February is here… which means it’s time for another Month of Letters challenge! Are you in? :)
On September 2011, Mary Robinette Kowal decided it was time for a break. She spent the entire month offline, and asked her friends to communicate with her through letters. The results of this personal challenge were a revelation:
When I write back, I find that I slow down and write differently than I do with an email. Email is all about the now. Letters are different, because whatever I write needs to be something that will be relevant a week later to the person to whom I am writing. In some ways it forces me to think about time more because postal mail is slower. “By the time you get this…” It is relaxing. It is intimate. It is both lasting and ephemeral.
How so? I find that I will often read the letters that I receive twice. Once when I get them and again as I write back. So, that makes it more lasting. It is more ephemeral because I don’t have copies of the letters that I write and I am the only one who has copies of the letters that my correspondents write. So, more ephemeral.
I know a lot of postcrossers share these feelings – this is part of the reason why Postcrossing exists!
Mary’s decided to turn February into a Month of Letters, in which she challenges herself and everyone who decides to join to write and send at least a piece of postal mail every day. Here are the rules:
Mail at least one item through the post every day it runs. Write a postcard, a letter, send a picture, or a cutting from a newspaper, or a fabric swatch.
Write back to everyone who writes to you. This can count as one of your mailed items.
We can’t help but feel that postcrossers have their work cut out for them in this challenge… :) Nevertheless, we wanted to dare you all to do it! Write postcards, letters or aerogrammes or surprise a friend with an unexpected package. Maybe even pick a Facebook/Twitter friend and send them an offline “hello!”.
Are you up to Mary’s challenge? Grab your stationery and stamps and start writing! :)
28 comments so far
I loved this challenge since I first saw it 3 years ago.
Since last year - this is my all year round challenge. I don't always manage a full month, but mostly. It's so great.
Especially since there is hardly a day without any response.
Have a great February!
Last year i thought : Yeah i will take part in it next year..
But the postage for germany got too high for me,to do this..
It would be too expensive for me..
postcard germany 45 cent (in euro),70 cent a letter within germany,postcard or letter international 90 cent..
I had to take back a few steps due to this for this year..
I dont even wanna see the next year's postage(it raises each january 1st)..i dont know enough people within germany to write them cards,so lol
But have fun everyone who takes part^^
I'm going to have great fun with this. Today I'm mailing three letters and three postcards. So many more letters to write! I'll run out of ink before I'll run out of stamps!
Postage in Australia increased by a third ($1 local rate) & the service has slowed (from 2 days to 2 -4 days). Go figure how you can increase the cost & decrease the service at the same time. In spite of this, I love writing & receiving snail mail. I am up to the challenge. The memories you receive are worth it.
A friend told me about this recently and I thought it would be a great opportunity to be more active on Postcrossing again. But I might do a light version as I am not sure whether I'll be writing a card/letter a day.
@Prima_Murasakibara: Perhaps you could offer to send cards to German Postcrossers on the forum? You might even get cards in return. ;)
If you're joining in, I've created a thread on the forum so we can update each other and cheer along as we go! http://forum.postcrossing.com/viewthread.php?tid=105621 😀
I think this is a great idea! email is fine as a 'now' communication, but the writing of a letter with all it entails - finding nice paper, a fountain pen, a table away from the cats! and a cup of coffee - what could be more enjoyable. I am certainly in for this, starting today!
Fantastic idea!
It would be lovely to find someone in the uk to write to everyday for 1 month :) anyone fancy it??
@ Poohmaa
believe it or not, i totally forgot about that option lol
I am not that active in forum^^' This could be a reason to be,right?Maybe i even find someone who wants write back*-* Would be nice
I mail a postcard or letter or pay a bill every single day anyway, so count me in! ;D
Okay, so I completely missed this! How does that happen?! But I will start tuning up now by writing more cards and letters each month until NEXT February!
@Prima_Murasakibara
According to the post office the price is stable now for three years.
Also please remember: The postage for outside Europe letters used to be in DeutschMark times 3,00 DM - that is the equivalent of € 1,50.
But the present price is € 0,90.
So the long distance postage is still cheaper than it was 15 years ago!!! So we are not doing too badly with the German postage. This was done as they no longer make a difference between Europe and world-wide postage, as the sorting would be too complex and time-consuming.
@teamug and @Prima_Murasakibara:
You're of course right, teamug. Worldwide postage for cards used to be 1 € and for letters 1,70 € just a few years ago. So in that sense the current price is still cheaper than it used to be. ;)
Wow... Now I understand, that don`t know Mailing Address of my friends...
I will collect addresses for the next year challenge =)
@teamug and @Prima_Murasakibara
just be glad, you don't live in the Netherlands: Postage has increased repeatedly the last few years and is now EUR 0,73 within the Netherlands and a whopping EUR 1,25 for all other countries :-(
I think I will take part! I mailed a letter yesterday and today. I can catch up on my postcrossing postcards for the next week.
This is one of my favorite annual traditions!!!
I mailed a postcard on Monday, a letter to my Ukrainian penfriend (found via Postcrossing)and I will post another postcard right away. So I think I am in as well!
I made a thread in the German languaged Forum of Postcrossing two days ago. I still have 9 days to fill.
I would prefer German adresses,i offer Letters and Postcards-
if you want to drop by,please take a look.Questions?Ask in Thread.
Thank you so much
@teamug @Poohmaa
As far as i was told and read the price for the NATIONAL LETTERS only shall be stable for 3 years..
Thee ws no notice about anything else,just a little asterix said " national letters,70cent shall stay for the next 3 years"..nothing more..So well..i still dont think they wont raise the international things again.
@Jess-Cee
at least you have beautiful stamps.I was in love with your different winter ones of the ice skates,and such..
We have so incredible ugly and useless ones..Thats not fun to collect them at all here.. Seeing the new 70,except one i just think they're too ugly for my lovely letters (especially the microbiological macro things,whatever it shall be-it looks like a picasso art for me.Reall nothing near beautiful..sadly)
I challenged myself at the beginning of the year to send a postal card, letter or package every single day. Postcrossing is helping. I love writing notes - much more personal than email! Postcard collector, also, so this is WONDERFUL. Write on !!!
I would love to do this but it would be too expensive! Postage rates in Canada are very high. $1.13 domestic, $1.36 to the United states and $2.85 for international mail (price includes tax). Only good news is that postal rates are not going to increase this year. Good luck to everyone that participates.
Postcrossing ♥
@sleepyglowstar and others who look for people to write to! Please have a look at UK-based charity http://www.postpals.co.uk/ You can pick a sick child or his/her sibling to write to! Or pick a differend child for each day you write :)
I'm in, but I also count my postcrossing cards in, so it won't be to expensive. I've written 7 cards / letters until now. Some birthdaycards, but also just-for-fun-cards.
This is my third year. I use many postal offices to mail my letters & cards. I do rubber stamp art on all of my letters & cards.
@moonlight24
Got your envelope! Thank you so so much....
It is 2/29/16.I have a few more letters & cards to send.Today to a pen pal from Finland, tomorrow a postcard to Belarus,France & Czech Republic. I have a few letters to reply to & will have the Month of Letters for the 3rd year finished again.I signed on to the #write a letter campaign.I sent a letter to a new pen pal in the UK.
↑ Back to top ↑