I have been writing letters to my friends and family for many years. It started when I was little and had no device to communicate with my loved ones. But I continue doing it to this day because it is so much fun and a great way to have a personal conversation with your friends.
The technical stuff:
- Date your letter- It may not seem important at the time, but later, when the person looks through the letters , they'll wonder when it was!
- Use legible handwriting- It doesn't have to be perfect... they just need to be able to read it.
- Don't be tardy- It is annoying to get a letter back months and months after you wrote... I have been both the one to be late and the one to receive. Life gets in the way sometimes, a simple apology will do the trick! But next time, try harder!
What to write:
- Activities- You can write about all the things you have (or haven't) done recently
- Memories- If this is a friend that you have spent time with you can talk about memories you have made together. "Do you remember when..." If it is a pen pal you haven't spent time with, you could talk about memories from your childhood and special experiences from your past
- Feelings-You can talk about how you are feeling, whether anxious or content... they may feel the same way. It is nice to find someone who can relate to you.
- Goals/Plans- What you are working on, wish to accomplish or can't wait to see!
- Dreams- This can be anywhere from how many kids you want to have , to what you want to plant in your garden.
Keeping the conversation flowing:
- Try and talk about them just as much as you talk about yourself- ex. " I have been busy with my schoolwork. Have you had any big projects lately?"
- Don't carry on!- If you know they are not interested in the topic, don't make it the main point of your letter! ex. "I went to a football game last weekend for my school. We won, it was very close though. I really enjoyed being there." Is better than," I went to the football game last weekend and the quarter back made a 49 yarder in 5 minutes..." ( okay, I am going to stop, it is pretty clear I know nothing about football)
- Answer the questions they ask you- But make sure to restate the question. We don't know what we asked you a week ago and in what order. "No I didn't go to the basketball game. " is better than, "No."
- Comment on what they told you about- It lets your pal know that you read the letter.
- Ask simple and specific questions- " What have you been up to?'' and "How is your painting going?"
- Listen to what they have to say- You don't have to agree, but be respectful!
- Finally, avoid writing something that could be misunderstood- Keep the touchy for the face to face, you don't want a simple misunderstanding to ruin a friendship.
- You can add in extras- Maybe a poem you wrote or a picture you drew, surprises from your pen pal are always exciting!
- Put in stickers- I have a fun collection of stickers that I share with all my friends. It brings them joy and half the fun of letter-writing is decorating the letter.
- Use fun pens and paper- It makes your letter extra fun to open!
- Decorate the envelope- You can make quirky designs on the outside as well as cute drawings. Just make sure you can still easily read the address or it will not be shipped.
- Stamps- There are many fun stamp designs to choose from. It makes letter writing just a bit more fun!
- Go to Maple Post Blog for more information on making every letter count- http://maplepostblog.com/
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