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InCoWriMo: Late to the party

Day 148: The End of the Line by Bruce Guenter on Flickr CC BY


Have you ever found an amazing TED talk that just blows your mind, but when you start sharing it, you realize everyone has already seen it? That's how I feel after learning about InCoWriMo.

I've known about NaNoWriMo for awhile, thanks to a bumper sticker I saw a few years ago and was so perplexed by the acronym that I had to look it up. But as a hand-written note fan, I'm a little disappointed that InCoWriMo is celebrating their fifth anniversary and I'm just now hearing about it.

What is InCoWriMo?
International Correspondence Writing Month is dedicated to writing letters by hand. One letter a day for the 28 days of February. Their website, tagged vintage social media, provides more information. The goal is to write something that will be delivered to someone else. A letter. A note. A postcard. It doesn't even have to be mailed. With a nod to More Love Letters, it can be as simple as a note of encouragement left in a public place or hidden in a book in the library. 

But I don't have anyone to write to.
Hogswallop, to start with. When was the last time you got a nice envelope in the mail that wasn't an invitation to a get rich quick real estate seminar with mediocre chicken dinners? I'd guess 90% of the people in your contact list would love to get a note from you.

But in this world of connecting through bytes, you may not have physical addresses for a lot of people. That's fair. But it's still no excuse. Go to the More Love Letters site for people who need encouragement. The InCoWriMo has also gotten permission from 28 people who would love to get your letters. Here's your chance to write to J.K. Rowling about how Dobby's death had you bawling. Also, if you write to fountain-pen maker Franklin-Christoph and include the line "Franklin-Christoph is Awesome!" you will be entered in the drawing for one of their pens. 

The start of a great tradition
It's halfway through the month, so writing 12 letters today day may be a little daunting. But start today with one. Send it to someone who wants to hear from you. Your mother. Your father. Your great-aunt. A teacher who made a difference so many years ago. It doesn't have to be long or detailed. Just say what you feel and that will be enough.
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