Being a pen pal may sound a simple task, but there are things you can do and say \u2013 especially in the early stages \u2013 to lay the foundations of a fantastic snail mail friendship, which makes both parties happy, and ups the chances of it lasting. After all, it’s no fun when your pen pal stops writing and you’re left wondering what happened! Hopefully these tips will help to prevent that from happening to you, by keeping both of you content.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no point in trying to be someone you\u2019re not; you\u2019ll not get anything out of the relationship if it is based on lies, much like any relationship. Just be yourself \u2013 open up and show your pen pal your serious side, your funny side, your creative side, your quirky side, your hopes and your fears. If they sense you are telling the truth and being open with them, they will reciprocate, and your letters will blossom into a wonderful, close friendship.<\/p>\n
Keep your writing balanced; don\u2019t be tempted to write a solid monologue that\u2019s just a list of things you like or list of things you\u2019ve done recently. Instead, inject your letter with interesting tales, questions for your pen pal, and insight into your life. In the same vein, don\u2019t just write a bunch of questions with no other content \u2013 your pen pal will want to learn about you, too. If you need to have a little rant about work or college, do so, but keep it concise, and balance it out with something positive.<\/p>\n
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Image credit: StanciuC<\/p><\/div>\n
Whilst it\u2019s nice to be open with your pen pals, if they have asked a question or brought up a topic you\u2019re not too keen on discussing, you are well within your rights to politely let them know you don\u2019t want to talk about it \u2013 whether that means just for now, or forever.<\/p>\n
The best idea is to set boundaries upfront, at the start of your correspondence, if there are topics you\u2019d rather not discuss. This may sound awkward, but just simply stating, \u201cI\u2019d rather we didn\u2019t talk about serial killers\u00a0or job-hunting\u201d can save several unwanted letter conversations further down the line. Then, ask your friend which topics they’d rather avoid.<\/p>\n
Set expectations<\/h2>\n
It can\u00a0be wise to discuss letter expectations with your pen pal early on in your correspondence, so nobody is shocked or disappointed in the future. People write different lengths of letter and at various frequencies. You may be the type of pen pal who likes to write shorter letters every fortnight, but what if your new pen pal writes longer, in-depth letters every few months? It\u2019s best to discuss this issue, and make sure everyone is happy with how it’s going to work going forward.<\/p>\n
Be patient<\/h2>\n
If your pen pal is slower writing back than usual, stay patient \u2013 we all have busy lives, where other tasks sometimes have to take priority over letter-writing. If it\u2019s been a really long time, why not send them a quick email, note or postcard, to check everything is OK their end?<\/p>\n
If it is you who is taking longer than usual to reply, drop your pen friend a quick email or postcard and let them know you did receive their letter and you\u2019ve not forgotten about them! This will be much appreciated. Communication is always key.<\/p>\n
Happy penpalling!<\/p>\n
Featured image credit:\u00a0Rawpixel.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Being a pen pal may sound a simple task, but there are things you can do and say \u2013 especially in the early stages \u2013 to lay the foundations of a fantastic snail mail friendship, which makes both parties happy, and ups the chances of it lasting. After all, it’s no fun when your pen…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/p>\n