What happened to true pen pals that write letters?

I think it's really sad that email and other forms of online chat have all but obliterated proper mail. I LOVE receiving snail mail, and yes I do still love sending mail the old-fashioned way too. I have some older relatives who don't have computer access, and I just love writing to them, and receiving letters in return. There is so much more possible through snail mail .... I love choosing stationery, and receiving handwritten mail on stationery chosen by them, I love stamps, I love the opportunity to send drawings, photos, and special trinkets through the mail. I still love my email, and wouldn't give it up - it's especially nice to be able to get such quick replies from so far away, but I'll always write letters too.

(Thanks for the address ... sending you a letter from Australia).

Please excuse the length of this answer... 1. If you want the older 'young' man to go to war, you'd have to place it in the 1940s, or make it later than the 1950s (unless he goes to Korea). Then he'd go to Iraq or Afghanistan to fight any more modern wars, and you'd be better off having them write on the Internet, using Facebook or emails, blogs or all of those. 2. I like the general idea. 2a. You'd need to research whatever era you decide to put this story in. 2b. You'd need to research how the Internet is used and why the older man is at war. 3. It's good to have them break off the 'pen pal' stuff, especially if she's twelve: way too young. 3a. Then you can put in their back-stories and much more. 4. It's also good for them to 'find' each other again. 4a. Depending on your choice of eras, if it's modern, I'd use the Internet. 4a. I'd use Facebook or an old blog, or old emails saved in a computer folder. 4b. The girl (now a woman) can write this man again, and find out the things you say. 5. If she's a woman now, you'll have to give her a life of her own as well. 6. You can always make the marriage the man is in an unhappy one, but that's a bit trite. 6a. It might be better if the girl (now a woman) attracts the man much more than she did before. 6b. Then the dilemma is whether the girl (woman) is still attracted to the man, and how they each make choices of their own after so much time has passed... how they reconcile (if they do) and why. Similar stories... There are always similar stories. Very few ideas are 'brand new.' But every good writer puts their own 'spin' on any idea. Make your work fresh, new and 'edgy' and you have a new story even for an older idea. Good luck.

I still have several penpals from all over the world, and yes I absolutely love getting letters in the post.

My children all also have penpals from each city we have lived in. They have access to the internet, but they love drawing pictures, and sending handwritten letters, and it is always a big joy to go to the post office and choose great interesting stamps.

lol, half the fun is going out and choosing the paper and the envelopes. I can get quite picky about those things.

I have always liked to write and receive letters from friends. With the computers we don't have to buy paper, envelopes or stamps now. Sounds like computers have taken over the world when it comes to writing a letter to a friend.

I LOVE writting letters and especially receiving them! Yes, to some degree PC's have taken over...but they will never ever take the passion of letter writting from me! I'm 15 from Australia and would love to correspond with you, just I don't exactly want to show the world my home address, so if you send me yours, I'll right the first letter or post card...hope to hear from you soon!

The internet has made communication easy-it is more of a challenge to write letters.

We're all on here dear

i just added u in my contacts lolz.. now what guess i'll be mailin u soon lolz