Snail Mail Tips - What To Write In The First Letter

So great, you found yourself a pallie that wants to write to you, and you've very kindly offered (or reluctantly offered) to write the dreaded first letter! Ah!! 

You're drawing a blank, aren't you? You haven't a clue what to write and this letter milarky is appearing to be more of a chore right now, isn't it? Well, sunshine, you committed to this, you need to carry through with it! 

Let me help you along with what to write in that dreaded first letter!

I actually like to write the first letter. I know you're probably sitting there thinking I'm a little nuts but it's true!

Pros of writing the first letter -

- You get to chose the length you and your pen-pal write. If you're a long letter writer then you don't have to worry about getting a small ass letter in return because it is more likely your pallie will match what you have wrote. 

- You get to chose the structure on how your write your letter. Do you want it to be a easy flowing letter, that seems like someone telling a story or are you going to info dump lots of things about yourself?

- You get to choose if you want a creative correspondence or a regular one.

- You are the one to ask all the questions.

Sadly it does come with its cons and they are the reason people dread writing that first letter.

- You're not guaranteed your pallie is going to write back.

- You have start from scratch and don't have any questions to answer.

- It can be a little daunting.

- You end up talking about yourself. (this could be a pro for some people who are in love with themselves, and in my experience I've had many pallies who have wrote the first few letter then disappeared off the face of the planet after the initial 'getting to know you' stage. 

Over the years I've tried many ways to write the first letter and I'd love to tell you some of my ideas :)

Getting started

This is probably the easy bit. You start with a -

"Hello Lovely! It's your new amazing, lovely pen-pal. Aren't you a lucky ducky!"

Okay maybe the "Hello" part. You could probably leave the rest....

You may need to remind them who you are as most who look for pen-pals seem to look for multiple at the same time. And baring this in mind, you might want to show your personality too. I will ALWAYS encourage you to show that beautiful personality of yours! You want to be remembered and not have your letter lost in the "I can't be bothered to reply" pile. Make your pallie want to put your letter to the top of the 'Squee!!!!! It's my one of favourite pallies" pile. 

So what to start writing, you ask?

Start with the basics! Hopefully you have a pallie that remembers you from your initial email but you might have a pen-pal who is a little forgetful, or perhaps a bit ditsy and is on her monthly curse and she can't help it. Or she might be a nurse and has just finished 7 12 hour night shifts in a row and is a mixture of ditsy and slightly hyperactively bonkers... 

What are the basics I hear you ask?

- Your name.

- Age and birthday.

- Where you live.

- Occupation.

- Your family.

This is what I tend to start with. 

You then can go onto...

- Your hobbies

- Your Interests

- Your personality.

Sounds a little boring though, doesn't it? Now, here's where you insert that lovely, beautiful personality of yours.

Here's an example of how you could incorporate all these basics without putting you pallie into a coma.

Do you get what I mean about showing your personality? I write how I would talk out loud to someone. It just makes your letter more interesting to read and less like your answering questions. 

Non-structured style

You don't even have to have a particular structure. You could just write what going on in your mind and go with the flow and occasionally add questions, and then answer those questions yourself. I admit, THIS is my favourite style to read. I love hearing people random thoughts and running commentary. For me, this is the most enjoyable letter! I really feel I'm getting to know my pallie better and sometimes it feels like they're right there having a cup of coffee with me. 

You could even start with what you get on in your daily life. The way you tell your pallie will enlighten them to what you are like more than you telling them that you are artistic, happy, friendly..etc. 

When writing a letter you are in that moment a writer. What most writers have drummed into their mind is -

SHOW! Don't tell!

Are you artistic? Show your pallie! You don't have to even tell them. Draw or paint something. Even if your pallie isn't the sharpest pencil in the box they'll still figure out your artistic.

You have a sense of humour? Show them! Make them laugh their arses off! Tell them a funny story of something that happened today. Funny things happen to me on a daily basis. I don't even think about them because they happen so often but to your pallie they could be hilarious because they have a different daily routine to you. It could be funny things your little one says, something random your partner, or family member has said. Let them be part of your daily life. That will tell them more about you than a random list or mail tag can. 

Explaining to my pen-pal what it's like when I'm trying to meditate...

When writing about your family you could include an anecdote about them to give the letter more of a story feel. If you're describing yourself you could write about a moment that shows off a particular aspect of your personality.

Writing prompts

There are loads of posts out there with lists of things you could tell your pallie. However, as good as they are, I bet you're left wondering how the feck you are to incorporate them into your letter without sounding like you just answering a list of questions. 

One way of answering a question that your pallie hasn't even asked is to ask your pallie then answer the question yourself.

Example...

"Random question!! What are the 5 top things that make you happy?

For me they are...."

Get the picture?

I hope this helps you in the start of your new pen-pal correspondence!!


Toodles for now!!


Dannii