In my last article I talked about my penpalling journey, about how and when it started. I also talked about my joys and disappointments. You can have read through my journey through this article :
https://read.cash/@MizLhaine/pen-pals-is-it-still-existing-d9477b99
Today, I am going to share with you, the beginners guide on how to start penpalling.
1.Look for a Pen Pal. So when you decide to start penpalling, you should look first for someone to write. There are ways on how to find one:
Through Search engines, like google and it will lead you to PenPal World, Global Penfriends. There you find people who are looking for penpals.
Through Social Media, like Instagram and Facebook. You can use hashtags for Instagram like #penpalswanted #penpalsaroundtheworld and search Penpals in Facebook. There are also some who are in YouTube that would welcome penpals.
If you are worried of your safety, you can also try to reach out to someone you know, or people who worked and moved to other country.
2.Start Writing your letter. Now that you have a recipient, grab a paper and pen and write an introduction about yourself. Let them know about your interests, hobbies , and things you like. Make your letter conversational as possible by asking questions in between. Like "I love to go to beach every weekend. How about you? what are your activities every weekend?". The length of your letter depends on what are the things you want to share for an intro. It can range from 1-3 pages and also it depends on the size of your handwriting.
3.Put your letter in an envelope and write addresses. Now, that you are done with your letter, get an envelope and seal it and write your addresses. You will write first your address in the left upper side and for the recipient in the lower right side.
4.Go to post office for postage or drop in mailbox with stamps. If you are near the post office, you can drop your letter to the post office and they will determine the postage for the said letter. You are going to pay for the postage stamp. If you have a mailbox, you can drop it there but make sure that you have your stamps with you. You can buy stamps ahead in the post office. This is only applicable if you are familiar with rates, so if you are unsure, better visit the post office instead.
5.Wait for recipient to receive it and send you a reply. The waiting time begins, local letters arrived at most 1-2 weeks while international 3-5 weeks. If you have included social media accounts as information in your letter, they will or might inform you that your letter have arrived. It will take 2-3 weeks before they can send you a reply and they will send it to the post office and again you can receive it in 2-5 weeks time. So in average for 1 year you can have at least 2-3 exchanges of letters.
Optional Things you can do with your letters.
If you have the talent and passion for creativity you can do these options for your letters
Use special papers and decorate them. You can buy special scented papers in bookstores or online shops. If you know lettering or calligraphy, you can use it in writing to your letter. You can also decorate it using stickers, stamps and washi tapes.
Put some extras. If you have stickers, notepads, washi tapes, postcards that you want to share, you can add it on your mail. You can also put some tea. Just remember that this will add weight, so the postage fee might be bigger as well.
Sharing Photos. If you have a picture that you want to share, you can include them too.
So I think those are the things that you need to know when you start penpalling. These are based on my experience in my decades of writing.
So are now ready to write your first letter? Comment down below if you have questions and thoughts about this.
I am old enough to remember when all communication were handled as you describe. There was no internet, not even fax, and international letters, private and business alike, took weeks before a reply arrived. In this era of instant electronic communication, it's nice that there are still people appreciating that sort of communication.
It's also thought-provoking that you actually publish a manual for how to do. That people cannot be supposed to know that, shows how rare his procedure has become. And I must admit that it is over 20 years since I used the regular postal service myself.