4 Pros and 4 Cons of Letter Writing

Over the past 3 days, I've talked about sending letters, the benefits of writing letters, and the benefits of wax seal stamps. Today, as the last post on this, I wanted to focus on something a little different, but still related to the topic. 

You may be thinking, "But, HBR, you've already talked about letter writing so much for the past few days. How could you talk about it more?" Well, here's the thing: I've talked about my thoughts on it, the benefits of letter writing, and the benefits of wax seal stamps (mostly aesthetic, but fun too). I haven't really discussed the pros and cons of letter writing.

As a result, here are 4 pros and 4 cons of letter writing.

Pro 1: You can improve your writing, both in how it looks and word choices.

I've noticed that I've been able to improve my word choices, my handwriting, and so much more just through writing letters to friends and family. Since I'm a history major and will be writing for the rest of my life, this has really helped me. Additionally, it will continue to help me for as long as I need. Even if you're not going to do much writing with your future career, it'll still help to some extent.

Pro 2: There's no pressure to have "perfect writing" in how your writing looks and/or the content of your letter(s).

Although letter writing can help you improve your writing, you are only writing to friends and family. As a result, your letters to friends and family don't need to be polished and perfect letters. You're not writing to a president or other celebrity. It's perfectly okay to be completely casual in your letters.

Pro 3: Stamps are relatively cheap, so you can buy a lot in one go.

I've occasionally encountered the problem of running out of stamps. As a result, I needed to take a brief break until I got more stamps. However, stamps are on the cheap side, so it's easy to buy a lot of stamps in one purchase. Once you do this, you don't have to worry about running out of stamps for some time. However, I do recommend keeping tabs on how many more stamp sheets you gave. That way, if you're on your last sheet, you know and you can buy more stamps before you completely run out.

Pro 4: If you have a friend or family member who doesn't have any social media and isn't great with technology, it'll lift their spirits to receive a letter.

If this is the case, writing that friend or family member a letter may be the best way to connect with them. It may be a while before you can actually send them a letter, depending on how long it takes them to send you their address. However, this is a great way to stay in contact with people.

Con 1: It's time-consuming.

It doesn't matter how relaxed or busy your schedule is. Writing letters requires you to sit down and actually writing. You need to set up the envelope - your address, the recipient's address, and the stamp - and then you need to write the letter or card. Additionally, depending on how much you're writing in the card or letter, it could take 30+ minutes. And not everyone has that 30+ minutes to sit down and write a letter.

Con 2: If you hit a really busy point in your schedule, it's highly probable that you'll forget to respond.

This works on both sides of the scale: both for you and for the person you're pen palling with. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: "busy" looks different for every single person. So if you don't get a response in the usual time, just realize they may be a bit busier than normal, which prolongs the time before you get another letter (or vice versa). So this is something to keep in mind.

Con 3: It can be hard to stay up-to-date with someone's address, especially if actual letters are few and far between.

I mentioned in the post on September 9 that you should try to keep updated with people's addresses, and you should try to make sure your pen pals have your updated address. However, this can be really difficult to do. So it's perfectly fine to reach out to people to make sure you have the right address.

Con 4: If a friend or family member is not so great about responding to social media messages (text, DMs, etc.), this probably leaks over into how quickly they respond to letters.

If they respond quickly on social media or via text, then they'll probably respond relatively quickly to letters. However, if this isn't the case, they may not respond as quickly to letters. This is another thing to keep in mind, mainly because you may want to write to everyone and anyone whenever you can. However, if you haven't gotten a response in a while, you may not know if one is on the way or not.

Letter writing, while fun, has its pros and its cons. I do highly recommend it as a hobby, whether you pen pal with friends or family or just send out a letter or two every now and then. However, I do suggest considering your personal schedule.

Additionally, it can be awkward to attempt to send out letters. This is especially true in today's climate with Covid still going around. I've handed most of my letters to the mailman/mailwoman who delivers my mail at my house (this is, of course, Mondays through Saturdays). If you have the possibility of removing the need to go to the post office or having to interact with a mailman or mailwoman (i.e. your mailbox is a mailbox and not just a mail slot), then go for that if you'd like to stay safe and send letters. Do what you feel most comfortable with while sending out letters.

10 Tips for Doing Wax Stamp Seals

This is similar to yesterday's post, but I want to focus on tips specifically for wax stamp seals. These are things that I've learned through trial and error as I've used wax and wax stamp seals for the past half-year.

Please note that there are no "right" nor "wrong" ways to using wax stamp seals. It is completely dependant on you, what you like, and who you're sending the card or letter to. Here are 10 tips for doing and using wax stamp seals.

Tip 1: It's ok to have multiple wax stamps seals - they give you options!

While wax stamp seals don't necessarily get "boring," especially for the recipient of the letter, having multiple wax stamp seals gives you, as the user of the wax stamp, a couple more options to choose from and rotate between.

Tip 2: Tracing your wax stamp seal with a pencil before placing the melted wax can help you gauge where to place the wax.

This is easily done by placing the wax stamp seal where you want it on the envelope and tracing a light circle around it. I recommend using a pencil instead of a pen for a simple reason: if the stamp doesn't end up a full circle and hide the tracing, it's easier to erase the visible tracing.

Tip 3: The smaller the wax stamp seal, the less wax you'll need, and vice versa.

I mentioned that I have 3 wax stamp seals the other day. My Star Trek comm badge wax stamp seal only requires 4 melted wax beads, while my "Bee Happy" bee wax stamp seal requires 6 melted wax beads. This is something, though, that you learn as you continuously use your wax stamp seal.

Tip 4: Wax beads tend to be easier than the wax bars with the wicks.

In my experience, especially with Tips 2-3 and Tips 6-7, using wax beads can make using wax stamp seals easier as a whole process. You can gauge how many beads you need for a specific wax stamp seal (like mentioned in Tip 3), and you can mix and match colors without worrying about the wax cooling as you choose a new color. (I.e. you can melt two colors of wax beads at the same time.)

Tip 5: If you go the route of wax beads, you'll want to get a wax melter kit. (If this link doesn't work for you, search wax stamp kit or wax stamp melter kit into your Amazon search bar.)

This one really helps out Tip 4 and the tips referenced under it. It's easier to place the wax in a specific spot, and you don't have to hold a wax bar for 3+ minutes waiting for enough wax to melt into the place you need for your wax stamp seal.

Tip 6: If you have many wax colors, it's fun to blend some of them together!

Mixing 2-3 colors together can be super fun. This one is easiest with wax beads and a wax melter kit, though. Just be aware of how many wax beads your wax stamp seal needs. You can melt them all together, and you don't have to worry about it all mixing together into one, weird color - they should stay as their separate colors and swirl together. However, if you use a regular blue and a sparkly blue, you may only see the sparkly aspect of the sparkly blue.

Tip 7: If you're sending a special card - i.e. birthday, get well, congrats, etc. - try to use a color of wax that correlates with the person's favorite color(s).

I try to do this with most of the letters I send, but using the recipient's favorite color(s) can make the card even more special if you're sending something like a birthday card, congratulations, etc.

Tip 8: Let the wax stamp seal sit in the wax for a couple of minutes.

I have found this one super useful. It mainly helps with allowing the design of the wax stamp seal to set into the wax itself as the wax cools. I've often left mine for around 2 to 3 minutes as the wax cools.

Tip 9: You can buy wax seal pens on Amazon to color the design and help it stand out from the wax.

If you use darker colored wax, or if you're using 2-3 colors of wax, it can help to have wax seal markers/pens to let the design of the wax stamp seal stand out more.

Tip 10: Realize that it's possible for the wax seal to get slightly damaged in transit.

This is always a bit of a bummer, but it's good to acknowledge the possibility of it happening. The possibility increases if the letter has further to go between you and the letter's recipient.

10 Tips for Writing Letters

As I was preparing yesterday's post, it gave me an idea. At first, I was going to combine this post with the one scheduled for tomorrow. However, I realized it was more beneficial to separate the two topics into two separate blog posts. So, after this post, I have two other posts scheduled for tomorrow, September 10, and Saturday, September 11.

However, for today, here are 10 tips for writing letters.

Tip 1: Don't expect immediate responses.

Sending letters obviously isn't as instant of a communication form as texting, emailing, social media, or even calling. As a result, depending on the distance between you and your pen pal, give the letter and response a couple of days. And if it's a weekend or holiday, that does push mail back by a day or two,

Tip 2: Make sure you have the correct address.

People can move, and it's possible they gave you an old address or the address of a family member they stayed with briefly. It's also possible that they still live at the same address, but if they're visiting someone for a longer period of time, they'll give you a new address so you can send them letters there. So it's always a good idea to check in every once in a while to make sure you have the correct address.

Tip 3: If you're moving, even temporarily, make sure to give any pen pals your new address.

Similarly with Tip 2, if you're moving, even temporarily, make sure to give any pen pals your new address. You can let them know how long you're staying there if it's temporary. This is a small form of kindness you can do so the letter isn't returned to your pen pal because you moved.

Tip 4: If you don't have Forever Stamps, make sure you know the postage rates.

If you're mailing within your home county, the postage rates should be the same throughout the country, no matter where you are. However, it's always good to double-check, especially if you don't have forever stamps. And if you're mailing outside of the country, it's good to check the postage rates for that. And there should be international forever stamps at your local post office, but double-check with the employees there.

Tip 5: If you're sending something in the letter, check the postal service's website to see if there are any charges for extra weight.

My sister occasionally sends tiny pins or includes stickers (not attached to the letter or envelope) in some of her letters to friends. if the letter is a certain number of ounces (like around 3), you may need to include an extra stamp. You can always refer to your postal service website or the employees at your local post office.

Tip 6: Try to write neatly.

You may have friends and family who recognize and can read your writing. However, if you usually communicate via text, social media, email, or audio/video call, they may not know your handwriting as well. It may take a bit extra time to write and finish the letter, but it'll be worth it so that they can actually read your writing. Additionally, it'll also help the postal service if you write the addresses on the envelope neatly.

Tip 7: You don't need to fill the entire card or page.

Occasionally, especially with those who are just starting to pen pal or write to people, there's a pseudo "sense of obligation" to fill up the entire card or paper with writing, details, and updates. However, this is not the case. It is 1000% okay to not fill up the entire card or page. If the extra space bothers you, you can use stickers, washi tape, draw, include photos, etc.

Tip 8: If you have stickers, washi tape, etc., feel free to decorate the inside of the card or even the envelope.

I mentioned this in Tip 7, but it does stand as its own tip as well. It's a great way to make the card, paper, and envelope more "you" and a bit more fun. Your card or letter doesn't need to be overcrowded with decorations, but it's a fun little touch.

Tip 9: Buy a variety of card styles and/or stationary paper.

Amazon, craft stores, and paper stores often sell a variety of cards and stationery. Some may have more options than others, and the prices may vary for whatever reasons. However, it's always fun to change up the cards and paper you use for the letters and cards you send.

Tip 10: Mail out birthday cards.

Birthday cards are always fun to send. Additionally, it's always nice to see how happy it makes people when they receive it. If you want to do this, try to send out any birthday cards out at the beginning of the month so they can arrive close to the actual recipient's birthday.

Letters and Wax Stamp Seals

This is a post I thought about after I bought a new (and third) wax stamp seal through Amazon. (If you'd like to see which one I bought, you can view it here.) Not including the newest one, I have a bee wax stamp seal that has the words "Bee Happy" and a Star Trek comm badge wax stamp seal. I made a post on this topic before my blog revamp, and I thought I'd give this post a revamp too. And here we are, as a result.

I began writing letters to friends and pen palling soon after the first lockdown in California. A friend I made while studying abroad in Canada had been pen palling for some time before Covid and lockdown, so I reached out to her about us pen palling. She agreed, we exchanged addresses, and we've been writing to each other for about a year and a half now. I reached out to a couple other friends, and I've been writing back and forth with them for just over a year.

Before the lockdown, my sister bought a Hufflepuff-themed wax stamp seal kit from Universal Studios Hollywood. I started using wax stamp seals in late December 2020, early January 2021. My first one, a Christmas present from my stser, was the bee wax stamp seal that has the words "Bee Happy" with 4 wax bars, 2 gold ones, and 2 red ones. The second one I got, the Star Trek comm badge wax stamp seal, was an end-of-the-semester present from my sister. (Yes, I realize that I have a great sister who likes to spoil me. Lol.) I bought the hummingbird wax stamp seal for myself in early July, and it arrived in early August.

This is such a fun hobby to keep up, and it's a great way to stay in contact with friends and family. At this point, I've written to many friends and family members, keeping them updated with how I'm doing and hopefully bringing them some old-fashioned joy. However, especially with the friends I pen pal with, I try to remind them that there's no pressure to write back to me in a "timely" fashion. We all have lives outside of writing letters, and sometimes, we can't get responses out quickly.