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Morgaine
January 7th, 2018, 09:58 AM
It is almost that time of year again, who is signing up to the February letter writing projects? InCoWriMo has not yet been updated for this year, but https://incowrimo-2018.org/ is in progress.

Edit... InCoWriMo has been updated https://incowrimo.org/2018/01/incowrimo-address-exchange-2018/

Chrissy
January 7th, 2018, 03:52 PM
I don't officially sign-up anywhere although I try to send as many as I can. If I don't receive any correspondence to reply to, then I have to think up people to write to. :blink:

sems
January 7th, 2018, 04:57 PM
Signed up from Istanbul! Looking forward to send and recieve letters.

southpaw52
January 8th, 2018, 01:10 PM
I'm signed up looking forward to it.

VertOlive
January 8th, 2018, 08:22 PM
Yep. In for 2018. Hoping I have the time.

Morgaine
January 10th, 2018, 05:18 PM
Oh, a reminder - if you have participated in previous years here on the forum, maybe you should check your posts in the yearly threads to see if your address is current, or remove it if you do not want to take part this year/have moved.

ShugPug
January 11th, 2018, 07:02 PM
Joined for the first time! Going to be interesting!

manuel1094
January 16th, 2018, 06:22 AM
Hello!!! I recently moved to Barcelona Spain, I'm a 23 year old Venezuelan fountain-pen enthusiast! and I look forward to participate in this year InCoWriMo :)

My address:

Av. Paral-lel 155. 1-2 A.
Barcelona, 08004
España

Morgaine
January 19th, 2018, 05:00 AM
The addresses are up on incowrimo-2018

ShugPug
January 19th, 2018, 07:11 PM
I have taken "my" 2018, plus a few as I'm planning to do the previous Monday through the following Sunday.

But please bear in mind the definition of a plan is; "baseline for change".

Silverbreeze
January 19th, 2018, 09:23 PM
Just to be nice since we have new members

Tomasz Suchecki
1611 Washington Blvd
#5
Stamford CT
06902-2423
United States of America




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

although
January 21st, 2018, 01:52 PM
I signed up today. Sounds like fun!

Morgaine
January 28th, 2018, 12:14 PM
It is fun. Not long now until February.

I've started drawing up a provisional list of victims. I also have continuing correspondence to reply to.

Chrissy
January 28th, 2018, 02:45 PM
Is it cheating to start writing some now and finish them on Feb 1st? :)

Morgaine
January 29th, 2018, 05:06 AM
I don't think it is cheating if you are writing to an existing correspondent! However, a letter to someone new might be cheating!

Chrissy
January 29th, 2018, 06:07 AM
I don't think it is cheating if you are writing to an existing correspondent! However, a letter to someone new might be cheating!
Only existing correspondents. :)

Ted A
January 29th, 2018, 07:47 PM
It would be a kindness to write to first time participants several days in advance so that they get a letter on the first or second. I can remember worrying during the first week my first years participating that I wouldn't receive any letters because no letters came until about a week in, not recognizing that it is snail mail.

Morgaine
January 31st, 2018, 10:52 AM
I still haven't finalised my list of victims; there is just enough time still for people to sign up!

Chrissy
January 31st, 2018, 02:32 PM
It would be a kindness to write to first time participants several days in advance so that they get a letter on the first or second. I can remember worrying during the first week my first years participating that I wouldn't receive any letters because no letters came until about a week in, not recognizing that it is snail mail.
That has also happened to me. :(

Titivillus
January 31st, 2018, 03:00 PM
I put my name on the list and have 27 names slotted into my calendar!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Type40
January 31st, 2018, 07:24 PM
Is it cheating to.... all answers are no.
If you start one early and finish it on a day in February, hooray - your writing more.
If you pre-write a bunch of letters and deliver them in February, hooray - your writing more.
If you .... anything that involves putting thoughts into something which transports it to another person, hooray - your making a connection that you wouldn't normally have made.
If you miss a day (or two), think of all the extra writing you are doing that you normally wouldn't.


Keep it low stress, high enjoyment, silly, and a joy.

May your ink not run and you letters bring happiness to all,
Mark

Ted A
January 31st, 2018, 07:34 PM
Is January 31 the non-holiday with the smallest number of hand written letters mailed in the entire year?

VertOlive
January 31st, 2018, 08:14 PM
Oh my gosh. It starts TOMORROW!

Pharmasweaves
February 1st, 2018, 07:39 AM
Life got sneaky and pulled me away from here and most replies. Finally caught up and back in here, just in time to start up InCoWriMo. Between cleaning the house and applying to grad school, hopefully I can stick with it again this year. I am in the InCo.org book under Sam Weaver :)

lannen
February 1st, 2018, 10:28 PM
Ok, definitely trying to participate again this year after missing out last year. First letter to my grandparents today, but I have my address on the website list and looking forward to connecting with some new people now.

Morgaine
February 6th, 2018, 04:48 AM
Picked a few victims from InCoWriMo-2018 site, and the letters have been posted.

Chrissy
February 6th, 2018, 05:16 AM
I'm still on course...for now. I've posted 8. (Feels almost saintly. :bounce:)

(I haven't actually run out of "replies" yet...)

FredRydr
February 6th, 2018, 05:23 PM
Oh my gosh. It starts TOMORROW!
Thank goodness. I thought I was a week late!

although
February 8th, 2018, 10:11 AM
I've done the required dailies plus a few extra so far... I'm doing a lame sort of close-eyes-wiggle-mouse method of randomizing. Had to buy more international stamps. I've come up on Australia twice!

Chrissy
February 8th, 2018, 10:16 AM
In the interests of forward planning, I bought a good batch of unused "E" stamps on eBay during January. They work for Europe up to 20grams weight and Worldwide up to 10grams weight. For US friends, I have to use airmail envelopes and TR paper to get down to 10grams. :)

although
February 12th, 2018, 08:05 PM
Okay, I gave up on the close-eyes wiggle-mouse technique. Now I've got a mature and scientific rolling the D&D dice method going on

FredRydr
February 12th, 2018, 08:37 PM
In the interests of forward planning, I bought a good batch of unused "E" stamps on eBay during January. They work for Europe up to 20grams weight and Worldwide up to 10grams weight. For US friends, I have to use airmail envelopes and TR paper to get down to 10grams. :)

It hardly seems to matter. A postcard arrived today from Scotland with only a 5p stamp.

Runnin_Ute
February 17th, 2018, 09:17 PM
As of this morning twenty have gone out. (this does not include the five that were hand delivered, rather than mailed.) Three new ones arrived in today's mail. One reply is ready, another is in process. I expect all will go no later than Tuesday. (Monday being a postal holiday here in the US)

Runnin_Ute
February 20th, 2018, 09:04 PM
I am waaaayyy ahead of the game. Counting the two which arrived today, which I have completed replies to, that brings my count to 25 with a week to go.

Morgaine
February 21st, 2018, 03:32 AM
I suppose I should work on replies before sending too new victims

Chrissy
February 22nd, 2018, 12:49 AM
I am waaaayyy ahead of the game. Counting the two which arrived today, which I have completed replies to, that brings my count to 25 with a week to go.
Did you receive one from me yet? :)

Runnin_Ute
February 22nd, 2018, 06:58 AM
I am waaaayyy ahead of the game. Counting the two which arrived today, which I have completed replies to, that brings my count to 25 with a week to go.
Did you receive one from me yet? :)Not yet. Do you recall when it was sent?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Chrissy
February 22nd, 2018, 08:12 AM
I am waaaayyy ahead of the game. Counting the two which arrived today, which I have completed replies to, that brings my count to 25 with a week to go.
Did you receive one from me yet? :)Not yet. Do you recall when it was sent?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Feb 19th or 20th....

Runnin_Ute
February 22nd, 2018, 08:33 AM
I am waaaayyy ahead of the game. Counting the two which arrived today, which I have completed replies to, that brings my count to 25 with a week to go.
Did you receive one from me yet? :)Not yet. Do you recall when it was sent?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Feb 19th or 20th....I will watch for it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

ravkesef
February 24th, 2018, 03:05 PM
Well, today is February 24, 2018, and I have kept up with INCOWRIMO 2018. My practice is to write a letter to a man, a woman, one in the U.S. and one foreign, on alternating days. Haven’t missed a day, and only four to go. And I’ve looked up each address on Google Maps so I can see where my recipients live. Some of my recipients have sent return mail, and I’ve received one letter that was from a nice person who selected my name from the address list. It’s been fun, and in a few cases I see the possibility of ongoing correspondence. This is a great way to make friends, and frankly, I’m having a great deal of fun.

VertOlive
February 25th, 2018, 05:07 PM
Just jotting along. Only 4 letters from new people this year, must be the Texas address (!)

VertOlive
February 27th, 2018, 06:29 PM
3 more new writers in the box, will just make that one a day mark this year.

Runnin_Ute
February 28th, 2018, 01:02 PM
Final two out today. One to the UK and the other to New Jersey. That brings the total via USPS to 37 + 6 hand delivered for a total of 43.

No new ones in today's incoming mail.

ravkesef
February 28th, 2018, 10:24 PM
The clock just ticked over to March 1, so INCOWRIMO 2018 is officially over, and I made it—28 letters—14 to the U.S., and 14 to other countries. Receiving responses to some of my letters was a real treat, and I got one letter from someone who picked my name from the address list. In a few cases I can see some ongoing correspondence. It’s been a blast, and the month ended on a bittersweet note: I accomplished my goal of a letter a day, but now it’s all over, and I need to wait eleven months for it to start again.
Here’s a strange one: I received a postcard from someone not on the Address List. There were three stickers on the postcard. One was my address, the other was the sender’s return address, and the third was a sticker telling me that she liked to send and receive postcards from all over, and would I oblige by sending her a postcard. The strange part is that there wasn’t the merest scrawl on the postcard—just the three stickers. My opinion—this was somewhat impersonal. I wonder if anyone else got such a postcard, and what your reaction to it was.

Type40
March 1st, 2018, 09:29 AM
now it’s all over, and I need to wait eleven months for it to start again.
As I see it, the goals of InCoWriMo are/were:
- Have a reason to use all the pens we enjoy collecting
- Make new stronger connections with similar yet different people
- Develop a daily habit/time to sit and write
If you found that your day was better when you took a few moments to write out a thought or two and send it off, why would you choose to have a less better day just because it isn't February?
Events like this are designed to give us a little extra reason to do something we wish we would do, yet can't quite justify. The hope is that after a length of time (Month) we would be past the 'should I / shouldn't I' phase and into, this is just something I do.
My recommendation is to listen to the little voice that says "I miss having a quiet moment with my thoughts and stationery", "I miss walking to the mailbox and putting something fun and creative in it". When you hear/feel this, send something to someone you have connected with already or.... pull a new name and address from the list. I seriously doubt that anyone on that list would be unhappy to receive a surprise introduction letter anytime of the year.
The pressure may be off, but the pleasure shouldn't be.

Morgaine
March 1st, 2018, 12:18 PM
Letters can be for life, not just for February!

Ted A
March 2nd, 2018, 08:25 AM
just the three stickers. My opinion—this was somewhat impersonal. I wonder if anyone else got such a postcard, and what your reaction to it was.

I have had similar mail. It seems that InCoWriMo has broadened the type of people participating over the years. 5 years ago when I first participated it was an event that almost exclusively belonged to FPGeeks. It was fountain pen and ink usage. Since then InCoWriMo has received much wider awareness and draws people with different interests. It wouldn't surprise me if some participants got a letter from me and wondered what was going on with this old guy talking about himself and his inky pens.

To each his or her own and receiving any letter or card is way better than advertising junk.

VertOlive
March 11th, 2018, 06:24 PM
The clock just ticked over to March 1, so INCOWRIMO 2018 is officially over, and I made it—28 letters—14 to the U.S., and 14 to other countries. Receiving responses to some of my letters was a real treat, and I got one letter from someone who picked my name from the address list. In a few cases I can see some ongoing correspondence. It’s been a blast, and the month ended on a bittersweet note: I accomplished my goal of a letter a day, but now it’s all over, and I need to wait eleven months for it to start again.
Here’s a strange one: I received a postcard from someone not on the Address List. There were three stickers on the postcard. One was my address, the other was the sender’s return address, and the third was a sticker telling me that she liked to send and receive postcards from all over, and would I oblige by sending her a postcard. The strange part is that there wasn’t the merest scrawl on the postcard—just the three stickers. My opinion—this was somewhat impersonal. I wonder if anyone else got such a postcard, and what your reaction to it was.

I did. Maybe the same person and I found it odd. I wasn't sure how to cast my reply.

countrydirt
March 11th, 2018, 06:28 PM
I tend to write 10-15 letters per month, most months, some more, sometimes less. InCo is just another month for me.

Ted A
March 12th, 2018, 09:16 AM
InCo is just another month for me.

For me doing one of the side benefits of InCoWriMo is that it keeps me distracted from how cold, snowy, dreary February is. The worst month of the year now slips past quickly with something far more interesting to do that anxiously await spring.

DavidDecorator
March 13th, 2018, 02:10 PM
I sent out quite a few despite being very busy with work and I think I had ten various missives in. I'm going to reply to the received ones this month so that my correspondees have a nice surprise this month as well which may be the wrong way round but that's the kind of man I am.

Morgaine
March 28th, 2018, 02:33 PM
I managed February easy enough, but now am inundated with letters I want to reply to. Current pile has 43 letters needing responses.

Chrissy
March 29th, 2018, 05:27 AM
I managed February easy enough, but now am inundated with letters I want to reply to. Current pile has 43 letters needing responses.

Wow! :jaw:

Morgaine
April 24th, 2018, 05:28 AM
Now whittled down to 23 but that is before the postie calls. Many are replies to my surprise letters, or their replies to my replies of their surprise letters.