Guides
Letter-writing guides
Everything we have learned about writing to a stranger until they are not one — written down, free to read, no account needed.
Most pen pal friendships do not end in an argument. They end in a silence nobody meant: a letter that was hard to answer, a reply that took three weeks, a first message so short there was nothing to hold on to. These guides are about the small, learnable things that stop that from happening — what to put in a first letter, how to answer one well, how to write to someone whose English is still growing, and how to keep it all safe.
They are written for anyone with a pen pal, wherever you met them. If you have never had one, start with the first letter. If you are a parent or a teacher, the safety and classroom guides are written for you.
What to write in your first pen pal letter
How to open, what to tell, what to ask, and how to end so they want to answer.
7-minute read
How to keep a pen pal conversation going
Why most correspondences stall after three letters, and how to be the exception.
8-minute read
Writing to a pen pal who is learning your language
Pitching your writing, correcting kindly, and learning theirs in return.
8-minute read
Pen pal safety: a guide for parents and teenagers
Warning signs, what never to share, and how to talk about it at home.
9-minute read
Sending postcards and letters abroad
Addressing, postage, how long it takes, and when to swap addresses at all.
8-minute read
Writing across time zones and cultures
Different clocks, different manners, different jokes — and why that is the point.
8-minute read
Running a classroom pen pal exchange
Finding a partner class, a realistic calendar, and lessons around each letter.
9-minute read
How to answer a pen pal letter
Read it twice, answer the feelings first, and always bring something new.
9-minute read
Writing a pen pal profile people want to answer
Specifics over adjectives, an open door, and nothing a stranger should know.
9-minute read
Learning about a country through a pen pal
One person is not a country — ask about breakfast, not national character.
9-minute read
Politics, religion, money and bad news: difficult topics with a pen pal
When to raise the big subjects, how to listen, and when to let them go.
9-minute read
✍️ Staring at a blank page?
The letter prompt generator hands you one question or subject at a time — something to write about tonight, and a photo to send with it.
Get a letter prompt