You should also mention your own name early on in the letter, even though it may already be on the envelope. This way you complete the introduction and greeting.
A greeting helps the reader transition into the letter rather than immediately diving into all the details you plan to share with them. Think of the letter as a conversation, except that for now you are the only one talking. You wouldn’t start a conversation with immediately telling some a bunch of information without greeting them first.
Your first letter is an introduction, so treat it as such. What would you tell a person you just met? Tell your pen pal those same things. Remember to be safe if you are young, or even a teenager. Talk to your parents before writing and especially before revealing personal information.
If you saw specific information in their profile that made you want to write to them, you could mention that and tell why it sparked your interest. Tell them what your relationship to that thing is and ask them to tell you more about it.
Don’t come on too strong by telling them you are really lonely and just need someone to listen. Even if you feel that way, telling them will probably make them uncomfortable and they may not write back to you.
Be sure to sign your name at the end.
You can be specific as well by mentioning the bands you life, parks you visit, or telling of an event you visited, but have a mix of general likes and specific likes.
A fun option can be including a small questionnaire that you’ve written up that has questions and blanks for the person to write their answers. This could have some questions like “What is a book you like?” or “What’s a favorite food you have?” They don’t have to be serious or meaningful, they could be silly questions like “What animal would you want to be?”
This also gives them something to write back to you telling their own experiences. If the person is in another country, you could tell them you have wondered if kids in their country do the same stuff that you do. It will build a feeling of companionship between you. It also gives them the chance to tell you about their day, which could surprise you by being really similar or really different.
You don’t even have to say anything in the letter about what you include. It could be something that adds a little mystery to the letter and makes the person want to write back to find out what it’s all about.
You might also share a photo of your house, some places you enjoy going around your town, a picture of your school, or copies of pictures from places you have visited. Besides pictures of yourself and places you go often, you could share pictures of favorite bands or movies, scenic shots of places you want to visit some day, or pictures of something you’ve created or drawn.
One of the benefits of a pen pal relationship is that you are most likely not to meet in person, or at least not until you have been writing for a long time. Because of this, you can feel more comfortable sharing personal things than you might with someone you see often.
This might be something to talk about in your letters before you send anything. You want to make sure it is okay with the person to receive gifts from you.
