Tracking Snail Mail

[Cryptos]

Hi FPNers,

 

I have just dipped my toes back into the world of sending physical mail and something occurred to me. Do you keep a record of what you have written in the mail you send out? I guess what I am wondering is whether people don't worry about writing the same things again, or if you keep a record - say a photocopy - of the letter for future reference.

 

Thoughts?

[sargetalon]

This has always been a concern of mine. I scan all received letters but I never scan my outgoing mail. Given that I have several pen pals, I always worry about duplicating anecdotes or announcements. Still, it has never been such a problem that I've had to change my ways.

[NevynM]

I've just taken to using Evernote on my phone to photgraph each page after I've written it. That gives the ink time to dry properly too, and lets me keep a record of what I wrote.

[pmhudepo]

I often take a picture of the pages and store that in a folder with lots of little images I collect throughout the years. A sort of visual diary, I suppose. Picture of the box of a new lens I bought, note I sent to a friend, beautiful sunlight in my living room, apple pie I baked, letter to penpal, packaging material from a Goulet shipment, ...

 

Bigger projects, like a vacation or an assignment, all get their own folders.

[Runnin_Ute]

I have a few times copied my outgoing. But I usually forget, so if it happens it happens. I usually write in such a way as to address points the sender has brought up in their letter. I imagine there is some duplication, but I don't usually worry about it. I figure it probably happens both directions a little.

[Mezzie]

I don't at all. The only clue I have to what I've written is what I get in response.

[Sasha Royale]

I don't at all. The only clue I have to what I've written is what I get in response.

 

Ditto.

[furious]

One of the good things about using a typewriter is the ease of making a master copy via carbon paper. If the correspondence is anything important when I must have a physical copy, I will type it for this reason.

[rtruslow]

Thank you for asking this question. I have wondered/worried the same thing. I often worry, but never copy letters.

 

+1 @Mezzie - And my follow up responses are lead in part by "clues" in the letter I receive of what I may have written before.

 

Rob

[Zenistar]

I've also started to use Evernote to scan letters via a photo taken in the iPhone app, I use Evernote for everything else e.g. scanning my masters research notes as it makes them fully text searchable

[CraigR]

My letter writing frequency has been reduced this past year so no problem mentally keeping it all straight. When I was corresponding with a number of different pen pals as well as writing numerous business letters, thank you notes and greeting cards, I kept a correspondence journal. Therein I kept names and addresses as well as list of dates and brief notes on what I wrote and received. I am list maker by obsession, so I usually record incoming letters and notes and then make a notation when I respond. Over the years, the habit of a correspondence journal has helped me stay on track and up to date with my writing. Besides the journal is another opportunity to use all those pens and inks. /Craig

[blINK]

I've thought about scanning my sent letters so that I don't repeat myself. Then I realized that I might as well be sending email. I'm trying to keep it as pure as I can. I do, however, keep track of the ins and outs so that I know where I stand.

[stonezebra]

I do keep a correspondence jouranl - name, date, kind of stationery/paper used, sometimes a word or two about the topic (thank you, sympathy, Alaska trip, etc.) or enclosures, if any, in place of paper type. Half the notebook for incoming and half for outgoing. Very helpful for a forgetful person like me!

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

No I do not keep a record.Seems to me that would take some of the fun out of writing.

[fountainpagan]

I have a notebook where I copy every letter I send. It is an extra exercise for hadwriting, and you keep track of your letters contents(it is easier for the exchanges).

[sharonspens]

I do not keep copies of my letters. As Rob noted above, there are often "clues" in my corespondents' letters to remind me of what I wrote (I also try to do the same for them in my return letters). I probably do repeat myself sometimes, but I usually write about current events so it all works out.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[Gaslight]

I'm pretty new to the whole penpal thing and just send my first letter, got a reply and sat down to write another letter and then it hit me "didn't I wrote this in the first letter?!"

So, now I take photos of my outgoing letters and organize them in my photo-application (Aperture). Don't want to bore someone with telling the same story twice and forgetful as I am, this could happen easier than I'd like to...

[flyingfox]

I do jot down the names of the person I wrote to in my calender/ appointment book, and about the things I enclosed (postcards, pics, etc.) Also, when I send a collection of pics or a travel report, I keep track of whom I sent them to. For a boxed stationery card that is a pack of 20 of the same images, I keep a record of whom I used it to, so that I won't send the same card to the same person twice (do that with Christmas cards as well, although those have "five years rule"- that, after five years it is acceptable to send the same card to the recipient, mainly because they probably don't remember it anyways, and neither would I, if not for my notes.)

 

As for the content of the letter... no. If I repeat myself, I repeat myself, no big deal. If the recipient thinks that the same topic is coming up, it is easy enough for them to skip that paragraph. I tend to repeat myself in real life anyways, LOL. Depending on the topic, I can guess whether I wrote about it in the previous letter or not by looking at the date the previous letter was written.

[Bookman]

I scan each letter into the desktop PC and keep a copy of each on Mrs. Bookman's laptop. The latter comes in handy when I want to start a letter during a trip out of town.

[Frontier]

Have always scanned each letter coming in, but have recently started scanning each letter that I send out.

 

I file them by the persons name with a folder for sent and received.

 

As I have kept every single letter I have received, it makes things easier to look through the computer, rather than dig in a large box for the original.

Edited June 14, 2014 by Frontier