How to Get to Know a Pen Pal

Having a pen pal is fun and can be a great way to develop and practice writing skills. But most people have trouble knowing what to write to their pen pal until the friendship is well established. Fortunately, there are some ways to get to know a pen pal when you first get connected.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Share your information. Break the ice by telling your pen pal a little about yourself. Start with the basics: name, age, occupation. Write about what you like to do or what's on your mind that day. Sharing your information will encourage your pen pal to share his information with you and will begin to develop your friendship.

2. Ask questions. Write questions for your pen pal to answer in her next letter. This will help you get to know her and probably get you a faster response. Weave your questions into the letter by telling her something you like to do and then asking if she's ever tried it.

3. Solicit advice. You may share a situation with your pen pal and then ask what he might do in your situation. You don't have to take his advice, but it will give you some clues about his personality. Also, discussing real-world issues will further develop your friendship.

4. Be consistent. Ultimately, it takes time to get to know someone. It takes even more time to get to know a pen pal because you only have the information she writes in her letters. Make a point of writing to your pen pal frequently. Over time, you can become great friends with this person you've never seen before.

[bossypants]

on 10/27/2008 Nice recommendations for anyone writing a letter -- even to someone you know "face-to-face."

[mystikdiva]

on 10/18/2007 Great ideas!