Writing a LONG LONG Letter

In addition to being a huge reader, I love to write to my pen pals. 

I am a LOOOOOOOONG letter writer.  Once I get going and connect well with a pal, my letters will typically be 15-20 pages typed, if not longer.  I don't like to hand write letters for 3 reasons.  1 ~ I have HORRIBLE handwriting and was once told by a pal never to write by hand again because she couldn't read it, 2 ~ I am a horrible speller so I love spellcheck, and 3 ~ I write so much it is hard to write by hand.  I write 3 pages by hand for every 1 that I type, so my hand starts hurting on page one, it'd be hard to write 40+ pages by hand all the time.

Long letter writers get it.  They are few and far between, but they understand what it's like to sit down with a seriously long letter and write away, spending hours or more likely DAYS to respond. 

The thing that amuses me is when people have said to me ~ "I could never write that much", or "I wouldn't know what to say".  For me, those are such weird statements.  How can you NOT find tons to say?

In the pen palling community it seems, to me, that "long" letters are 4-8 pages on the letter set stationery.  That's better than the swaps I see asking for "at least 2 pages".  2 pages isn't worth my time, and I don't understand what the point is.  How can you get to know someone in 2 pages?  For me, it would be like asking a new friend out for lunch to get to know them better and eating an appetizer and then leaving.  It's not enough!!

For me, it's so easy to write a really long letter, even to my pal with whom I've been writing letters to for over 12 years now.  It's just a matter of opening up and giving details.  I've received letters, that were promptly thrown in the trash) that were a page and said stuff such as "I am married, I like the color purple, I like to garden and read books". 

For those who say "I could never write that much", it's easier than you think, just give details.  Lots of them.  When you think it's too much, give a few more!!  If you are married, you can share ~ how you met, how long you've been together, what your wedding and honeymoon were like, what your spouse likes to do in their free time, what they do for work, what you all like to do together.  If you love to read ~ who are your favorite authors, your favorite genres, your favorite books, quotes from books, books that you had an emotional response to.

When you've found a true long letter pal, there is no such thing as too long, and you have made a friend for life.  It's a wonderful thing!