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Improve Your Writing Skills with a Pen Pal
- 13th March 2018
- Category : Interviews & Blogs,Writers Tool
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There is something relaxing about taking the time to sit with pen and paper and give your thoughts physical weight. Writing by hand accesses different parts of your brain than typing and some writers find it helps spark their creativity. There are even some ambidextrous writers who switch hands to overcome writer’s block as they find inspiration from different sides of the brain. Despite the creative benefits of writing with ink, we find it far more convenient to type our words. But there are still some cases when we just can’t resist putting pen to paper.
Pen pals are a great reason to break out the old letter writing set and get back into writing by hand. It offers the opportunity to try new writing styles and to write freely without having to worry about characters and plots. Communicating with pen pals opens up whole new worlds of experiences. And for a writer there is nothing more beneficial than being exposed to new ways of life.
Some pen pal matching sites allow users to specify the country, age, and gender of matches. Others pair people based on their interests. For a writer particularly interested in character research pen pals can be a great resource. Communicating with someone who has different first-hand experiences or skills can give a writer the personal details not often found in internet searches or manuals but which are imperative to good story telling.
So, improve your writing and explore the world through letters using one of the sites below…
Postcrossing – Love postcards? Try Post Crossing and swap postcards with people across the world.
Snail Mail Penpals – Browse through profiles and add friends online before exchanging addresses.
Global Penfriends – Search by country and age to find and message potential pen pals.
International Pen Friends – This is a paid for service but they select a range of pen pals catered to the individual.
Intrigued by the idea of meeting a stranger through letters I’ve signed up to find my own pen pal. Stay tuned for updates.
Need some help with writing? Check out our Facebook Writing Group blog for helpful links.