What is Month Friend?

Month Friend pairs you with a stranger for one month. Every day, each of you can send exactly one message to the other. Messages aren't instant: everything sent today is delivered tomorrow morning at 7 AM Eastern, like a letter arriving with your coffee.

Each day comes with a writing prompt, hand-written by the person who runs this site. You can follow it or ignore it completely.

How does a month work?

Three days before a month begins, everyone with an account gets an email asking if they'd like to participate. If you say yes before midnight Eastern on the last day of the month, you're paired with someone and your first prompt arrives at 7 AM on the 1st.

You write one message a day. At 7 AM Eastern the next morning, your message is delivered to your partner and theirs to you — by email and on the site. On the last day of the month you send one final message, which arrives on the 1st of the next month. After that, the conversation is archived and you can reread it whenever you like.

Do I have to participate every month?

Not at all. Your account can sit quietly for as long as you like — you only get a partner in months where you confirm you want one.

What if I miss a day?

Nothing bad happens. Your partner simply gets a morning email without a letter in it. Life happens; the month keeps going.

Who will I be paired with?

Someone else who signed up for that month, chosen at random. We avoid pairing you with someone you've already had as a partner.

Do I need to visit the website every day?

No — Month Friend works almost entirely over email if you prefer. The morning email contains your partner's letter, today's prompt, and a link that logs you in instantly so you can write your reply in seconds.

Is it free?

Yes.