How to Write an Introductory Letter to a Pen Pal

It's always fun to receive mail from your pen pal.

So you've made the plunge and committed yourself to a relationship with a pen pal, but now that it is time to write the letter, you're drawing a blank. To start, remind yourself that all you are doing is introducing yourself to your pen pal. Think about how you would introduce yourself to someone you met while driving across country on a road trip or meeting a distant relative at a family reunion. Writing an introductory letter to a pen pal isn't much different than that.

Instructions

1. Introduce yourself to your pen pal. Give your name, age, and discuss where you are from. Talk about your family, including its size and what your parents do for a living. Talk about any pets you may have or what your school is like. While you might think your school is boring, your pen pal might not.

2. Write about the town where you live. Mention the size of the town, as well as any interesting natural phenomenon that occur there. If your location is a place of historical or geographical significance, mention that, too. Extreme weather conditions are always exciting. If any occur in your region, talk about it in your letter.

3. Write about what you do with your free time. Something as simple as playing basketball in your yard might be exciting to your pen pal, especially if they are from a region where other sports are popular. Also share your passions with your pen pal. This will help him to have a better understanding of what makes you tick, and it will help your friendship grow.

4. Mention the specifics of where you live. You could mention the size of your house, the color, the neighborhood and whether or not you share a room.

5. Include something special with the letter. It could be a coin or a stamp for your pen pal to save, or it might be a photo of you and your family. A leaf might make an interesting addition to your pen pal's envelope, or a piece of your favorite candy. The idea is to make your letter fun, and to encourage your epistolary friend to continue the correspondence.

References

• Friendship-By-Mail; Writing Pen Pal Letters; Mardene Eide