International Fan Letter Week

Okay, it’s not actually International Fan Letter Week. But let’s have one anyway.

When Forrest J. Ackerman was dying, his friends and family asked for his fans to send him letters, and I was one of the people who put a letter in an envelope and sent it on its way. And it felt good. So many of my favorite writers died long before it ever occurred to me to send them a note saying I thought they were cool, and it was nice to, for once, have the opportunity to say thanks.

So that’s what we’re gonna do. Pick out some of your favorite people — authors, artists, actors, musicians, politicians, or anyone else. Make sure they’re still alive — yes, Shakespeare and Mark Twain were great writers, but you’re a bit too late to get a postcard to them.

Write ’em a short letter, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it, send it on. If they’ve got an e-mail address, use that. If they don’t, it may take some digging to find their mailing address. For most writers, find out who their publishers are, and send the letter to the publisher. Most movie studios will pass fan mail on to actors and directors. Do a little research, and you should be able to find a way to contact most folks.

It doesn’t have to be anyone working in comics — neither of mine (Ray Bradbury and Terry Pratchett, by the way) are. Just pick someone who’s still alive and whose work has positively impacted your life.

Your letter doesn’t have to be long and flowery. Just a note saying “You rock” to your favorite writers, artists, creative types.

Everybody git to writing…

No Comments

  1. Lubbock Left Said,

    January 26, 2009 @ 9:35 am

    I have an undelivered fan letter to Stan Sakai that needs sending…

  2. Scott Slemmons Said,

    January 26, 2009 @ 9:45 am

    Since Dark Horse publishes “Usagi Yojimbo,” they’re probably the right folks to contact. Heck, here’s a link to Dark Horse’s page with address info:

    http://www.darkhorse.com/Help/FAQ/general

  3. Casey Bauer Said,

    January 26, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

    That’s an awesome idea! it’s always great to hear thank you from people who admire your work. A great motivational booster!!!