How to Write a Chain Letter

Whether you love them or hate them, chain letters have been around for ages. They used to be handwritten, but in the electronic age chain letters have moved to email form. Follow these steps to write a successful chain letter.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Figure out what type of chain letter you will write. There are a number of standard letter styles, including those that promise good luck, those that prevent bad luck and those that try to obtain some type of record by not being broken. Whichever strategy you choose, you'll use it to persuade people to continue to pass on the letter.
2. Decide if you will distribute your chain letter by paper or email. Paper chain letters have a nostalgic feel, but email chains can be reproduced much more quickly and sent to a large amount of people without any postage costs. However, email chains are often considered hoaxes or scams and may be ignored or deleted by recipients.
3. Determine how many copies of the chain letter will need to be passed along by each recipient. Many chain letters require recipients pass them along to five or 10 people. If you're using paper chain letters, choose a smaller number since the letters will need to be copied and mailed.
4. Choose a deadline for each recipient to pass along the chain letter to the appropriate number of people. Aim for a shorter time period so they don't forget about the letter and break the chain.
5. Establish an audience for your chain letter and communicate it to recipients. For example, you can tell recipients to send the letter to their friends, family or people upon whom they wish good luck.