There is an unmet need out there, people. Seriously. In February, I took part in International Correspondence Writing Month (InCoWriMo). It involved sending out an average of a letter a day, generally to random strangers who were doing the same and had volunteered their addresses for the purpose. But then it became something much more.

Do you know how hard it is to find pretty writing paper, without buying online and paying relatively silly amounts?

In live near Cambridge in the UK. You know, as in Cambridge University, that internationally acknowledged seat of learning. There are four stationery shops in Cambridge. Yet, could I find ‘fun’ writing paper? Could I, heck! The best I could find was coloured paper in Ryman’s. That was it. No picture papers that I remember from childhood.

Okay, I thought, what about writing sets. I used to call them notelet sets when I was younger. A bit more luck there, but the price! For something that was mass produced and not particularly ‘fun’. Then there was the fact that my average letter was proving to be around four sides of A5 airmail paper because most of my pen-friends were outside of the UK.

And, I have to make things difficult for myself, because I wanted to use a fountain pen.

To cap it, I had two male pen-friends. Now with the best will in the world, I didn’t feel like I could send them letters on flowery paper. After all, both were in relationships, and I didn’t want to cause any problems by having obviously female correspondence being delivered to them. Rumour mills can be vicious. That was where the personalised stationery comes into force. Plain white paper with just my name and address on them.

So, what did I learn from this experience:

1. There are suppliers out there, but most of them are online.
2. I can obtain plain paper with my address quite easily.
3. If I want ‘fun’ paper, I have to make it myself, using stickers and washi tape.
4. Hobbycraft is a very dangerous store (see point 4).
5. Good excuse for networking (a friend’s husband is bringing me some Tomoe River paper from the USA)
6. ‘Reasonable’ paper can be found on Amazon, but they are mostly oriented towards female writers and recipients.

The market in journals has expanded exponentially. Everywhere is selling hardback books for journals, along with accessories such as matching sticky notes and reminder stickers. A new store in Cambridge seems to specialise in journal-suitable books. Yet, none of them had paper which was guaranteed to work with a fountain pen.

Fountain pens need paper of at least 85gsm, if not more. But heavier paper is more expensive and therefore, the end product will be more expensive. After all, no one uses fountain pens anymore. Not true, as there has been a resurgence in using fountain pens, according to a recent article in The Times. Perhaps it is an alternative to our rushed technology driven lives. Either way, there is an unmet need out there, a need unmet by most stationery resellers.

Come on world, wake up. Writing, by hand, with a fountain pen is remarkably therapeutic. It calms the mind and enables oneself to be composed for sleep. We want to buy this stuff, so someone must be willing to produce it. Surely?

Then again, I might have to increase my holding of suitable journals for sale if the big guys are not interested.

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RELEVANT LINKS FOR JO PILSWORTH
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JKPilsworth

Paranormal may not be your thing. Urban fantasy may not either. But who knows? I may be one of your friends new favourite author.
Inspired by #Legends an #UrbanFantasy series. #RBBC

Alpha: https://t.co/IRZLR92AFu
Beta: https://t.co/DGDDI03VB9
Merysekhmet (US link): https://t.co/fFOUm5MHUs
Toho: released 16 April (US link): https://t.co/oKtbDgrqiHhttps://t.co/mGMuJWd6Xd
Medved: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C19QKPH