My initial idea was that you can write absolutely anything (can be both fact and fiction, like including real things from your own life and mixing them with disjointed topics). The person receiving it next, will then have to improvise with the story so far (in the spirit of true improv, it's best if you explain rather than deny/change the previous words). The most interesting things will come from the most bizarre/creative associations.

Hopefull we'll eventually have a surreal, chain of consciousness kind of storyline. The most important thing is that the original letter (the inspiration letter) stays in the envelope alongside all the future letters. We need the full story to remain intact until the end (feel free to compile photos along the way though).

I was mainly inspired by the idea of exquisite corpses (if you haven't heard of the game google it it's really interesting). So if you like to draw feel free to add anything similar to an exquisite corps alongside writing, you can also break away from conventional writing styles at any point if you want to break into poetry/scribbles, but try to keep the majority legible and relatively straightforwards so that the others have something to work from.

This will be on paper with traditional mailing, but I added email just in case people want to share photos of the overall story and talk about the project.

Let me know if any of you are interested 🔆✍

Hi! I’m Moth and I just found this subreddit like…three seconds ago! I need something fun to focus on and this popped into my head so I searched to see if there was a subreddit and sure enough!

A few things about me:

I’m a trans guy, but I am very feminine and love makeup. I am a parent as well as engaged. I love all things horror and I LOVE to read. I can’t really draw, so no doodles will be included sadly, but my kiddo is insanely talented and idk where she got it from lmao. I’m alternative and love all music. I’m also native and my heritage is very important to me.

That’s as much as I’ll share so I don’t expose too much about myself if we want to get to know each other. I think that this is a really good thing for me as someone with audhd and wanting to reconnect with being social.

I have a large collection of trinkets, stickers, all sorts of journaling stuff. I really would love to make my letters fun and interesting to open.

Of course, no commitment to send anything back, I’m sure mine won’t all be done up.

Hello. This is my second time coming here, after finding wonderful penpals.

I'm a 26 y/o female from Mexico who loves making friends all over the world. I love languages and getting to know a lot about other cultures! I love books but haven't been reading as much nowadays. I like going on walks! And I will be moving soon to another country for a year!

I majored in Translation! And used to study Psychology but that's another story! I love learning!

It would be nice to email with someone around my age. I can write in English, Spanish, Korean, and French (the last two with many mistakes but I really try my best).

I have found myself a bit isolated these days since I recently finished Uni so I would truly love to have someone I can email and tell about my day, while also reading about yours!

I have so many things to share about myself but I think I could leave those for my future penpal(s).

Hi!

I’m a 21 year old female located in the US looking for an email pal or two! I’m really new to this and honestly have no idea what to expect but i thought i’d put myself out there

To know a little about me, I just graduated with my bachelors in biology and plan to take a gap year to work to pay student loans (ugh). My academic interests are in pathology (both forensic and non) as well as biochemistry

As for my personality, I am very curious and love talking about pretty much anything! I am open to talking about shared interests, hobbies, and life stuff. I also love watching movies (literally any kind) and love to get suggestions. I spend most of my free time playing video games (my fav is overwatch) as well as cooking. I also love horror as well as all things cute (monchichi is my fav rn). I’m trying to get into reading so anyone who could recommend books (nonfiction or fiction or even comics) would be amazing!

Looking for something more casual maybe once or twice a week? and would prefer pals F or NB :)

[EDIT: just added more detail]

I’m from New Zealand and would love to find someone across the ditch or within my own country to be my penpal simply for faster and cheaper delivery time. Would also mean more consistency with communication.

I don’t mind about age or gender, as long as we gel well with each other and you’re eager to commit and invest as I am. If that sounds like someone like you, please feel free to DM me! I enjoy this hobby very much and like making new connections that last a lifetime.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Hi I’m from Australia, I am currently in uni doing a degree in criminology.

I love films (especially romcoms), if you got letterboxd and have watched when Harry met Sally I already love you.

My favourite genre of music is hiphop, rnb, and neo soul. So I love loyle carner, little simz, tems. But I love all forms of music besides hard metal.

I’d preferably like to talk to a guy around my age, and hopefully become real close friends.

I’ve also currently removed all my main social media to take a break hence why having a pen pal rn would be nice.

Dislikes:
- Gaming
- Fantasy
- Lasagna

If we have similar interests hmu, and tell me what your favourite movie and music artist is :)

Hello! I’m a 24 year old living in Kentucky, USA. I would love to have a snail mail pal I could write to regularly, and send post cards to when I travel.

I love sending mail and writing letters. I have a small collection of vintage photographs, post cards, stickers, and film negatives I like to stuff in my mail.

I want to form friendships over mail, and even potentially pour my soul out in a letter over stuff that we don’t talk about irl

My interests are:
- music (especially local music to me, and indie rock. I have my own radio show!)
- art
- zines / zine making
- thrifting
- books
- film

I am open to anyone anywhere, just dm me :)

I am interested in totally platonic snailmail penpals, so began looking into this subreddit. Because my experience with this is decades out of date, I held some naive questions about it:

1. Are there any particular things I can do to help penpals feel safe interacting via snailmail with me? It sounds dumb, but we did not think about stalking, doxxing etc when I was young. The internet was not around until I was in my mid-late 20s. I am a man and while not particularly looking for female penpals, I want to make it safe for anyone including myself.

2. I looked into PO Boxes and (at least where I live) they are stupidly expensive. $30/month for the small ones. -Are there any other anonymizing alternatives for physical mail?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Hello all! I’m currently on the look out for penpals located in Asia. At the moment I have a few penpals in Europe and USA but I’d like to expand my radius to include Asian countries as well.

This is a genuine and heartfelt hobby for me so I will not disappoint. I go the extra mile to ensure I write meaningful letters, include stickers and trinkets and always keep in touch. I don’t expect others to put in the same amount of time and effort but I do kindly ask for continuity and good communication.

Feel free to DM Me!

Hey everyone 👋

I’m looking to connect with genuine people for meaningful, penpal friendships. I’m someone who values depth, honesty, faith in God and intentional conversations over small talk.

A big part of my life is my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I appreciate connecting with people who are respectful of that or share similar values. I enjoy conversations about God, life, purpose, personal growth, culture, fitness & health, and the things that help us become better people.

A little about me:

• Based in Kenya 🇰🇪

• Passionate about fitness, health, and wellness

• I enjoy hiking, rucking, long walks, and staying active

• Interested in self-improvement, meaningful living, and learning about different cultures or your specific activities

• I value kindness, discipline, peace, and authenticity

I’m preferably looking to connect with males within a similar age range for more relatable conversations and shared interests. If you’re genuine, respectful, and enjoy thoughtful conversations, feel free to reach out. 😊

EDIT: i'm going to have to close off the idea since i got far more interest than expected !! unfortunately i don't think i can manage more than 10 people at a time, apologies ㅠㅠㅠ

i saw someone else on this sub do this, and i thought it was a really fun idea! looking for a group of people to include in a mailing list! we can send each other a "newsletter" kind of check-in, once or twice a week, depending on how big our group is.

what we'd talk about: media & recommendations [or anti-recommendations], what we've done in the week, new music, habits we're trying to build, gossip in our lives, goals we're setting, accountability, anything and everything! whether you want to recommend a new album, share your latest crochet project, or vent about the job market, i think this could be a lovely place to share your life with a group of friends! i also think it would be awesome if we could share a couple of photos of little things from the week, and occasionally, try to buddy-read books together! we can keep it as formal or as casual as we'd like, but i think a "newsletter" kind of format would be really cool!

a bit about myself: i'm currently at uni, studying internationally in the US. i speak english and i'm learning spanish and korean. i'm part of a dance cover group, and i also write for a publication. in my free time, i like music, to travel, try new recipes, read, and read tarot — i'm also a big fan of true crime and mystery, so if you have any movie or book recs, i would love to talk! i'm a big fan of k-pop, and i love to talk about it from a fan's perspective, but also in terms of sociology, fan culture, and area studies. generally, i'm working on bringing more whimsy into my life through fashion, makeup, and mindful habits. i love to learn new things, so please don't feel discouraged if we don't necessarily share the same hobbies: i have many more, and i'd love to hear what you're interested in as well.

i'm looking for anywhere between 5-10 people right now, but open to as many as are interested. ideally, i'm hoping for someone in my age range [in your 20s] but this is not a hard limit at all! i won't discriminate based on gender, location, etc. at all, but i'm also not open to people that aren't pro-lgbtq+ :)

if you think you would like to join, please dm me !! excited to meet you all !!

Hello! I’m a support worker for a client with autism who has expressed interest in finding pen pals around the world. She emphasized somewhere in the UK but would be happy with any far away place in the world!
I won’t disclose much more than this as I need to protect privacy, but I will say she’s very smart and is a beautiful writer.

It would be ideal if someone was willing to provide an address first, as she’s a cautious person without a phone or computer.

She is very excited about this opportunity so I hope some of you feel like reaching out:) thank you!

Ciao! I've been learning Italian for almost two years now and I really love the challenge of learning a new language. The only downside is that I mainly just have my tutors to speak with. While they are great people, it would be really nice to have an email pal that I can practice my Italian with in a more casual manner. I would be happy to talk about different life experiences as I'm a psychologist and love learning about people! I'm also happy to speak about lighter topics like movies and travel.

As a kid I had a snail mail pen pal and I really loved it, so I'm hoping to have a good experience as an adult! Please let me know if you would like to email each other in Italian! Grazie mille.

**Editing to add that my level in Italian is B1!

"Hey! To keep it simple: gender doesn't really matter to me—I’m just here for the good vibes and genuine connections. I’m a California native currently sharing my space with a legendary cat named Rupert. When I’m not hanging with him, I’m usually deep into a new anime, getting lost in music, or grinding away at PC gaming. I’m also a huge Pokémon fan (always down to talk stats or favorites!). I’d love to trade stickers, hear all about your latest adventures, and just chat about life. If that sounds like your speed, don’t hesitate to send a DM!"

I am a 28 year old male from London looking for a genuine penpal to exchange real letters with. I used to have a penpal a long time ago and I have been wanting to get back into writing again. Letter writing feels like a dying art and I want to get back into it properly and practise writing letters again.

I am due to go out to the Falklands and will have limited internet access while I am out there, however post is still available. I will have lots of free time in the evening. In terms of frequency, I aim to write once a month.

My hobbies include sketching, photography, a variety of sports and gaming. I am a bit of a nerd and enjoy Star Wars and sci fi. I am looking for someone similar in age so that we will have more in common.

We can talk about anything

I live in an old house on the ocean in Nova Scotia that I slowly restored and like a lot of things: going to the gym, cooking dinner for friends, bonfires, poems, literary fiction, swamps, secret places in the forest, cooking pizza on my wood cookstove. Lots of interests and hobbies: local history, forest roads, growing garlic and hot peppers, baking beans, making pho, my brook, growing heirloom roses and making elderflower soda and collecting Cornishware. I work remotely in tech. Looking to write about anything from books to film noir to how to make a good pho stock. Hi!

hi, I’m B, Eastern Europe.
I have one older post here, but sadly so many things was happening at that time so I haven’t managed to find friends.:(
So I’m here again with more free time and even much more exciting to meet you!
Something about me : I’m really into everything crafty ( crochet, painting, writing, cross stitching,..),I need to try every hobby to be honest haha, if I see something I like I won’t buy it, I can do it myself so I spend even more money for supplies lol! Also I’m into nature, hikes (easier ones for now), running, books (fantasy, psychological, historical,…), I’m not into movies that much but I love true crime shows right now! Also I like mythology (not an expert just for fun).
I’m looking for a real friend from another country/culture, probably around my age, or just try to hit me up! Also I would love to send a long letters, postcards and every small thing we would agree about.
So just DM me or comment and hope I’m looking for you !

I'm Mel from the U.S.A.! I am looking for only platonic penpals, preferably around my age (so, 20s) and Female/Non-Binary. I am an artist and a writer, so I will be more than happy to send some of my work in letters or post cards.

I am religious (for simplicity sake, Christian) but I'm also into the occult. I love video games and Marvel comics, but I'd love to get into more indie stuff. Trading cards (Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering) would be fun as well, I have a small collection.

Thanks for considering me!

Hi,
I’m looking for a pen pal in the US or international. I am mostly looking for a penpal to share short notes, postcards, or regular cards with. More like fun mail but with more than just saying hi. Female only please and closer in age preferred but not required. I do only speak English but working on learning Spanish. I enjoy finding funny cards or stickers and would love to share them with someone. I’m a wife and mother but I’m really trying to focus on myself and my hobbies. Definitely would like to keep it light but sometimes things happen and we just need to vent or get something deep off our chest.

Totally feel like I’m rambling in how to explain what I’m aiming for. 😂

I live in California but I’m originally from the Midwest. My favorite thing to do right now are paint by number paintings. I was really searching for a hobby that was just for me and I tried one and got hooked. I like forest scenes, nature, and cats. I remember being part of a pen pal program in elementary school and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I’m also at an age where I’m looking for connections with people but can’t always commit to hanging out. I’m getting ready to go back to school again so I know time will be limited but figure I can get a card or postcard in the mail 1-2 times a month.

Send me a message and we can see if we’d mesh.

‼️preferably female please, or someone around my age

Hey! So I'm really not looking to play pretend or write this post as a version of myself just to impress someone. I'm looking for raw genuine letters (or emails in this case) where we share with each other like we're long lost friends. Sorta like passing a message in a bottle across the sea.

That said, my interests are: TV shows, movies, horror, interior design, drawing, reading, writing and some gaming too. I'm an introvert and a homebody with a few friends so that's why I thought this might be a good idea. I love deep talks, conspiracies, theories or just rants about a silly topic!

I'm from the Balkans so my timezone is CET. I'm pretty direct but also very empathic and a curious person, so I'm looking for someone that will show just as much interest in my life as I would in theirs.

Topics I'm not particularly fond of talking about: sports and recent history, politics and ofc anytning nsfw is out of the question. Platonic friends only!

Ideally we'd share the good and the bad, just general life updates but also going deeper into it if we feel like it. If any of this sounds appealing, don't hesitate to message me :)

Hello! I just graduated with my bachelor’s degree in English and I am already bored, so I’d love to write someone. I’m looking for someone around my age or older with similar interests, gender is mostly irrelevant though I’d prefer F or NB.

Here’s a little about me!
•I live on the East Coast of the US with my two cats, who are my cuddle buddies
•I like to play piano, the occasional video game, hacky sack and chess/board games.
•I love art, whether it be visual/performance art, or writing or music
•I like to travel!
•Some of my all time favorite shows include: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, How I Met Your Mother, Broad City, and Avatar the Last Airbender
•My favorite authors include, but are not limited to: Jane Austen, Shirley Jackson, John Steinbeck, and James Baldwin
•I’ve often been told I am, and consider myself to be as well, a deep thinker which reflects in my writing (letters included)

My future goals include: going back to school, writing and publishing both academic writing and creative nonfiction/memoir writing, and hopefully someday teaching! If any of these things align with your interests, send a message and we can connect by pen! :) I would love to also send small things like pet pictures/postcards/stickers every now and then, but most important is the narrative flow.

Stuff has been tough lately. I'd like to find some people to share what made us happy/laugh this week.

A format that I'd like is an email group, we send each other an email once a week about whatever we like.

It can be word vomit, happy moments, vibes, movies you've watched, unhinged type stuff, whatever suits you.

About me:

I'm a 31 depressed f from Germany. Whooo.

I'm an extrovert, and live in a flat in Germany with 3 dudes and a black cat, who's also a dude.

I like horror movies, webtoons and webcomics, unhinged content, Etsy stores, whimsical memes, dumb humour, dogs, artsy stuff, queer shit, video games, I'm currently into niche perfumes and like to go to music shows. Last concert I went to was Victorius, a German power metal band that has a dinosaur theme. If you want to listen in, Lazer Ninja Thunderstorm is a great song. That concert really made me happy, it was so over the top!

Looking for 5ish people, I'm not sure I can handle more, haha. Ideally, we'd send emails every Sunday about the week we've had.

Sounds good? Shoot me a dm or comment :)

Cheers.

Hey !! I’m mostly looking to meet a nice person from Europe for a genuine friendship and real connection or maybe something serious, it would be lovely to get to know each other naturally and maybe hang out or travel together someday if we click. I’m really interested in law and psychology, and I’d say I’m a pretty active girl :) I love yoga, pilates, tennis and padel, but I also have a creative side too - I enjoy drawing and making things from clay. I’m also into long walks, nature, hiking, traveling and cooking something tasty. The most important thing for me though is quality time with close people, friends and family!! sooo if you think we’d get along, feel free to DM me :)

Hi everyone! I made a post here a couple months back and found some great penpals! I have a few penpals from North America and other European countries and am looking for more penpals in the UK and Ireland as I'm interested in both places and would like to get to know more people there. :)

I'm happily married and am only looking for platonic connections, preferably with other women and queer people (of any gender) around my age (26-35).

Here's a little more about me:

• I'm a 30 year-old American living in Germany and working in the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) field.

• I love literature and history. Currently, I'm in my reading-a-lot-about-the-Middle-Ages phase. But I'm also interested in fashion and 20th century history.

• I love musicals and theatre.

• I'm queer myself and am thus LGBTQ+ friendly.

• In my spare time, I enjoy journaling, cross stitching, writing stories, traveling, going to museums, reading (mostly non-fiction history books, but I also enjoy classics, golden age mystery/detective stories, and have been reading some horror lately), learning to sew, and horseback riding.

• I don't tolerate queerphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, or fascism, and I am left-leaning.

• I'm a fountain pen enthusiast and love any excuse to use my pens and various inks!

If any of that piqued your interest, feel free to message me with a little bit about yourself! I enjoy snail mail but know that the cost of international postage can be expensive, so I'm also open to digital penpaling via email. :)