Welcome to my guest this week, Shannon Hood, creator of the “Of Permanent Things” newsletter and a fellow evangelist for note and letter writing. We’ll be supporting each other in this noble cause, and I’m so glad she let me share this post with you. See below for more about Shannon.
So you’re thinking about becoming a letter writer? I’m so glad to have your company. Perhaps you’re a seasoned correspondent; if that’s the case, this post probably isn’t for you. But if you haven’t written a letter in a few decades (or maybe ever!), there are a few simple things you need before you get started.
Fortunately, the tools used for writing a letter are neither expensive nor difficult to find. And you won’t even need a charged phone or wifi to write one!
The first item to put in your letter-writing box is something to write letters on. This is often called “stationery,” and it can be anything from lined notebook paper to fine cotton paper, notecards, or anything in between. Greeting cards work, too! I prefer to write my own thoughts rather than rely on greeting card writers, but really, anything goes here. Paper + envelope = stationery.
Secondly, head to the post office, or usps.com, and pick out some stamps. If they have a design you love, grab a few sheets; now that you’re a letter writer, you’re going to need them!
Finally, it’s time to round up a few addresses. If you already keep an address book — either digitally or a physical one, you can skip this tool and begin writing. If you don’t, may I suggest that you begin one today? A spreadsheet is a simple way to store addresses, but (shocker!) I prefer a physical address book. I find that it’s faster to locate an address in a physical book as opposed to a phone or a computer. Again — find a method that works for you, and be sure it’s easy to make changes when needed. So if you’re keeping a physical address book, do write in pencil.
Photo by Christian Meuringer
If your collection of addresses is a bit thin, start reaching out to people you’d like to write to and ask for their addresses. A side benefit of keeping an up-to-date address book through the year is that you’ll avoid the frantic rush to gather addresses in November to send out Christmas cards (and you definitely send Christmas cards, right? wink).
All you need now is a quiet spot, a window with a pretty view of the outside world, a cup of peppermint tea, and a few moments to pen your thoughts to someone dear to you.
Happy writing!
About Shannon Hood
Shannon is a writer/blogger and mother/wife from Texas, and we’ve bonded over our shared passion for old fashioned letter writing. This post appeared originally on Shannon’s blog which is no longer published and reprinted here with her permission. You can find her now on Substack: https://shannonhood.substack.com/.
Elizabeth’s note: In spite of my love for pen and paper, I do keep addresses on my phone/tablet/computer so I have easy access to them when I travel. Snail mail addresses used to be readily available from our local phone books, but since landlines are being dropped in favor of cell phones, it’s hard to find them. I use Whitepages.com, but it’s far from perfect.
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Compass Points Newsletter February 2020
I often write about this on my blog.
I love writing letters and have most of my life. There have been times when the writing waned but never dried up. I receive far fewer than I send but that truly isn’t as important. Thought I’ll admit to the exhilaration I feel when someone takes the time to write one to me!
I’ve saved them all over the decades — that’s how significant they are to me.
When my dear mom died and I was ‘clearing out’ her house, I found a drawer in her bedroom filled with all the letters I had ever written her. Of course, they are mind now and I could never part with them. Imagine what they meant to her!
Oh my goodness, what a marvelous thing to uncover the stash of your letters to your mother and to realize how much they must have meant to her. That is one of the most important reasons for writing personal, handwritten notes. They can be saved, re-read, and enjoyed far beyond the original reading. And they always—always–represent so much more than just words on a page. Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience you’ve had with writing notes and letters.
Good morning!
I love writing letters and sending them to people. You cannot receive a cheery letter and not have your spirit lifted. Even when people do not send letters to me in response, I enjoy writing them and bringing a bit of cheer to others. I save copies of all my letters because I do not often remember what I have written and people tend to reply to questions with answers that have no reference to the question. It would be helpful if people learned to respond, “You asked how many cucumbers we harvested this week”….and then give the answer. But they don’t do that, which means sometimes it’s mighty hard to figure out what they are writing about!
Lois
Lois, I save copies of my notes and letters too — and you’re absolutely right about why it can be helpful. Years ago, someone wrote me, “Your note was the most beautiful one I have ever received.” But do you think I could remember what I wrote so I could know what had impacted her so? Nope. I’ve been keeping copies ever since. I’m so glad you commented on this, though, because I may need to be more mindful myself about making sure I’ve referenced an earlier letter — especially if it’s been a while.