The Art of Letter Writing

(discover the beauty of snail mail)

When I first joined the fountain pen community, I didn’t quite know what I was expecting. I wanted to see how people put their pens and inks into use. I wanted to see new pens that I might not otherwise know about. I definitely wanted to learn about fountain pen friendly paper and planners. In fact, it was my pursuit of a fountain pen friendly planner that led me to find r/fountainpens on Reddit. That being said, what I didn’t expect was to find a small corner of the world wide web that was full of kind, generous, special people. I didn’t expect to find actual, honest to goodness friends. But (spoiler alert), I did. I can’t even tell you how I found my first pen pal or even who it was. All of my pen pals (and friends who have evolved from these letter writing relationships) came about organically. I never sought them out as such, but it would be something along the lines of… I mailed you a pen or I offered you a washi tape sample, and I included a note. Sometimes that person wrote back. Or we just somehow decided that we would start writing letters. I have had pen pals come and pen pals go… thankfully none of the pen pal partings have been awkward- they have just faded just as organically as they began. But I have had a few that have been very faithful writers over a number of years. I recently went through my stacks and stacks of letters… there is a book’s worth of pages in that stack. I have written to pen pals in all corners of our country and even some across the world- Washington, Minnesota, Tennessee, California, Taiwan, Canada, Japan, Ireland… what a fun and fantastic way for me to meet people I never could have known otherwise.

If you are interested in stationery, pens, writing, etc.… I highly recommend that you look into the fine art of snail mail! Truly, what does it take? A pen pal, of course, and a pen, piece of paper, envelope, and stamp. Other than that, it’s all just fun, but unnecessary, extras! If you look on YouTube, there are many videos about this topic and how to make your letters fancy and fun. I tend to keep mine on the minimal side, but I do like to add some washi tape and well-placed stickers. I often include stickers in my letters for my pen pals to use or pass on to others. I have also included washi tape cards in my letters. I love this notepad for writing my letters. It handles my fountain pens well and is affordable. I use mildliner highlighters to add some variation to my writing. Simply Gilded is my favorite brand of washi tape. I get my stickers from EVERYWHERE!

What should you write about? Anything and everything! The first letter or two might feel a little awkward since you don’t really know that person. I have even seen letter writers who do fantasy/fiction type letters where they pretend to live in a different era and have a different persona and life. I have not ventured into this type of letter writing, but it does intrigue me. I usually talk about myself some at first. I also will give brief information about my family and pets. Once I get established with a pen pal, I usually just ramble about my life. I also ask about their lives. I love to hear little anecdotes about trips, hobbies, fountain pens, pets, children, and families. One of my pen pals is around my age, but has a very different life than I do- she is not married and does not have children, so it always fascinates me to hear about how she conducts her life. She has a new hobby of ceramics and it’s so interesting to learn about that (she also has made some really cool stuff- I’m about to add a mug from her to my mug collection)! Another pen pal who is also close to my age has an amazing family- I love hearing all about them and the adventures they have along with their 3 silly dogs. This pen pal, in particular, has become one of my very best friends and I have yet to meet her “IRL,” though I know this will happen one day! I can’t wait for that day. I also include a little “currently” section in most of my letters (and I love receiving this back)- what am I reading, watching, eating, drinking, looking forward to, hoping for, dreading, etc.…? It’s a really fun way to share snippets about your life.

What if I forget what I wrote about in a past letter? Well, honestly? Oh well. I gave up on this one long ago. If I repeat myself, no big deal. They probably forgot, too. What if I don’t write often enough or write back quickly enough? Again, honestly? No. big. deal. Letter writing is a casual, slow burning joy. Take your time. Enjoy the anticipation of receiving a letter. Do not pressure yourself to write one. In my recent period of surgery recovery, I did not feel like doing anything… several weeks went by, and I am just now feeling like writing letters again. I hope that this post has informed you about pen pals and maybe even inspired you to seek out one of your own. There are forums and groups where you can reach out and ask for a pen pal. Or just find someone who you have interacted with in the pen or stationery community and ask them if you can write them a letter. You may find your new best friend. As always, friends, thank you so much for joining me in this space. Do you have a pen pal? Comment below, and let me know!