Postcrossing Blog

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

November’s writing prompt is inspired by my talent for getting distracted, and a cabbage. You might not think those two things are related, but I’ll explain in a minute…

You see, just behind my monitor there’s a map of the world that takes over the whole wall. Peeking behind the top left corner of the screen, a group of funny-shaped French islands emerges in the south Indian Ocean: the Kerguelen Islands. One day, I got curious and decided to Google them…and voilà, this is how I learned that they’re also called the “Desolation islands” and are one of the most remote places on earth. They’re also home to the Kerguelen cabbage, an edible plant that is endemic to the islands, and rich in vitamin C. According to some reports, while the raw leaves taste like cress, the boiled leaves resemble stale cabbage and the roots are similar to horseradish… I bet you didn’t know that! 😋

So what is something interesting that you’ve recently discovered? It could be a funny fact, a new skill, or even something you’ve learned through a postcard you’ve received. Share it with others on the postcards you send out this month!

One year ago today we started these monthly writing prompts, to try to inspire people to write more on their postcards. So… did it work? Did you end up using the prompts throughout the month, or not really? Please leave a comment with your experience below, so that we can evaluate how useful this initiative has been, or how it can be improved.

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

With Halloween just around the corner, this seemed like a good suggestion from ColorfulCourtney:

Not being overly superstitious myself, I confess I had to do a bit of research about the topic but found out something interesting in the process! The typical houses in the south of Portugal are white, with a colorful band around the windows and doors, traditionally in yellow or blue but often found in other colors as well. Like this photo from the nearby town of Castro Marim:

Turns out, that colorful band of color is said to be there to ward off bad spirits from entering the house! The buildings are also often whitewashed with a lime solution every year, and supposedly this task must be carried out by women for maximum efficiency in its “protectiveness” … 🤔

These might seem like silly superstitions, but since the majority of old houses here are still whitewashed and have colorful bands, a lot of people sure used to believe in it! 😅 What about your area? Are there any superstitions that are unique to your region or maybe country? Let others know about them on the postcards you send this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

We’ve suggested book and music-themes for these writing prompts before… but what about movies? Cinema is a popular past-time, with many people enjoying a movie now and then.

At the time I’m writing this post, the last movie we’ve seen was Coco, a fun animated movie about a music-loving boy who accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead… and gets into all kinds of adventures trying to find his way back to his family. It’s beautifully done and I promise that after you watch it, you’ll never be able to see a “Remember me” checkbox on any login page again without humming the corresponding song from the movie… 😜

What about you? Was the last movie you’ve seen any good? Share your big screen tips on the postcards you write this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

August at last! Longer school breaks in the northern hemisphere typically happen in these hotter months, with families traveling together for their holidays… Which got us thinking about a suggestion from Norway_girl on the forum:

Sounds easy enough, and it could be anything: a favorite attraction or viewpoint, or perhaps your preferred café? If you live in a big city, don’t be afraid to point out more unusual places, or something out of the beaten path.

So I’ll go first: if you ever visit Tavira, I would take you to see one of the oldest olive trees in Europe. It’s over 2000 years old, and still carries on bearing fruit, making shade, and putting our tiny human lives into perspective. 😊

What about you? What is special or unique about your hometown? Let others know on the postcards you send out this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too.

Everyone has a few dreams that they’re aiming to accomplish in their lifetime, right? They can be big or small or even a little crazy. For some, their dream could be to climb a big mountain, or to visit a special country… or maybe meeting the Queen!

Following this line of thought, July’s writing prompt comes from a suggestion that Sprinkledonut left on a blog comment:

Personally, I’m a serial list-maker and have so many plans on my bucket list that I don’t even know where to start. I want to eat all the egg dishes in the world, knit a temperature scarf, sleep on a mountain hut, see some of the fantastic places featured on the postcards I’ve received… I could write about a different goal on every single postcard this month, and I don’t think I would run out of crazy ideas. 😜

Whatever your dreams may be, they’re special to you for a reason. So we invite you to share something your bucket list and inspire others this month!