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.

Of all the meals in a day, breakfast has always been my favourite. When I was a kid, it was mostly because of the chocolate milk and bread with marmelada (quince cheese) combo… but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate the versatility of breakfast and experimented with other variations of this meal. So I’m very happy about this month’s writing prompt suggestion by ColorfulCourtney on the forum:

These days, I’m all about coffee and eggs. Omelets, scrambled, fried, poached… anything goes! If we’re feeling especially hungry, I’ll do a big pan of shakshouka and pair it with orange juice from the local farmer’s market. Paulo is a fan of fluffy croissants, but those are reserved for special days! 🙂

What about you? What’s your normal breakfast, and what would you consider a treat? Write about it on your postcards this month and feel free to illustrate it with a little drawing, if you feel so inclined. 🍳

Have a delicious 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!

Another month will soon start and it’s time for a new suggestion for the messages on your postcards! But first, let us ask: did last month’s writing prompt help you unlock some creativity and write more on your postcards? And did you discover any new writers that you’re looking forward to read? Let us know in the comments below!

The writing prompt for March was suggested by nyassa on the forum:

This is such a simple prompt, but so interesting! I’m writing this post from our office, and we use our big window here as a whiteboard, to jot down ideas and things we’re working on… so it’s a bit busy! Through it, I can see the blue sky, the palm trees swaying in the wind across our quiet street, our elderly neighbours walking their elderly dogs… aaaand the mail carrier that has just arrived on their scooter! Time to go pick the mail! 😀

We hope you enjoy this monthly prompt — feel free to take a step further, add extra details, or even draw it on your postcard!

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’re posting February’s writing prompt a couple of days ahead of schedule because other good things are coming… 😉  Stay tuned!

This month’s writing prompt was suggested by Norway_girl on the forum. Here it goes:

If possible, write about someone whose work you know and enjoy, so that others can discover it too! It could be a contemporary or classical author, or perhaps even a favourite poet, children’s book or cookbook’s author. Make it interesting and help others discover a bit of your country’s literary heritage.

In the past few years, as friends got married and started having babies, we’ve been slowly rediscovering Portuguese children’s books and fell in love with a publisher called “Planeta Tangerina” (Tangerine planet). Their books are filled with beautifully illustrated and irreverent stories, making it hard to pick just one… A particular author of theirs that we enjoy is Isabel Minhós Martins, whose many books are often translated into other languages. “Don’t cross the line!” is our favourite — a quirky story on dictatorship, revolutions and the power of people, taking place in felt-tip illustrations on the left and right sides of each two-page spread.

What about your country? Which authors have you been reading or having fun discovering? Which ones do you think the recipient of your postcard would like to hear about? Don’t be afraid to skip the classics and recommend some little-known authors on your postcards — if you like their works, it’s likely that some other postcrossers will too!

PS – Got some cool ideas for more prompts? Feel free to share them on this forum thread!

Happy New Year! May it be a brilliant one!

Last month we invited everyone to write about a famous food from your region in the postcards you were sending out. So… what new delicacies did you learn about? 😋 Are you going to give them a try?

(For those that are new to them, the writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcard’s 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!)

This month’s writing prompt was suggested by Jetske. Here it goes:

Sounds simple enough, right? But wouldn’t it be interesting to know how your typical day differs from someone else’s across the world?

For instance, my commute is probably the shortest out there, as I just work from our home office on my laptop all day (not in pijamas though!). A typical day around here is filled with emails, posts, research and coffee… as well as occasional visits from the neighbourhood’s cats! 🐈

What about you? What does your typical day look like? Are you strict about schedules or tend to go with the flow? Do you have a long commute? And do you interact with a lot of other people (or cats)?

You can choose to give the recipient of your postcard a broad overview of your days, or focus on something specific if you feel that would be more relevant. Whichever approach you choose, I’m sure it’ll be interesting to read about.

Have a good month, filled with lovely postcards!

Another month starts and it’s time for a new suggestion for the messages on your postcards! But first, let us ask: did last month’s writing prompt help you unlock some creativity and write a bit more on your postcards? We really hope so!

(For those that are new to them, the writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcard’s 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!)

December’s writing prompt was suggested by Heepy on the forum. Here it goes:

This should be an easy one, right? Around here in the south of Portugal, the “holy trinity of crops” consists of almonds, carob and figs. Most of the local sweets will include one or more of these, giving them a very characteristic taste and texture. After extensive research, we can confirm it’s absolutely delicious! I could definitely write about it at length on my postcards… 😋

What about you, what is typical from your region? We invite you to pick a favourite local dish or sweet and tell your recipients all about it on your December postcards — you might even inspire someone across the world to try it out someday!

PS – Got some cool ideas for more prompts? Feel free to share them on this forum thread!