Just before LetterMo I found a good suggestion on a website I now can’t find, but it has worked well for me so far!
I have a little notebook I keep at my writing desk (maybe 3″ by 5″). I split each page into 5 or 6 boxes horizontally, with a line across both pages. On the left side of the page I write incoming mail, and on the right side outgoing mail. I’ll note the date, who it’s to/from, and a note about the stationery I used or the contents of the letter. So let’s say I received a letter from Geraldine on February 2nd, and replied on February 10th, my notebook would look like this:
(left page) (right page)
Feb 2, Geraldine | Feb 10
Cute butterfly card | White paper, blue envelope, silver monogram seal
Introduction, favorite books | Introduction, Jane Austen, favorite hikes
If the letter I’m writing is to a new pen friend or I’m not replying to anything in particular, I’ll put an X in the left-hand box and just write my letter details in the right-hand box next to it. If it’s a letter/card that doesn’t need a reply, I’ll put an X in the right-hand box and just write the letter received details in the left-hand box.
The benefit of this system is that the blank right-hand boxes clearly show which letters I haven’t replied to yet. It’s also very satisfying to “complete” a page (i.e. all right-hand boxes have been replied to/filled in or X-ed out) – I use a paperclip to clip completed pages together so I know how far back I need to flip to find a letter I need to reply to. The drawback is that it’s going to be hard to keep track of individual pen pals over time – I’ll have to flip through and look for their name on every page. A spreadsheet or other digital system would be better for this (i.e. searchable) but the notebook is simpler and therefore I’m more likely to use it.
I don’t have a good system for organizing the actual letters yet. Right now I keep letters I need to reply to on top of my writing desk (I’ve been trying to keep it fewer than 3) and all the replied-to letters are in a box in my desk. I might put them in my filing system (the same boring system that keeps my tax documents and appliance manuals) but I’m not sure whether to organize by person or by date… I look forward to reading other folks’ suggestions!
I also take photos of all outgoing mail, so if it gets lost on the way I can either write it again or just send the photo. It’s also handy to refer to when getting a reply. The photos aren’t organized, just kept in a chronological album on my phone.
Happy writing, everyone!