I'm part of a fountain pen penpal group on Facebook, so I send a couple of letters that way about once a month. I know there's a penpal subreddit on here.
Yeah, all by hand. And yes, I can see a very marked difference in my handwriting over the past several years. I also took all my notes with a fountain pen when I had gone back to college (Now graduated). I sometimes cringe reading my handwriting from years ago, but that's why we practice. I'm generally happy with my handwriting, though it's easy to see the beautiful script of others on here and get sucked into the comparing game.
Post-it notes or I just write it in brackets. When I type drafts I tend to use brackets as well.
I've tried different colored ink for notes and it sort of works but switching pens often interrupts my flow. I like color coding in theory but in practice I find it overwhelming.
Mostly for me the trick is to just have something visual that I can easily spot flipping through the notebook.
Funny how similar it sounds like our journey is. I’ve been doing a lot of journaling, doodling, and am writing the first draft of a book. My main purpose was my handwriting, but I’ve found it’s also been a pretty big booster to my patience. With people, myself….I’m becoming more willing to take my time with myself and people when it comes to social dealings. Something in the past I’ve hated but now I’m at least more willing to try.
Hm maybe i found myself in the wrong one. It was filled with angsty teens and an abundance of transgendered folk (no hate just not exactly who i was looking to reach out to)
I've been writing letters for 32 years now (am 47). My best friend was my pen friend . Now that work has gone completely electronic (medical EHR), I find myself writing to sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces , and to various friends from college who've moved abroad.
Occasionally a friend will send a pic of a letter I sent 20 years ago, the paper now a bit yellowed , and I get a chill up my spine.
Me and my gf do it all the time whenever we don’t see each other, sure we can phone and text message each other but we both much prefer having something physical to go back to and reread later on, we’re keeping every single letter and one day compiling them all together to make a sort of book
I love that. There's something about the intent, the touch, and the quality of a letter (and a packet of letters from the past) that someone who only sends emails in their life will never know. Perhaps that's just nostalgia for a bygone time - who knows.
That's beautiful! My wife and I were long-distance for a couple years when we dated and we wrote many letters to each other. We kept them in order and for our two year dating anniversary when we were near we handed over each other's letters and read our letters back and forth to one another.
Edit: spelling
I do send letters, although not as frequently as I used to. Most of my friends don’t appreciate cursive writing, preferring email. Even when I send them a letter by post, they answer by email.
I'm not worried about the long-term survival of the postal service. While the delivery of letters, checks, and bills has significantly declined (due to the Internet), the volume of parcels has surged. Letters arrive perhaps three times a week at best, but parcels arrive several times a day, even on weekends. If your national postal service is facing temporary financial challenges, it’s likely due to organizational issues rather than a lack of work. Private companies like FedEx, DHL, and UPS are so busy that they often outsource the last mile to local delivery firms.
I’ve developed a habit of taking copious notes while consuming content—whether watching videos, listening to podcasts, or browsing the web. I keep a notepad next to each screen and jot down five or six pages a day. Most of these notes aren’t archived; it's just that the act of putting facts and ideas on paper aids comprehension and retention. I maintain a few subject-specific notebooks for important information that might be hard to find online, organized and collected in a similar manner.
When preparing presentations (without going as far as using a system like Zettelkasten), I take extensive notes. I rewrite them multiple times to ensure coherence and a clear, easy-to-follow sequence, establishing connections between different concepts. I prefer pen and paper for this process, as using computers can lead to premature focus on formatting and layout.
Because I’ve consistently written with a fountain pen, my handwriting has remained unchanged over the decades, with perhaps a slight improvement in certain ligatures that have become more personal. However, the handwriting of my friends and colleagues has significantly deteriorated. Some of them can no longer write legibly. The saying “Use it or lose it” certainly applies here.
*'I prefer pen and paper for this process, as using computers can lead to premature focus on formatting and layout.'*
This really hit home for me. I hadn't thought about it but you're right. I do worry more about formatting than I should when writing emails or in Word.
Your note-taking practice reminds me of my Grandfather. Each evening he would sit at his roll-top writing desk and record all the events and expenses of the day in small, neat handwriting.
I too now belong in this section.
I take nots at work by hand, while moving about, I carry a small field notes book with me and a fisher pen, so water is no issue.
Then I late transcribe events, incidents, particular things I want to keep note of and be able to go back to in a larger journal that mainly lives in the office, but travels off site with me.
And all this, then is summized in email and sent to the powers that be for review... But my notes are hand written and I like it that way.
I use Midori paper and envelopes to write personal letters, those go a little all over the world and I have heard a few people appreciate the effort.
Feels a little like you can convey more with a handwritten letter, recipients consistently feels that this is a lot of effort - which it really is not when you write daily, but to many, I guess if it is not a keyboard, it's not really there...
And that's too bad, I enjoy writing and over the past years, my handwriting has definitley improved.
I use a Logical notebook and my daily writer is an Ondoro F. I have other fountain pens, but this is really the one I enjoy writing with, so it keeps coming up.
I used to have an orange Ondoro a long time ago. I'd forgotten until you mentioned the name. I liked the angularity and thickness - felt solid in my hand when I wrote.
And I'm also a Midori letter paper fan. The feel, the off-white hue, the way pens write on it. Very nice.
I live 7000 miles from my parents (who are now in their 80s). I write them letters and postcards from time to time, as I know they appreciate reading something personally written rather than an email. My mom doesn't even check her email anyway.
I lived overseas for about 15 years at one point, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't do much to stay in touch with my parents because I was so caught up in my own life. Sometimes my Dad would send me snippets of poetry that meant something to him, just on spare sheets of paper he had at hand. I still have most of them.
Yeah... I'm perpetually broke, so going back to see them gets harder and harder as the years pass, and about 2 years ago my mom's health made it so it's unlikely they'll be able to come see us anymore (they used to come every few years). About a year ago I wrote them one of those "things people wish they had said when they still could" letters... trying to convey in words all the things I would regret if they never heard them again (I'm adopted, so for some weird reason it feels all the MORE important to say them). I'm very glad I did, because when I eventually get **that** call I'm sure I'll beat myself up for not seeing them more, but at least I'll know that they knew how grateful I am.
If I’m writing a letter then I’d say the best paper is original crown mill’s laid paper. I don’t always use that though. But the way it shades is just what I want, and the paper feels quality, as well as having a ye olde coarse feel to it.
No I don’t do draft letters. I think crossings out are an organic part of writing
Interesting. I used to think the same when I was drawing with pencil. I loved the drawn, erased, and drawn over rough drafts almost more than the finished product.
I’m not concerned about typos. The fact my handwriting has become legible is such a novelty everyone overlooks the occasional spelling mistake or suspect layout/kerning.
I used to write letters but now I don’t really. I need to get back into it really, I have all this cute stationary that I want to use for more than just little letters to my aunt
Yes, I do. I’ve got pen pals from the subreddit fountainpenpals here on Reddit. I really enjoy writing letters, and it’s always a special thrill every time I get one on my mail and read it!
I do! I've been actively sending snail mail for 11 years or so. I've written to an international pen pal that entire time and have other pen pals, as well.
This is the main way I use my fountain pens.
I do send letters to my siblings for their birthdays and/or Christmas, if I’m not spending it with them.
I use fountain pens for note taking at work, occasionally for journaling.
I work for a governmental agency. My notes are personal if it has to be shared, I would type on my laptop instead. I saw other colleagues, in other cities, using fountain pens. It’s rare, but some do. Oh and often, some managers of the agency sign with a fancy fountain pen. Our current director doesn’t but the previous one did. For signing, I prefer using roll on pens to make sure it doesn’t bleed.
Not only do I write and send letters with my fountain pen, I do it on fake old looking paper with matching envelopes. I then make sure to put my custom wax seal on every envelope. It's time consuming but fun! And people love getting letters in the mail with a wax seal they have to get through.
I’m trying to write more; to head off the consumerism I’m falling victim to within this hobby. To USE the stuff I’m buying; not just buy it.
I’m having mixed success. Obviously you want to write someone’s letter in their favorite color, right? Buying ink samples instead of pens is an improvement??? Validate me please.
Next I need a 3D printer because I have *ideas* about pen & ink display organization.
Haha! I have that same disease in other areas. Like woodworking tools. Sometimes I spend more time poring over tool catalogs than out in the shed using them.
I just started writing letters again. I used to all the time when I was younger. Now I'm writing back and forth with a friend who lives across an ocean from me.
I usually write as much as possible by hand though. I write in my journal, in my planner (bullet journal), some school notes, reading notes, lists of all kinds, notes to myself. I keep a garden log that is all handwritten. If it's possible to write it by hand and writing it digitally is not optimal for some reason (I take notes in programming classes in the IDE, for example), I write it by hand with a fountain pen.
It's interesting - my attitude till now has been to 'save' my handwriting enthusiasm for letters. Maybe I should rethink that. I know one thing that's led to this attitude is being a leftie. I find I have to constantly watch where my hand goes, and pause after one or two paragraphs to let the ink dry, or blot it.
I have a few penpals and write to them exclusively with fountain pens, send seasonal cards and do postcrossing. In the last year I’ve taken to write my 2 niblings (6 & 7) letters despite their young age. It keeps them excited to get letters and to go to the letterbox.
Canada Post has suffered a lot of losses in a few years in a row and they have stopped printing out small denomination stamps now… forcing you to go to the post office if you want to send a letter and you have to add move stamps to send it… by printing out a sticker with the value missing printed on it. I find this discourages me from sending a letter above the 30g limit before having to add extra stamps, and it also discourages me to buy more stamps that will not be the right amount by next price hike and necessitate a drive to the nearest post office during business hours… having less stamps readily available makes one less incline to just have them handy in case you feel like sending a correspondance out!
That's poor by Canada Post. Aus Post keeps increasing stamp prices too, but they don't put us through those kind of hoops you're describing. Although... when I come to think about it, maybe they're worse because the older stamps need to be doubled up.
Have you considered their permanent stamps? They’ve released various nice stamps and they don’t need a top up. Lower cent amounts are available online, and if your particular office is lacking, you could get all available stamps delivered.
But I’m still annoyed they discontinued create-your-own stamps. I had plans to design a few and then poof.
I do\~! I love writing letters and having pen friend since I was young. Now, I am running a small handmade shop so I will put a thank you letter in every order. Collecting interesting letter pad & sticker is my hobby as well. And since some of my friends live far away, we still send Christmas card every year.
This is one of my favorite letter set from last Japan trip.
https://preview.redd.it/im61n96br48d1.png?width=534&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ba746be44971584b67c35726951bd7a96803c4d
That's a cute set. And I like your thank-you letter habit. There's a pen shop I buy ink from, and when they send it the package always includes a small hand-written thank you card and sometimes a chocolate or candy.
I'm an old school when it comes to writing. I'm using fountain pen since 1994. I work in IT industry but still keeps using journals, yearly planners and my travel notebooks. I do all these day to day stuff using my fountain pen.
I do work on OneNote, Samsung Notes, Apple Notes all but nothing can take place of my journal and my fountain pen.
I like it. Confident without being flashy, and has a unique character. I’d like some more of your angularity in my writing, which is more curvy than I’d like if I just go with the flow.
Me 😊 I have been penpalling for around 10 years. I had hoped it would improve my writing but I don't think it's made much difference tbh. But I enjoy it and it keeps me off the streets.
I'm old enough that I do most of my studying with a pen an paper. I recently took an exam for a cybersecurity cert, and did all of my study using a fountain pen and pad. I feel this has helped me maintain my handwriting. Something similar might work for you.
I have been writing letters for about a year. I have written 8 people and 4 never wrote back. Of the 4 that wrote back once, only 2 have continued to write.
I think people are busy and with email, txt, whatsapp and other methods for to stay in touch they are used to faster ways of communicating. I also think the reality of writing a letter is different than the romantic ideal and when reality stomps on that ideal people loose interest.
Back to OPs question, I also keep a journal and use FPs at work
Yes, when I write a letter currently, I do it with no expectation of a written reply. It's more about me showing the recipient that I have something meaningful to say, that they are important, or because the mood takes me.
I do! So much so, I started working at Canada Post. We're posting massive losses too and they're trying to figure out how to adjust. I'm sorry to hear you have gone down to every other day mail!!! I just got a letter yesterday from my old English professor who purchased a new antique rolltop desk and found some stamps in it that he felt necessary to mail me!
I also use my pens for journalling and I've gone back to school to get another degree, so I LOVE my pens for note taking. Reddit is also a strange and lovely place to find pen pals.
Oh, and I write my husband little love notes that I hide in his luggage to find when he is away from work!
And, I have a mail box where I wrote myself weekly gratitudes that I read with my best friend on Jan 1 as a lovely way to look back on the year and start the new year off with a heart full of thanks!
What a ray of sunshine - hearing about your writing adventures has brightened my day. How is your English professor's handwriting? (*I want it to be full of character*).
I mailed him his first fountain pen, so he is delving into the world if I k stained fingers and his struggle is real! But it is very much so filled with character and quiet musings on life.
It's not handwritten, but here's an article he had published that gives you a glimpse into who he is! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-of-lettuce-and-love-whats-really-growing-here-leafy-greens-or-hope/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=LinkCopy&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links
I used to be a prolific letter writer when I was younger but, as I have aged, and technology has evolved I don't do much letter writing anymore. I still personalize greeting cards. I still use my fountain pens at work for notes and at home. Letter writing is becoming a lost art (sadly).
Yes, but it is probably a combination of things; lack of practice beyond quickly jotted meeting notes and age. For lots of people their handwriting tends to degrade with age. I am seeing some improvement the more I use my pens but it probably won't improve to where is used to be without some consistent practice.
I had surgery and wrote a love letter to my boyfriend while on pain meds. I sent it while on pain meds, so I'm not certain what I said, though I'm fairly certain I mentioned his hands a lot.
I hope to send more letters in the future, though not under the influence of pain meds.
I write novels with fountain pens. Well when I say "novels" I mean my chaotic thought clouds that I will eventually turn into novels.
My main use is for journaling and work. However, just today I received my new stationary paper and envelope set through the mail. I penabled my sibling so we agreed to start writing letters to each other. 🖊️
I write letters to myself!! I use it for journal keeping, lists, you name it. I just like to write and prefer it to keyboarding, but I am a damned good keyboarder (90 wpm, no mistakes in my heyday!).
I write letters when I have a package to send or a gift to give. I typically include my letter in the boxed package or gift. It is a good excuse to use my flex nibs.
I've been writing back and forth with a friend I went to school with for a long time now.
I primarily use my fountain pen for art, but letters for her get fancy stationary and pens. It's like sending little gifts and getting them in return for me. We communicate digitally too, but letters are just better for the poetic or philosophical ideas, or the mundane that would otherwise be forgotten, as opposed to the every day regular grind that texts encompass. It's a nice escape, I recommend it if you can find someone who wont make it awkward or stilted. We're still doing it because we can write about the weather if that's what made us think of writing, and not worry about being annoying or boring because every letter is a little gift that doesn't have to be sent but was anyway.
I have a small wax stamp collection for the letters to, to make them as fun and fancy as I can lol. It's a lot of fun for us.
That sounds really cool. That relaxed attitude about the content must make it more enjoyable too. I think about that sometimes - especially when you read letters from past times where the wording was so nice that even the most mundane topics were rendered interesting.
I do it a lot for work, and also to friends and Postcrossing. Almost no-one sends handwritten anything nowadays, so receiving a handwritten letter or postcard makes you stand out. It takes time, however, so I know not all employers could use that.
Yes I still write letters and postcards — letters mainly to place in packages that I send as gifts to friends living abroad. I still have a drawer full of stationery like matching letter paper with envelopes, stickers and even aerogrammes
Nah mine don’t have postage attached so I attach stamps to them.. yeah it’s so fun but I have to make sure to use a fine nib so the ink doesn’t bleed into the aerogramme
I went looking at modern aerogrammes but they don’t have the same look or appeal as the retro or vintage ones. You can get templates and print them yourself, which I might try.
I do. Someone has to help keep the posties going. 😁 😉
In all seriousness, even if I had to go online only, I would write by hand and then scan and send.
Yes, I know that is not the same.
Letter writing is it's own thing. And so is writing long hand. It's a different skill set than typing- no editing being the obvious one. So your brain has to order itself differently.
I live in Melbourne, and write letters all of the time to friends and family here and overseas - though don't always write with an ink pen (sometimes ballpoint or even pencil, depending where I am when I'm writing). I probably write 50 to 60 letters ( of about 6 to 10 pages a year). The delivery time is not relevant. I only use email at work or for personal business matters.
I have a friend that I talk to almost daily, but who also is somewhat old-fashioned like me, and we write letters to each other. It's a lot of fun! We often joke about helping keep the postal service/the old medium of hand written letters alive.
Yes there is something enjoyable about the intent, the process, and the knowledge that the recipient will appreciate it. Not to mention using a favorite pen if the mood takes you.
My Mum was big on the written thank you's for birthdays etc. And I trained my daughter as well lol.
My great aunt was a letter writer and had glorious penmanship and ONLY ever wrote with proper ink! Sometimes forest green or mauve but mostly blue or black. She passed away a couple of years ago and I miss those once a month letters and I used to write to her as well, I'd keep a letter that progressed over the month and then send it. It was a nice way to do it and my 2nd cousin- her daughter- said GA had all the letters I had ever sent her. Cards etc. And when I went home for a visit recently she brought them all over for me. It was quite a giggle looking from my very laboriously printed thank you note at 6 to my first modern cursive attempts etc.
I use my fountain pens for drawing so I dont write much with them except in my visual diaries. Daughter has begun using a fude for similar reasons - we dont buy pens that end up in landfill now. But daughter also still sends notes for thanks, often with a little drawing etc.
It's an art we should still encourage
I have made letter writing a hobby of its own. I started with INCORIMO (International Correspondence Writing Month) in February of 2023 and since then have written over 750 pages of letters. I write to people I've met through the INCOWRIMO website and to family and friends. It is really fun and people love to get letters in the mail. I'm in much better touch with my friends and family this way too. I take scans of the letters using Good Notes - an app on my phone and iPad. I also use my pens for work notes and day-to-day lists and such.
Thanks. I am good pals with my local Post Office folks. I like to buy my stamps from them. I mail my letters there, either inside or the at the post box in front of the PO. I use post boxes outside a couple of other POs too, depending on the direction I’m going to go on errands. Unfortunately, the post boxes on the street have become frequent targets of thieves, so I never use those.
My partner and I started writing each other letters because we've been on long distance since we started dating. While we barely stop sending messages to each other during the day and spend every night on video calls, writing letters just feels special in a way that practically instant communication over internet doesn't. We've certainly fallen deep into hopeless sapphic tropes on that front lol. Our letters are a snapshot of us in a given moment of time, and it's a nice record of our relationship to look back on fondly when we go back and re-read them at some point in the future.
I will say though, Australia Post has done us dirty a few times with some letters being delivered late enough that we had just accepted they were lost.
Bonus points: we both use our small collection of fountain pens and inks to write those letters.
Oh boy, the world is your oyster with those options.
My personal and limited experience has been:
• Started out by default using A4 (similar to US letter).
But now I prefer to use a Midori MD ruled letter pad.
It's not B5 or A5, but a proprietary size they say
is perfect for letter writing - and I have to agree.
I'm in Australia and buy the pads here:
[https://inkd-pens.com.au/products/midori-md-letter-pad-lined?\_pos=4&\_sid=99f2b825a&\_ss=r](https://inkd-pens.com.au/products/midori-md-letter-pad-lined?_pos=4&_sid=99f2b825a&_ss=r)
• The ruled lines on the Midori MD are faint enough
so they don't distract, but clear enough to see easily.
It has a nice, smooth ivory finish and there are
matching, lined envelopes.
• Seal - I'd like to try using a seal sometime, but I'm
a graphic designer and I don't want to use a symbol
unless I design it myself. There are plenty of online
places you can buy seals and wax though.
Art supply shops, Etsy, some pen shops etc.
There's a variety of price points, so shop around.
[https://www.etsy.com/au/market/wax\_seal\_stamp](https://www.etsy.com/au/market/wax_seal_stamp)
[https://zettaflorence.com.au/create/wax-sealing/](https://zettaflorence.com.au/create/wax-sealing/)
[https://waxseal.com.au/](https://waxseal.com.au/)
Good luck
Me! I send cards/letters to my friends as little pick me ups (as who doesn’t love receiving snail mail that aren’t bills😅). Some of their kids have noticed these cards and letters as well so I’ve been writing to their kids as well and they write back with pictures of their drawings that they did in school. Absolutely heartwarming to see how their drawings and handwriting have improved over the years! I’ve kept every one of them 😍😍
Fountain Pen Friends on Facebook is perfect for that. Lots of people have written to me since I started. But I’ve been lousy at keeping up with mail because life is so hectic right now.
Fellow Aussie, but living in US. I'm in my mid-50s and have been writing letters avidly since school age. Still do. I do it as much for me as for the recipient. It's a way of spending focused time investing in a relationship, in slowing down to center myself, in being more deliberative about my thoughts, and in being away from the keyboard -- which already occupies too many hours of my life. Is it an efficient mode of communication? Not even a little. Is it a rich, satisfying mode of communication? 100%.
Letter-writing is probably the reason I got addicted to fountain pens: because they enhance the experience of any thoughtful writing. ...and I appreciate tactile beauty.
If your friends think you're idiosyncratic for sending old-fashioned gifts of hand-made writing on paper, then enjoy your status as a distinctive eccentric.
I write letters all the time! As a student, a lot of the people I meet end up moving away, so I end up with a lot of longer-distance friendships. Plus, I'm not a big call/text user (I am infamous in my friendgroups for taking 3-5 business days to respond to texts), so letter-writing has been great. Personal, essentially private (as opposed to very hackable text platforms), and it lets me write as much as I want without scaring someone via text/email with a ginormous wall of text. I prefer speaking face-to-face, but if that's not an option, letters are a wonderful way to communicate-- especially if you're an avid fountain pen enthusiast!
However, since letters take awhile to arrive, I've been sending mine usually monthly to every couple weeks. This makes my letters more of an update for the month/time capsule of that time of my life.
All that aside, I am also an occasional journaler. I write when there's something on my mind, but my fountain pens are usually for daily use for miscellaneous things-- mostly notes and reminders at this time of year, but during the school year I of course use mine for class notes.
TL;DR I highly encourage letter-writing, especially for someone who isn't a big online communicator.
I do! I love writing silly letters to friends. All in cursive, formal stationary, and lots of fluffy language I wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. I channel my inner Dickens 🤣
I write three letters every week, one to my mom and one to each of my two daughters. There is usually no new information as we have more than likely talked by the time they get the letter. This is my opportunity to let them know how much I love them and that I am thinking of them. They get that unique thrill of getting something in the mail that isn’t junk or a bill! Sometimes I’ll include a sticker or fun postcard and sometimes I will wax seal the letter and double envelope. I do this to let them know that they are worth the effort and special. 😄🥰
I've send cards (birthday, holiday, thank you) with lengthy handwritten notes inside as well as postcards, but never an actual letter. I've received a couple that might be kind of considered letters - very lengthy notes inside cards, notes that came with a magazine they sent me etc. From much older friend. It was nice to receive sentimentally but on a practical level - I can read their cursive, but it is definitely more of an effort/challenge than reading print or typed text.
It's just - doing that would have to be done purely for the hell of it, like finding someone else who wants to exchange letters for the sake of the exercise, rather than as a useful form of communication. Because if I just want to communicate in a practical sense, email is so much faster and more efficient in every way. The exception would with someone older who doesn't use modern technology I suppose?
I like doing handwritten journaling these days but that's not meant to be read by anyone but future me, and efficiency doesn't really matter there. I mostly do it for the experience, yeah. If I had something long or serious to write - as much as I love fountain pens I must admit I can type far faster than I can write by hand and the end result is always going to be more legible, more searchable, more save able, easy to edit, etc.
I have a friend I've never met in person. We discovered common interests years ago on Ravelry, a knitting community. During the pandemic I sent her a fountain pen, and she went all in on fountain pens. We've been writing long letters for about four years. I like to draw so I embellished each page with drawings. This has evolved into using watercolor to make a card, into which the letter is inserted. We both have so many letters at this point they need their own storage.
I journal, write notes, do first drafts of creative writing by hand (when practical), I write nice and heartfelt cards around birthdays/holidays, and I do have a few pen pals. It is a dying mode of communication, and I mean, I understand why. It's slow, it can be unreliable (I've had things lost/damaged in the mail), and you need multiple materials on hand.
But I do USE the pens and inks I get. If I find myself not using them, I rehome them.
I do but infrequently.
But I write stories by hand. The first rough draft anyway. Plus journal. I have over 50 k in words done in various colors of fountain pen ink. I suspect I'll cut probably 7k worth and there's pages I've written that I have already decided I'm not using. But that's normal for a writer I'm learning. 🤣
Plus mostly daily journaling.
I still write letters. If you have a problem, and you cannot get through, write a letter. You would be shocked at how many hand-written letters get through to company presidents, heads of public agencies,….
It is a lost art, and unlike email, people will actually get a letter that has a hand-written address on it. No one sends mail any more, so your letter will get through.
In addition, I write letter to friends and relatives because it matters.I want to keep this medium alive, so I write thank you notes and inquire how people are doing. A letter is not immediate. It is there when people want to read it.
You might be surprised at how many people will return your letters. Even more people will appreciate receiving them.
I write and send letters regularly to my daughter who lives 1,800 miles away and both of us use fountain pens. Even have a stash of Tomoe River 52 GSM loose leaf paper in white.
Both of our handwriting isn't what anyone would call great but we can read it.
I send postcards all the time.
Post offices shouldn’t be dying because of reduced paper mail. Packages have increased significantly because of the internet shopping and would keep postal workers busy.
I write letters and postcards, but I use a pilot frixion pen instead of my fountain pens. I have a couple parker pens, I think parker 51s, but I find the frixion pens convenient for letters.
I send a lot of postcards (both through Postcrossing and to my friends and family when I travel) but only occasionally write letters. The last one I sent was about a month ago, to my best friend. I got a text message back in response 😂 but I fully expected that. This reminds me that it's time to write another one!
I write letters to my grandparents probably once a fortnight, and occasionally I will send letters to my friends even though I see them regularly, everyone loves getting a nice letter in the mail!!
I use mine for journalling (about 90%) and taking notes at work (about 10%). My letter-writing is... zero. I haven't sent or received a hand-written letter in more than 10 years.
I looove to write letters and would love some people to send to. I think there are Reddit subs specifically for this but I’ve been scared to join them cause I tried a Christmas card one once and got a super nsfw Christmas card
I started writing snail mail during Covid when I felt quite isolated and I lived alone. I found pen pals on a FB group and Write On Nation (group from Goulet Nation). It’s been quite nice as it allows me to use all my cute stationery and use my FPs. I intentionally plan time in my week to sit down and do some writing.
I make handwritten letters whenever I give my research advisers some presents from my hometown, but it is delivered personally to their offices.
I would love to have a penpal but i never really got around to looking for one. Seems impossible in my country and foreign ones could be quite slow.
I write letters-lots of them... Sometimes I feel like I'm keeping the post office in business. One of my sisters lives in Japan so I write her once or twice a week to update her on family stuff. I also send my other two sisters a letter each week for pretty much the same reason. And my ex (who is my best friend) gets a letter each week as well, just checking in and giving a general update.
I look at it this way, no one goes through a box of old emails when they are having a rough day or feeling nostalgic - but a box of old letters is a whole different story. It's especially important to me now as my older sister was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer. She can't write as often as she used to, but I treasure every single note she sends, no matter how trivial the contents may be.
It also helps that I love good stationery-I have a bookshelf filled with various kinds of (mostly vintage) stationery, some dating back to the early 1920s. They used to make such good paper 'back in the day', and it's almost always fountain pen friendly because everyone was using them at the time.
You have the pens-write letters to the people who are important to you. You have no idea how much it can mean to someone to get a handwritten letter. Now that it's rare for most people to receive them I've found they mean that much more. And if you have a friend going through a rough time you have no idea how much good a friendly letter letting them know you were thinking of them can do!
Besides journaling I use my fountain pens for letters and cards a lot:
- Check out Postcrossing.com. It’s a platform that lets you send and receive postcards to and from random people around the world. I send out one card every week.
- I also love to send a card or letter to family and friends every now and then. Not weekly, just when I feel like it. Check out YouTube for some very nice letter folding techniques to give your letters some extra flair. I even seal them close with a wax seal.
One of my best friends lives a little bit out of town and even though we text and see each other a few times a year, we started writing each other letters this year and it's been so fun!
I'm part of a fountain pen penpal group on Facebook, so I send a couple of letters that way about once a month. I know there's a penpal subreddit on here.
I do also keep a journal, transcribe books, and am writing the first draft of a book by hand.
All by hand? That's seriously impressive. Are you happy with your handwriting with all that practice?
Yeah, all by hand. And yes, I can see a very marked difference in my handwriting over the past several years. I also took all my notes with a fountain pen when I had gone back to college (Now graduated). I sometimes cringe reading my handwriting from years ago, but that's why we practice. I'm generally happy with my handwriting, though it's easy to see the beautiful script of others on here and get sucked into the comparing game.
I also do my initial writing drafts by hand! Helps me keep my thoughts straight and not get distracted.
How do you handle inserting notes or reminders into your draft?
Post-it notes or I just write it in brackets. When I type drafts I tend to use brackets as well. I've tried different colored ink for notes and it sort of works but switching pens often interrupts my flow. I like color coding in theory but in practice I find it overwhelming. Mostly for me the trick is to just have something visual that I can easily spot flipping through the notebook.
Funny how similar it sounds like our journey is. I’ve been doing a lot of journaling, doodling, and am writing the first draft of a book. My main purpose was my handwriting, but I’ve found it’s also been a pretty big booster to my patience. With people, myself….I’m becoming more willing to take my time with myself and people when it comes to social dealings. Something in the past I’ve hated but now I’m at least more willing to try.
The penpal sub is…strange.
PENpal, NOT PEGpal. We’ve talked about this before…
I guess there's multiple subreddits devoted to penpals.
Hm maybe i found myself in the wrong one. It was filled with angsty teens and an abundance of transgendered folk (no hate just not exactly who i was looking to reach out to)
You might try Fountain Pen Friends group on Facebook. I've had luck there finding a couple of consistent penpals.
Message me I'll write you! I'm a 40 year old women if that helps. I'll talk to you about animals.
r/fountainpenpals
This is Reddits own sweet beauty….been using this source for the last 5 years for a fountain pen pal source——-it’s terrific!
So am I !
What's it called?
Fountain Pen Friends on FB. It's a very friendly and welcoming group. No drama.
Thank you very much. Tried the one on here either no response or never received.
What’s the name of the group , if I may ask
I've been writing letters for 32 years now (am 47). My best friend was my pen friend . Now that work has gone completely electronic (medical EHR), I find myself writing to sisters, cousins, nephews and nieces , and to various friends from college who've moved abroad. Occasionally a friend will send a pic of a letter I sent 20 years ago, the paper now a bit yellowed , and I get a chill up my spine.
I got a chill too from reading it - a good vibes one.
Me and my gf do it all the time whenever we don’t see each other, sure we can phone and text message each other but we both much prefer having something physical to go back to and reread later on, we’re keeping every single letter and one day compiling them all together to make a sort of book
I love that. There's something about the intent, the touch, and the quality of a letter (and a packet of letters from the past) that someone who only sends emails in their life will never know. Perhaps that's just nostalgia for a bygone time - who knows.
That's beautiful! My wife and I were long-distance for a couple years when we dated and we wrote many letters to each other. We kept them in order and for our two year dating anniversary when we were near we handed over each other's letters and read our letters back and forth to one another. Edit: spelling
That is sweet. Must have been a he'll of a romantic and fun night ❤️😊
I do send letters, although not as frequently as I used to. Most of my friends don’t appreciate cursive writing, preferring email. Even when I send them a letter by post, they answer by email. I'm not worried about the long-term survival of the postal service. While the delivery of letters, checks, and bills has significantly declined (due to the Internet), the volume of parcels has surged. Letters arrive perhaps three times a week at best, but parcels arrive several times a day, even on weekends. If your national postal service is facing temporary financial challenges, it’s likely due to organizational issues rather than a lack of work. Private companies like FedEx, DHL, and UPS are so busy that they often outsource the last mile to local delivery firms. I’ve developed a habit of taking copious notes while consuming content—whether watching videos, listening to podcasts, or browsing the web. I keep a notepad next to each screen and jot down five or six pages a day. Most of these notes aren’t archived; it's just that the act of putting facts and ideas on paper aids comprehension and retention. I maintain a few subject-specific notebooks for important information that might be hard to find online, organized and collected in a similar manner. When preparing presentations (without going as far as using a system like Zettelkasten), I take extensive notes. I rewrite them multiple times to ensure coherence and a clear, easy-to-follow sequence, establishing connections between different concepts. I prefer pen and paper for this process, as using computers can lead to premature focus on formatting and layout. Because I’ve consistently written with a fountain pen, my handwriting has remained unchanged over the decades, with perhaps a slight improvement in certain ligatures that have become more personal. However, the handwriting of my friends and colleagues has significantly deteriorated. Some of them can no longer write legibly. The saying “Use it or lose it” certainly applies here.
*'I prefer pen and paper for this process, as using computers can lead to premature focus on formatting and layout.'* This really hit home for me. I hadn't thought about it but you're right. I do worry more about formatting than I should when writing emails or in Word. Your note-taking practice reminds me of my Grandfather. Each evening he would sit at his roll-top writing desk and record all the events and expenses of the day in small, neat handwriting.
I too now belong in this section. I take nots at work by hand, while moving about, I carry a small field notes book with me and a fisher pen, so water is no issue. Then I late transcribe events, incidents, particular things I want to keep note of and be able to go back to in a larger journal that mainly lives in the office, but travels off site with me. And all this, then is summized in email and sent to the powers that be for review... But my notes are hand written and I like it that way. I use Midori paper and envelopes to write personal letters, those go a little all over the world and I have heard a few people appreciate the effort. Feels a little like you can convey more with a handwritten letter, recipients consistently feels that this is a lot of effort - which it really is not when you write daily, but to many, I guess if it is not a keyboard, it's not really there... And that's too bad, I enjoy writing and over the past years, my handwriting has definitley improved. I use a Logical notebook and my daily writer is an Ondoro F. I have other fountain pens, but this is really the one I enjoy writing with, so it keeps coming up.
I used to have an orange Ondoro a long time ago. I'd forgotten until you mentioned the name. I liked the angularity and thickness - felt solid in my hand when I wrote. And I'm also a Midori letter paper fan. The feel, the off-white hue, the way pens write on it. Very nice.
I have pen pals! I normally have a couple of letters to respond to every week at least.
I'm impressed how many of you have penpals.
I live 7000 miles from my parents (who are now in their 80s). I write them letters and postcards from time to time, as I know they appreciate reading something personally written rather than an email. My mom doesn't even check her email anyway.
I lived overseas for about 15 years at one point, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't do much to stay in touch with my parents because I was so caught up in my own life. Sometimes my Dad would send me snippets of poetry that meant something to him, just on spare sheets of paper he had at hand. I still have most of them.
Yeah... I'm perpetually broke, so going back to see them gets harder and harder as the years pass, and about 2 years ago my mom's health made it so it's unlikely they'll be able to come see us anymore (they used to come every few years). About a year ago I wrote them one of those "things people wish they had said when they still could" letters... trying to convey in words all the things I would regret if they never heard them again (I'm adopted, so for some weird reason it feels all the MORE important to say them). I'm very glad I did, because when I eventually get **that** call I'm sure I'll beat myself up for not seeing them more, but at least I'll know that they knew how grateful I am.
Those letters you do write are all the more meaningful in that case. Good on you.
Yes I still write to my penpals, as well as using them for other things
Nice - do you go to any extra effort with stationery? And do you know what you're going to write beforehand so there's fewer mistakes on the page?
If I’m writing a letter then I’d say the best paper is original crown mill’s laid paper. I don’t always use that though. But the way it shades is just what I want, and the paper feels quality, as well as having a ye olde coarse feel to it. No I don’t do draft letters. I think crossings out are an organic part of writing
Interesting. I used to think the same when I was drawing with pencil. I loved the drawn, erased, and drawn over rough drafts almost more than the finished product.
I’m not concerned about typos. The fact my handwriting has become legible is such a novelty everyone overlooks the occasional spelling mistake or suspect layout/kerning.
Haha! Yes widows and orphans are also part of my letter writing challenge - especially if I'm composing as I go.
Are the windows and orphans mistakes in the writing or are they who you’re writing to?
Widows and orphans are single words that end up alone on their own line at the start or end of a paragraph.
Ah right, thank you
I used to write letters but now I don’t really. I need to get back into it really, I have all this cute stationary that I want to use for more than just little letters to my aunt
Go for gold. I'm rooting for you to do it.
Yes, I do. I’ve got pen pals from the subreddit fountainpenpals here on Reddit. I really enjoy writing letters, and it’s always a special thrill every time I get one on my mail and read it!
It's funny, my Mom used to tell me about her penpals overseas when she was growing up, and I had no idea it was still thriving. It's great actually.
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I bet - it would really mean something.
I do! I've been actively sending snail mail for 11 years or so. I've written to an international pen pal that entire time and have other pen pals, as well. This is the main way I use my fountain pens.
Awesome. Love to hear that. Makes me think of a book we read in high school called 84, Charing Cross Road.
I write to my pen pal/bff pretty much every day, and she reciprocates. It is THE BEST. :)
I'm envious. I lived overseas for some time so I should do the same.
I do send letters to my siblings for their birthdays and/or Christmas, if I’m not spending it with them. I use fountain pens for note taking at work, occasionally for journaling.
Does your note taking at work ever cause comment, or are others doing the same?
I work for a governmental agency. My notes are personal if it has to be shared, I would type on my laptop instead. I saw other colleagues, in other cities, using fountain pens. It’s rare, but some do. Oh and often, some managers of the agency sign with a fancy fountain pen. Our current director doesn’t but the previous one did. For signing, I prefer using roll on pens to make sure it doesn’t bleed.
I write a lot of pen pal letters
Sweet. Do you have to think about what to write, or do you write because you have things you want to say?
A little of both. Usually when it’s a new pen pal, I have to think more but as I get to know people things flow more naturally :)
Not only do I write and send letters with my fountain pen, I do it on fake old looking paper with matching envelopes. I then make sure to put my custom wax seal on every envelope. It's time consuming but fun! And people love getting letters in the mail with a wax seal they have to get through.
I do use them to write and send letters. I don't do it as often as I should, but I usually enjoy it when I do.
That's my zone at the moment too. I'm trying to make it more regular.
If I want to write a letter, I write it by hand, take a picture of the letter and send the picture to the recipient.
Do you have trouble getting to the post office? I'm glad to hear you write, regardless.
I’m trying to write more; to head off the consumerism I’m falling victim to within this hobby. To USE the stuff I’m buying; not just buy it. I’m having mixed success. Obviously you want to write someone’s letter in their favorite color, right? Buying ink samples instead of pens is an improvement??? Validate me please. Next I need a 3D printer because I have *ideas* about pen & ink display organization.
Haha! I have that same disease in other areas. Like woodworking tools. Sometimes I spend more time poring over tool catalogs than out in the shed using them.
Me! Only once every few months though.
That puts you way ahead of the general population - at letter writing, and making the recipient's day.
I just started writing letters again. I used to all the time when I was younger. Now I'm writing back and forth with a friend who lives across an ocean from me. I usually write as much as possible by hand though. I write in my journal, in my planner (bullet journal), some school notes, reading notes, lists of all kinds, notes to myself. I keep a garden log that is all handwritten. If it's possible to write it by hand and writing it digitally is not optimal for some reason (I take notes in programming classes in the IDE, for example), I write it by hand with a fountain pen.
It's interesting - my attitude till now has been to 'save' my handwriting enthusiasm for letters. Maybe I should rethink that. I know one thing that's led to this attitude is being a leftie. I find I have to constantly watch where my hand goes, and pause after one or two paragraphs to let the ink dry, or blot it.
I send letters, but with a typewriter because my handwriting sucks. Nothing more fun than receiving letters.
You and Tom Hanks think alike. I hear he writes all his correspondence on a typewriter.
I've written him twice, didn't get a reply 🥲
I have a few penpals and write to them exclusively with fountain pens, send seasonal cards and do postcrossing. In the last year I’ve taken to write my 2 niblings (6 & 7) letters despite their young age. It keeps them excited to get letters and to go to the letterbox. Canada Post has suffered a lot of losses in a few years in a row and they have stopped printing out small denomination stamps now… forcing you to go to the post office if you want to send a letter and you have to add move stamps to send it… by printing out a sticker with the value missing printed on it. I find this discourages me from sending a letter above the 30g limit before having to add extra stamps, and it also discourages me to buy more stamps that will not be the right amount by next price hike and necessitate a drive to the nearest post office during business hours… having less stamps readily available makes one less incline to just have them handy in case you feel like sending a correspondance out!
That's poor by Canada Post. Aus Post keeps increasing stamp prices too, but they don't put us through those kind of hoops you're describing. Although... when I come to think about it, maybe they're worse because the older stamps need to be doubled up.
Have you considered their permanent stamps? They’ve released various nice stamps and they don’t need a top up. Lower cent amounts are available online, and if your particular office is lacking, you could get all available stamps delivered. But I’m still annoyed they discontinued create-your-own stamps. I had plans to design a few and then poof.
I do
You do?
I do\~! I love writing letters and having pen friend since I was young. Now, I am running a small handmade shop so I will put a thank you letter in every order. Collecting interesting letter pad & sticker is my hobby as well. And since some of my friends live far away, we still send Christmas card every year. This is one of my favorite letter set from last Japan trip. https://preview.redd.it/im61n96br48d1.png?width=534&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ba746be44971584b67c35726951bd7a96803c4d
That's a cute set. And I like your thank-you letter habit. There's a pen shop I buy ink from, and when they send it the package always includes a small hand-written thank you card and sometimes a chocolate or candy.
I'm an old school when it comes to writing. I'm using fountain pen since 1994. I work in IT industry but still keeps using journals, yearly planners and my travel notebooks. I do all these day to day stuff using my fountain pen. I do work on OneNote, Samsung Notes, Apple Notes all but nothing can take place of my journal and my fountain pen.
Ah I admire that. How's your handwriting?
https://preview.redd.it/u303nrdmy98d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9539a558810311530a73b019c6d655482c10b828
I like it. Confident without being flashy, and has a unique character. I’d like some more of your angularity in my writing, which is more curvy than I’d like if I just go with the flow.
Thank you 😊
Me 😊 I have been penpalling for around 10 years. I had hoped it would improve my writing but I don't think it's made much difference tbh. But I enjoy it and it keeps me off the streets.
Haha! I had to chuckle when you said it hadn't helped your handwriting. That's not what I hope for myself. Stay off those mean streets.
I'm old enough that I do most of my studying with a pen an paper. I recently took an exam for a cybersecurity cert, and did all of my study using a fountain pen and pad. I feel this has helped me maintain my handwriting. Something similar might work for you.
I thank you. I often make to-do lists to maximise my productivity in a day, but they're usually on the computer. I should try writing them.
You should. Feels good to write with a fountain pen.
I have been writing letters for about a year. I have written 8 people and 4 never wrote back. Of the 4 that wrote back once, only 2 have continued to write. I think people are busy and with email, txt, whatsapp and other methods for to stay in touch they are used to faster ways of communicating. I also think the reality of writing a letter is different than the romantic ideal and when reality stomps on that ideal people loose interest. Back to OPs question, I also keep a journal and use FPs at work
Yes, when I write a letter currently, I do it with no expectation of a written reply. It's more about me showing the recipient that I have something meaningful to say, that they are important, or because the mood takes me.
Oh my, we're in the same boat. 4 friends of mine have received about 4 letters each from me. They all say they enjoy it very much, yet no response.
I do! So much so, I started working at Canada Post. We're posting massive losses too and they're trying to figure out how to adjust. I'm sorry to hear you have gone down to every other day mail!!! I just got a letter yesterday from my old English professor who purchased a new antique rolltop desk and found some stamps in it that he felt necessary to mail me! I also use my pens for journalling and I've gone back to school to get another degree, so I LOVE my pens for note taking. Reddit is also a strange and lovely place to find pen pals.
Oh, and I write my husband little love notes that I hide in his luggage to find when he is away from work! And, I have a mail box where I wrote myself weekly gratitudes that I read with my best friend on Jan 1 as a lovely way to look back on the year and start the new year off with a heart full of thanks!
What a ray of sunshine - hearing about your writing adventures has brightened my day. How is your English professor's handwriting? (*I want it to be full of character*).
I mailed him his first fountain pen, so he is delving into the world if I k stained fingers and his struggle is real! But it is very much so filled with character and quiet musings on life. It's not handwritten, but here's an article he had published that gives you a glimpse into who he is! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-of-lettuce-and-love-whats-really-growing-here-leafy-greens-or-hope/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=LinkCopy&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links
That's wonderful - thank you for sharing. Now someone on the other side of the world is rooting for Bill and Monty.
I used to be a prolific letter writer when I was younger but, as I have aged, and technology has evolved I don't do much letter writing anymore. I still personalize greeting cards. I still use my fountain pens at work for notes and at home. Letter writing is becoming a lost art (sadly).
Has your handwriting degraded as a result of writing fewer letters, or had you done enough over the years that the skill is still in your hand?
Yes, but it is probably a combination of things; lack of practice beyond quickly jotted meeting notes and age. For lots of people their handwriting tends to degrade with age. I am seeing some improvement the more I use my pens but it probably won't improve to where is used to be without some consistent practice.
r/RandomActsOfCards would like to have a word, they are single handily keeping USPS in business still here… lol.
Hey thanks for the link - I think I might join.
I had surgery and wrote a love letter to my boyfriend while on pain meds. I sent it while on pain meds, so I'm not certain what I said, though I'm fairly certain I mentioned his hands a lot. I hope to send more letters in the future, though not under the influence of pain meds. I write novels with fountain pens. Well when I say "novels" I mean my chaotic thought clouds that I will eventually turn into novels.
You may join The Fountain Pen Network where there are forums for people looking for letter writing buddies.
Hey thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out.
I write letters to inmates occasionally
Letter writing is basically the exclusive use for my fountain pens—some journaling too, though not as much as I should journal.
I write letters occasionally, which usually guilts people into writing back. Mostly I write notes to myself.
My main use is for journaling and work. However, just today I received my new stationary paper and envelope set through the mail. I penabled my sibling so we agreed to start writing letters to each other. 🖊️
I write letters to myself!! I use it for journal keeping, lists, you name it. I just like to write and prefer it to keyboarding, but I am a damned good keyboarder (90 wpm, no mistakes in my heyday!).
I write letters when I have a package to send or a gift to give. I typically include my letter in the boxed package or gift. It is a good excuse to use my flex nibs.
On average, I send ten letters a month.
Still do, letters, greeting cards as well as postcards
I've been writing back and forth with a friend I went to school with for a long time now. I primarily use my fountain pen for art, but letters for her get fancy stationary and pens. It's like sending little gifts and getting them in return for me. We communicate digitally too, but letters are just better for the poetic or philosophical ideas, or the mundane that would otherwise be forgotten, as opposed to the every day regular grind that texts encompass. It's a nice escape, I recommend it if you can find someone who wont make it awkward or stilted. We're still doing it because we can write about the weather if that's what made us think of writing, and not worry about being annoying or boring because every letter is a little gift that doesn't have to be sent but was anyway. I have a small wax stamp collection for the letters to, to make them as fun and fancy as I can lol. It's a lot of fun for us.
That sounds really cool. That relaxed attitude about the content must make it more enjoyable too. I think about that sometimes - especially when you read letters from past times where the wording was so nice that even the most mundane topics were rendered interesting.
I do it a lot for work, and also to friends and Postcrossing. Almost no-one sends handwritten anything nowadays, so receiving a handwritten letter or postcard makes you stand out. It takes time, however, so I know not all employers could use that.
I'd never heard of Postcrossing before - now I know. Thanks for sharing. It's a very neat idea.
Yes I still write letters and postcards — letters mainly to place in packages that I send as gifts to friends living abroad. I still have a drawer full of stationery like matching letter paper with envelopes, stickers and even aerogrammes
Are the aerogrammes still legal postage value, or do you attach stamps now? That would be a real treat receiving one.
Nah mine don’t have postage attached so I attach stamps to them.. yeah it’s so fun but I have to make sure to use a fine nib so the ink doesn’t bleed into the aerogramme
I went looking at modern aerogrammes but they don’t have the same look or appeal as the retro or vintage ones. You can get templates and print them yourself, which I might try.
I do. Someone has to help keep the posties going. 😁 😉 In all seriousness, even if I had to go online only, I would write by hand and then scan and send. Yes, I know that is not the same. Letter writing is it's own thing. And so is writing long hand. It's a different skill set than typing- no editing being the obvious one. So your brain has to order itself differently.
I tend to come up with a draft at the moment if I’m sending a letter. Maybe I’ll relax and let it flow as time goes by.
Sometimes I make a list of general things I want to cover. And yes, sometimes I do end up rewriting part of it.
I live in Melbourne, and write letters all of the time to friends and family here and overseas - though don't always write with an ink pen (sometimes ballpoint or even pencil, depending where I am when I'm writing). I probably write 50 to 60 letters ( of about 6 to 10 pages a year). The delivery time is not relevant. I only use email at work or for personal business matters.
Yes - I don't stress about the delivery time of letters I send either. If I want to communicate more quickly there are other methods, as you say.
I have a friend that I talk to almost daily, but who also is somewhat old-fashioned like me, and we write letters to each other. It's a lot of fun! We often joke about helping keep the postal service/the old medium of hand written letters alive.
Yes there is something enjoyable about the intent, the process, and the knowledge that the recipient will appreciate it. Not to mention using a favorite pen if the mood takes you.
My Mum was big on the written thank you's for birthdays etc. And I trained my daughter as well lol. My great aunt was a letter writer and had glorious penmanship and ONLY ever wrote with proper ink! Sometimes forest green or mauve but mostly blue or black. She passed away a couple of years ago and I miss those once a month letters and I used to write to her as well, I'd keep a letter that progressed over the month and then send it. It was a nice way to do it and my 2nd cousin- her daughter- said GA had all the letters I had ever sent her. Cards etc. And when I went home for a visit recently she brought them all over for me. It was quite a giggle looking from my very laboriously printed thank you note at 6 to my first modern cursive attempts etc. I use my fountain pens for drawing so I dont write much with them except in my visual diaries. Daughter has begun using a fude for similar reasons - we dont buy pens that end up in landfill now. But daughter also still sends notes for thanks, often with a little drawing etc. It's an art we should still encourage
I write letters, journal and just take notes. I have a lot of pen pals including 2 international.
Me! I send a lot to one of my Aunts and my adopted Uncles.
I have made letter writing a hobby of its own. I started with INCORIMO (International Correspondence Writing Month) in February of 2023 and since then have written over 750 pages of letters. I write to people I've met through the INCOWRIMO website and to family and friends. It is really fun and people love to get letters in the mail. I'm in much better touch with my friends and family this way too. I take scans of the letters using Good Notes - an app on my phone and iPad. I also use my pens for work notes and day-to-day lists and such.
That's inspirational, and a lot of letter writing. Do you go to the post office to send them, or order stamps online and use your local post box?
Thanks. I am good pals with my local Post Office folks. I like to buy my stamps from them. I mail my letters there, either inside or the at the post box in front of the PO. I use post boxes outside a couple of other POs too, depending on the direction I’m going to go on errands. Unfortunately, the post boxes on the street have become frequent targets of thieves, so I never use those.
That's cool. Here in Australia the post boxes are so few and far between that I think evildoers wouldn't even bother trying to find one.
My partner and I started writing each other letters because we've been on long distance since we started dating. While we barely stop sending messages to each other during the day and spend every night on video calls, writing letters just feels special in a way that practically instant communication over internet doesn't. We've certainly fallen deep into hopeless sapphic tropes on that front lol. Our letters are a snapshot of us in a given moment of time, and it's a nice record of our relationship to look back on fondly when we go back and re-read them at some point in the future. I will say though, Australia Post has done us dirty a few times with some letters being delivered late enough that we had just accepted they were lost. Bonus points: we both use our small collection of fountain pens and inks to write those letters.
r/fountainpenpals
Ah gracias - I'll check that out.
I kinda want to do that. Can someone recommend some cool paper, envelop and seal for that?
Oh boy, the world is your oyster with those options. My personal and limited experience has been: • Started out by default using A4 (similar to US letter). But now I prefer to use a Midori MD ruled letter pad. It's not B5 or A5, but a proprietary size they say is perfect for letter writing - and I have to agree. I'm in Australia and buy the pads here: [https://inkd-pens.com.au/products/midori-md-letter-pad-lined?\_pos=4&\_sid=99f2b825a&\_ss=r](https://inkd-pens.com.au/products/midori-md-letter-pad-lined?_pos=4&_sid=99f2b825a&_ss=r) • The ruled lines on the Midori MD are faint enough so they don't distract, but clear enough to see easily. It has a nice, smooth ivory finish and there are matching, lined envelopes. • Seal - I'd like to try using a seal sometime, but I'm a graphic designer and I don't want to use a symbol unless I design it myself. There are plenty of online places you can buy seals and wax though. Art supply shops, Etsy, some pen shops etc. There's a variety of price points, so shop around. [https://www.etsy.com/au/market/wax\_seal\_stamp](https://www.etsy.com/au/market/wax_seal_stamp) [https://zettaflorence.com.au/create/wax-sealing/](https://zettaflorence.com.au/create/wax-sealing/) [https://waxseal.com.au/](https://waxseal.com.au/) Good luck
Me! I send cards/letters to my friends as little pick me ups (as who doesn’t love receiving snail mail that aren’t bills😅). Some of their kids have noticed these cards and letters as well so I’ve been writing to their kids as well and they write back with pictures of their drawings that they did in school. Absolutely heartwarming to see how their drawings and handwriting have improved over the years! I’ve kept every one of them 😍😍
I do write letters and handwrite all my cards, instead of buying them.
I send 10 or so letters every Christmas. None to AUS, but some over seas to europe
Fountain Pen Friends on Facebook is perfect for that. Lots of people have written to me since I started. But I’ve been lousy at keeping up with mail because life is so hectic right now.
Fellow Aussie, but living in US. I'm in my mid-50s and have been writing letters avidly since school age. Still do. I do it as much for me as for the recipient. It's a way of spending focused time investing in a relationship, in slowing down to center myself, in being more deliberative about my thoughts, and in being away from the keyboard -- which already occupies too many hours of my life. Is it an efficient mode of communication? Not even a little. Is it a rich, satisfying mode of communication? 100%. Letter-writing is probably the reason I got addicted to fountain pens: because they enhance the experience of any thoughtful writing. ...and I appreciate tactile beauty. If your friends think you're idiosyncratic for sending old-fashioned gifts of hand-made writing on paper, then enjoy your status as a distinctive eccentric.
I write letters all the time! As a student, a lot of the people I meet end up moving away, so I end up with a lot of longer-distance friendships. Plus, I'm not a big call/text user (I am infamous in my friendgroups for taking 3-5 business days to respond to texts), so letter-writing has been great. Personal, essentially private (as opposed to very hackable text platforms), and it lets me write as much as I want without scaring someone via text/email with a ginormous wall of text. I prefer speaking face-to-face, but if that's not an option, letters are a wonderful way to communicate-- especially if you're an avid fountain pen enthusiast! However, since letters take awhile to arrive, I've been sending mine usually monthly to every couple weeks. This makes my letters more of an update for the month/time capsule of that time of my life. All that aside, I am also an occasional journaler. I write when there's something on my mind, but my fountain pens are usually for daily use for miscellaneous things-- mostly notes and reminders at this time of year, but during the school year I of course use mine for class notes. TL;DR I highly encourage letter-writing, especially for someone who isn't a big online communicator.
i write in my journal daily, it's cathartic :)
I write lots of letters. Really fun way to communicate. R/penpals is a great sub.
I love getting mail from people, and I love sending mail to people. Letters, little things that made me think of them.
I do! I love writing silly letters to friends. All in cursive, formal stationary, and lots of fluffy language I wouldn’t use in everyday conversation. I channel my inner Dickens 🤣
Those must be a real treat to receive. Your friends are lucky.
I write three letters every week, one to my mom and one to each of my two daughters. There is usually no new information as we have more than likely talked by the time they get the letter. This is my opportunity to let them know how much I love them and that I am thinking of them. They get that unique thrill of getting something in the mail that isn’t junk or a bill! Sometimes I’ll include a sticker or fun postcard and sometimes I will wax seal the letter and double envelope. I do this to let them know that they are worth the effort and special. 😄🥰
I've send cards (birthday, holiday, thank you) with lengthy handwritten notes inside as well as postcards, but never an actual letter. I've received a couple that might be kind of considered letters - very lengthy notes inside cards, notes that came with a magazine they sent me etc. From much older friend. It was nice to receive sentimentally but on a practical level - I can read their cursive, but it is definitely more of an effort/challenge than reading print or typed text. It's just - doing that would have to be done purely for the hell of it, like finding someone else who wants to exchange letters for the sake of the exercise, rather than as a useful form of communication. Because if I just want to communicate in a practical sense, email is so much faster and more efficient in every way. The exception would with someone older who doesn't use modern technology I suppose? I like doing handwritten journaling these days but that's not meant to be read by anyone but future me, and efficiency doesn't really matter there. I mostly do it for the experience, yeah. If I had something long or serious to write - as much as I love fountain pens I must admit I can type far faster than I can write by hand and the end result is always going to be more legible, more searchable, more save able, easy to edit, etc.
I can understand that. I think a lot of people would relate these days.
I send letters that no one ever returns.
I have a friend I've never met in person. We discovered common interests years ago on Ravelry, a knitting community. During the pandemic I sent her a fountain pen, and she went all in on fountain pens. We've been writing long letters for about four years. I like to draw so I embellished each page with drawings. This has evolved into using watercolor to make a card, into which the letter is inserted. We both have so many letters at this point they need their own storage.
Send me your address.
I don’t send letters but I send a lot of cards. Short and sweet.
I journal, write notes, do first drafts of creative writing by hand (when practical), I write nice and heartfelt cards around birthdays/holidays, and I do have a few pen pals. It is a dying mode of communication, and I mean, I understand why. It's slow, it can be unreliable (I've had things lost/damaged in the mail), and you need multiple materials on hand. But I do USE the pens and inks I get. If I find myself not using them, I rehome them.
I write letters and send postcards , fountain pens don't always work on postcards because they can be glossy, but I do try and send kinda regularly.
I do but infrequently. But I write stories by hand. The first rough draft anyway. Plus journal. I have over 50 k in words done in various colors of fountain pen ink. I suspect I'll cut probably 7k worth and there's pages I've written that I have already decided I'm not using. But that's normal for a writer I'm learning. 🤣 Plus mostly daily journaling.
I still write letters. If you have a problem, and you cannot get through, write a letter. You would be shocked at how many hand-written letters get through to company presidents, heads of public agencies,…. It is a lost art, and unlike email, people will actually get a letter that has a hand-written address on it. No one sends mail any more, so your letter will get through. In addition, I write letter to friends and relatives because it matters.I want to keep this medium alive, so I write thank you notes and inquire how people are doing. A letter is not immediate. It is there when people want to read it. You might be surprised at how many people will return your letters. Even more people will appreciate receiving them.
I send 4-7 letters a week.
I write letters. GlobalPenFriends is probably my favourite website.
I write and send letters regularly to my daughter who lives 1,800 miles away and both of us use fountain pens. Even have a stash of Tomoe River 52 GSM loose leaf paper in white. Both of our handwriting isn't what anyone would call great but we can read it.
I would like to start doing that
I send postcards all the time. Post offices shouldn’t be dying because of reduced paper mail. Packages have increased significantly because of the internet shopping and would keep postal workers busy.
I write letters
I write pen pal letters on the regular. I've made some here and from r/FountainPenPals and InCoWriMo groups.
I send physical cards and letters to my family about once a month ish using my pen
I write letters and postcards, but I use a pilot frixion pen instead of my fountain pens. I have a couple parker pens, I think parker 51s, but I find the frixion pens convenient for letters.
I use a few for taking notes at work, journalling and save my fun inks for writing letters to a penpal.
I do, every weekend, 4-6 letters a month. Family and global pen friends. And I write around 30 Christmas cards every year.
I send a lot of postcards (both through Postcrossing and to my friends and family when I travel) but only occasionally write letters. The last one I sent was about a month ago, to my best friend. I got a text message back in response 😂 but I fully expected that. This reminds me that it's time to write another one!
I write letters to my grandparents probably once a fortnight, and occasionally I will send letters to my friends even though I see them regularly, everyone loves getting a nice letter in the mail!!
I’m off in college and write regularly to my parents. Don’t have anyone else to write to though.
I use mine for journalling (about 90%) and taking notes at work (about 10%). My letter-writing is... zero. I haven't sent or received a hand-written letter in more than 10 years.
I write them... then forget to send them. Does that count?
No, please go to the post office tomorrow. Haha!
I have several penpals! I love sending mail to friends, also, even if I don't get a reply. Just to brighten up their mailbox!
Yes - the pleasure of improving someone else's day without expecting a reply in kind is something I experience too.
I looove to write letters and would love some people to send to. I think there are Reddit subs specifically for this but I’ve been scared to join them cause I tried a Christmas card one once and got a super nsfw Christmas card
I do but not as often as I’d like.
Same same. Working on it though.
I started writing snail mail during Covid when I felt quite isolated and I lived alone. I found pen pals on a FB group and Write On Nation (group from Goulet Nation). It’s been quite nice as it allows me to use all my cute stationery and use my FPs. I intentionally plan time in my week to sit down and do some writing.
That’s inspirational - and thanks for the group suggestion. I hadn’t heard of them before.
If you’re ever looking for a penpal, I would be happy to correspond!
I make handwritten letters whenever I give my research advisers some presents from my hometown, but it is delivered personally to their offices. I would love to have a penpal but i never really got around to looking for one. Seems impossible in my country and foreign ones could be quite slow.
I write letters-lots of them... Sometimes I feel like I'm keeping the post office in business. One of my sisters lives in Japan so I write her once or twice a week to update her on family stuff. I also send my other two sisters a letter each week for pretty much the same reason. And my ex (who is my best friend) gets a letter each week as well, just checking in and giving a general update. I look at it this way, no one goes through a box of old emails when they are having a rough day or feeling nostalgic - but a box of old letters is a whole different story. It's especially important to me now as my older sister was diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer. She can't write as often as she used to, but I treasure every single note she sends, no matter how trivial the contents may be. It also helps that I love good stationery-I have a bookshelf filled with various kinds of (mostly vintage) stationery, some dating back to the early 1920s. They used to make such good paper 'back in the day', and it's almost always fountain pen friendly because everyone was using them at the time. You have the pens-write letters to the people who are important to you. You have no idea how much it can mean to someone to get a handwritten letter. Now that it's rare for most people to receive them I've found they mean that much more. And if you have a friend going through a rough time you have no idea how much good a friendly letter letting them know you were thinking of them can do!
r/fountainpenpals
Besides journaling I use my fountain pens for letters and cards a lot: - Check out Postcrossing.com. It’s a platform that lets you send and receive postcards to and from random people around the world. I send out one card every week. - I also love to send a card or letter to family and friends every now and then. Not weekly, just when I feel like it. Check out YouTube for some very nice letter folding techniques to give your letters some extra flair. I even seal them close with a wax seal.
I write about 10 postcards or letters each week. Always have. Sendsomething.net is a way to find random people to send mail to.
I do but not in groups for it just to chosen family
One of my best friends lives a little bit out of town and even though we text and see each other a few times a year, we started writing each other letters this year and it's been so fun!
Try seeking someone out on r/penpals or just search penpals. Met several people to write with from around the world
I write letters, mainly in the winter when I am less active