our exchange.

 

PM me if interested.

 

Chris

Edited February 11, 2009 by craynerd

[liapuyat]

Received lovely letters from ladymaverick, succubus, Strang and johnboz! Thank you so much.

 

Letters going your way soon!

[craynerd]

No offers yet - I`d offer to write to someone else first but not having done anything like this before, how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

[Cedar]

No offers yet - I`d offer to write to someone else first but not having done anything like this before, how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

 

 

I didn't get any, either. Nobody picked me! All of my pen friends came from me going back through the posts on the snail mail list and me picking them (except for one.....different story) You might consider doing that.

 

Cedar

[Strang]

No offers yet - I`d offer to write to someone else first but not having done anything like this before, how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

 

Hi,

 

If you fill out the information - or some of the information - in your profile, people can better judge if you might be a good match for them as a Snailie. It doesn't always work. I approached 70% of the people I correspond with. Look at profiles for someone with common interests and send them a pm. All they can do is say no (or not respond )

 

Good luck!

[Gothmeister]

how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

 

I had a similar worry....I've not written a social letter for years and I don't think I've ever written one to another guy!

 

In the end, I just wrote a brief bio and sent it to a couple of FPNers, enclosing a postcard of Canterbury. We'll see what happens and what kind of reply comes back.

 

I'm going to write the same letter to some more folk over the weekend...you?....cedar?...

Edited February 13, 2009 by Gothmeister

[ShadowWriter]

No offers yet - I`d offer to write to someone else first but not having done anything like this before, how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?Chris

I didn't get any, either. Nobody picked me! All of my pen friends came from me going back through the posts on the snail mail list and me picking them (except for one.....different story) You might consider doing that.Cedar

Now I feel a bit better, I wanted a snail mail friend but after reading other people's jobs, interests, I realized that I have no life, nothing to say and didn't offer/ask for a snail mail pal. Now I can honestly say, "I didn't try to find one" rather than "I have no life" and "nothing to say" so no one will write to me. I don't deal well with rejection or being ignored, for that matter.

The suggestion of creating a profile *does* make sense tho' so people can find out a bit about you before PMing.

 

 

 

[GreenVelvet]

When I first threw my hat into the ring of the snail mail list, I did all the contacting first. It wasn't until I'd been doing a lot of posting here, and had a fair amount of info in my profile, that other people started contacting me.

 

As to how to start - it's whatever you want it to be! I know that huge blank slate can be daunting, but a brief bio is a great place to start. With FPN pen pals, you have an obvious shared interest -- talk about what pens and ink you like, or what got you into fountain pens in the first place!

 

Lots of people say a bit about themselves, like age, occupation, family status, basic interests, etc.

 

I generally don't approach anyone else these days to look for more snailers, because I have a perpetual pile of letters awaiting responses, and I feel like I need to reach the bottom of that pile of letters from people who have already written before I can write to anyone new. (Currently in my pile, 12 letters needing response, 7 from FPNers, and I haven't even gotten today's mail yet.) I'm not gonna reach the bottom of that pile until sometime in March, with my schedule these days! But I've never yet turned down the offer of a new letter exchange, especially if the requester is willing to write the first letter.

 

[ralphawilson]

I'm glad folks have started the discussion of what works and doesn't work for them about finding new correspondents . I think adding info to your profile is a great idea. I wish more people would say a bit about themselves.

 

I have maybe 8-10 people I exchange with fairly regularly. Some have contacted me first, some I've contacted. Some weren't even listed here as looking for snailies. Don't hesitate to send a message to anyone who's put themselves on the "list", or, I'd say, anyone on FPN. (They can always say, "No thanks"--I don't like rejection either, but it's not that likely.) Someone right near me on this very thread reached out to me before I ever added myself to this thread and I'm really glad they did.

 

As to content: write about anything that you think could be half-way interesting, with pens, ink, and paper being fine topics whenever the well starts to run dry. I'm never received a letter I didn't like.

 

To me, the number one rule for ongoing success is to read the incoming letters thoughtfully and respond to at least some of what your correspondent writes.

[Gothmeister]

Yay!!! Got my first letter this AM....thanks johnboz, our letters must've crossed mid-Atlantic, I reckon!

 

OT: I've uploaded several files as attachments...can anyone tell me how I go back and select one of these old files again to add as an attachment??

[ofpwriter]

Hello! Thought I'd give it a try too, because writing letters seems to work for me pretty well. I'm 27 years old this month - so still a young boy - and I'd like to write with people with similar, or why not dissimilar, interests, thoughts and etc. You get the idea...

 

English isn't my native language, so you'd have to be patient when I'm brushing up my skills - a thing which is a big motivator in posting this - I also live far away from...say U.S., across the Atlantic Ocean, here somewhere in Europe. So, not being rich and all, it wouldn't be like dozens a week at least that far away...but I'm really into writing at the moment, and liked to try.

 

I'm not a real hard core fountain penner, not yet at least. I have three at the moment, and the main goal is the content in the things I write. So, no super fancy handwriting or anything... I do sports, a lot. Not team sports so much; acrobatics and badminton mostly. Read and write: the skill becomes a hobby And...

 

So, I'd prefer people my own age, but that's just what comes in mind, to say in a situation like this. Write me, if this intro woke the urge to do so (there's nothing more - actually nothing - in the bio). I'll promise to reply, even if it's just to say: thanks, but no thanks.

[Bill Wolfe]

Man, I'm a hydrologist by profession, and it's just never occurred to me to actually walk in sewers and see what's going on down there! Those are really striking photos! I'm notorious among my friends for not writing, but I do have a bunch of neat pens and aspirations to master italic handwriting. I'd definitely be interested in passing a few notes about urban hydrology and hydrological archictecture!

Bill

 

I'm usually good for at least a quick note, though, to be fair, it should be noted (as KCat can attest) that my handwriting is peculiar, eccentric, and legibilitily-challenged. Oh, and I'm mostly a blue-ink kind of guy, so...

 

I'm also really boring; I spend most of my time doing nerdish things with computers, and an inordinate amount of time either getting into trouble or taking strange photographs of strange places.

 

You've been warned.

 

[Cedar]

how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

 

I had a similar worry....I've not written a social letter for years and I don't think I've ever written one to another guy!

 

In the end, I just wrote a brief bio and sent it to a couple of FPNers, enclosing a postcard of Canterbury. We'll see what happens and what kind of reply comes back.

 

I'm going to write the same letter to some more folk over the weekend...you?....cedar?...

 

Cedar? What? You mean want to write?

 

Really, I find the first few letters very difficult. And it is difficult to try to guage whether you're a good match or not. I'm more apt to write to someone where I can get a "feel" for what we might have in common. It seems like we shouldn't have to have anything in common but then I don't know what to write about. And, I don't know about other people but I find it hard to say "no" and to just stop writing nearly as difficult. So, I appreciate what everyone is saying here. The pen/ink topic is good but doesn't go real far. Getting letters is a lot of fun. It makes my day to go to the mailbox in anticipation but it's not as easy as it seems. Do they want to chat? Do they like to get into personal stuff? Write about ideas? :roflmho:

Sometimes I'll get 3-4 letters in one day and sometimes it can be weeks before I get a letter! Feast or famine.

 

Why did I just write all that? I don't know.

 

Cedar

 

 

[succubus]

No offers yet - I`d offer to write to someone else first but not having done anything like this before, how do you normally write your first letter? I.e what is the content?

 

Chris

 

 

I didn't get any, either. Nobody picked me! All of my pen friends came from me going back through the posts on the snail mail list and me picking them (except for one.....different story) You might consider doing that.

 

Cedar

 

 

Ditto GreenVelvet's answer. Some of us no longer actively solicit, but that isn't really an indicator of whether or not they are receptive to new correspondents. I would certainly approach anyone who:

• has posted on this thread soliciting correspondents (I know it's daunting to have to read through all of the earlier posts, but it's most likely worth it)
• uses a participant button in their sig file
• has looked at your profile since your request; maybe they were trying to find out more about you?

In terms of rejection - it works both ways; you may be thinking "nobody chose me" but did you chose anyone?

 

Content of first letter - think of it as a cocktail party, or as making conversation with a stranger while you're both waiting on a long line - what would you say then?

[liapuyat]

Really, I find the first few letters very difficult. And it is difficult to try to guage whether you're a good match or not. I'm more apt to write to someone where I can get a "feel" for what we might have in common. It seems like we shouldn't have to have anything in common but then I don't know what to write about. And, I don't know about other people but I find it hard to say "no" and to just stop writing nearly as difficult. So, I appreciate what everyone is saying here. The pen/ink topic is good but doesn't go real far. Getting letters is a lot of fun. It makes my day to go to the mailbox in anticipation but it's not as easy as it seems. Do they want to chat? Do they like to get into personal stuff? Write about ideas? :roflmho:

 

Sometimes I'll get 3-4 letters in one day and sometimes it can be weeks before I get a letter! Feast or famine.

 

Why did I just write all that? I don't know.

 

Cedar

 

OK, I just enjoyed reading that opinion... I find that if people write in letters in a simple conversational mode about topics they find pleasure in or have opinions about, they won't have much of a problem getting started.

 

Apart from the usual self-introductions, people usually write about common interests in the beginning, and then other specific interests you or the other party may have... you discover these things as you go along.

 

When I first wrote someone in this forum I happened to be on a trip to my father's hometown, so I wrote about that. The other person hadn't received that letter yet when he wrote me, so he wrote about his pens and inks (oh no, the letter made me want to order more inks!), and because I had a cat avatar, he wrote about his cats too.

 

Another was writing with her Mabie Todd Swan and so the letter was about how she found her pen, and why it was her favorite.

 

Of course I was a newbie several posts ago, and did the active solicitation, with happy results.

 

Those who need writing prompts can find some on creativity-portal.com. A nice short list of topics will do just as well.

 

 

 

 

[Jane-K]

Hi!

 

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring again for snail mail! I enjoy writing and reading just about anything....I live in a small town in Idaho, and don't get out much. I love to hear about different areas of the country and world. I also enjoy history, Dean Koontz books, genealogy, and general chat.

 

Thank you!

 

Jane

[Cedar]

Hi!

 

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring again for snail mail! I enjoy writing and reading just about anything....I live in a small town in Idaho, and don't get out much. I love to hear about different areas of the country and world. I also enjoy history, Dean Koontz books, genealogy, and general chat.

 

Thank you!

 

Jane

 

You're writing to me aren't you? :embarrassed_smile: Just being playful.

 

Really, I've enjoyed reading what everyone has written here and it's given me some ideas and direction. However, I realized that I misstated the difficulty and that is not what to write ABOUT but trying to determine what he/she who answers the letter would like to READ about.

 

I enjoy all of my "pennies". They're all different. But quite honestly, those that I enjoy the most are those that I can "connect" with. That's what I was trying to nail down. I enjoy reading and it's much easier to fire off a letter that is chatty but I don't feel a satisfaction like those letters where connections begin to develop.

 

Anyone else? Or is it my tinfoil hat thing going on, again? Is this the right forum for this? Existential angst!

 

Cedar

 

[GreenVelvet]

I enjoy all of my "pennies". They're all different. But quite honestly, those that I enjoy the most are those that I can "connect" with. That's what I was trying to nail down. I enjoy reading and it's much easier to fire off a letter that is chatty but I don't feel a satisfaction like those letters where connections begin to develop.

 

Anyone else? Or is it my tinfoil hat thing going on, again? Is this the right forum for this? Existential angst!

 

Cedar

 

I agree - the ones you can really "connect" with are the most satisfying... but sometimes it takes a few letters before you can really establish a connection.

 

[whiskas]

It's been my long (late) childhood dream (I'm a little melancholic here, but nonetheless honest and sincere) to have one (or preferably more) pen pal. I used to go to the newsstands and ask for magazines and papers that had columns and articles with addresses of „available" pen pals. I kept trying for a couple of years with really no luck. Eventually, I gave up.

 

Almost two years ago, I discovered FPN and eagerly joined this wonderful community. Almost immediately, I enrolled the „snail mail thread" and the „postcard exchange thread". I found a pen pal and I also received a letter but, unfortunately, I haven't answered. I am very ashamed of that and I really, really hope that he will forgive me (I'm planning to answer him as soon as possible, and it better be this week!). Meanwhile, much has changed into my life and now I'm back on FPN and back for „snail mail" for good.

 

To cut a long story short: I'm very, very sorry for the cone of silence and I'm more than eager to start snail mailing. Thank you in advance for giving me chance!

 

Your friendly neighborhood tomcat,

whiskas

 

P. S. Do excuse the spelling and the grammar, it's very late and I'm very tired but I really wanted to set the things straight with FPN.

[ShadowWriter]

Those who need writing prompts can find some on creativity-portal.com.

Thanks for the link. Didn't have time to read through it all, but it looks like a fun site and I'll have to poke around as time permits!