As said
previously, endings are there to give purpose to a story, to see to it that it
comes to a gainful conclusion and can be looked back on as a single cohesive narrative.
With that in
mind, let’s us spend a spell in secretarial college and ask, what are some good
parting phrases to stick at the end of a letter?
Here’s a
list over a few of them in English, and what using them does to the story of
your letter.
In no
particular order:
1. Sincerely
Yours, Alexandra Von HumbleBrag.
It’s clean,
it’s neutral, it’s almost sterile. This is polite filler: it shows that there
is no deeper relationship or meaning to be found. They’re not a quirky
letter-writer, like those kids in Venice. They just want to be done with this
business soon, but they also want you to know they’ve put a certain amount of
thought and effort into this letter.
2. Hugs, Benny
Or “love”.
Or “kisses”. It means there’s affection coming from the letter-writer. Doesn’t
mean they love you, hell, it doesn’t even mean they like you. But it does mean,
they’re the sort of person unafraid to show you affection in a letter. And hey,
isn’t that a bit brave?
3. Thanks,
Akira
Confusing,
yes. Especially if it is the entire content of the letter. Usually means the sender
just wants it over with. It’s up to the recipient to decide if what they want
to be over with is the conversation itself, always a taxing effort, or interaction
with the recipient.
4. Your
Obedient Servant
Those who
sign this… They’re old. Real old. They read newspapers with a pair of opera
glasses, and carry an illegal sword-stick they call “Puppy” as in “You wouldn’t
want to upset Puppy now.” Pretentious? Sure. Syphilis-ridden? Almost
definitely. But they are polite, and they mean it. It doesn’t matter if you’re
arguing, or slaving and murdering, no, when somebody signs with this, you know
that they believe politeness and proper conduct to be above all morals and all
actions. It’s monstrous, and inhuman, but at the same time beautiful.
Or they just
listened to Hamilton. That’s also possible.
5. Cheers,
Nadia
Short,
happy, to the point. Would that all endings could be this effective. The
setting isn’t too formal, but it’s almost never too formal to write this. It’s
succinct, it’s cheerful, it’s the sign of an easy-going, pleasant writer.
The opposite
of this description.
6. Godspeed,
InfamousLog44
The
traditional farewell of a speedster. This changes everything: it puts your
story in a larger context, it means that whatever its contents and whatever it
commands, is urgent. A letter with this on the bottom, it’s suddenly part of a
much larger stor and it might not have known about it before even! It’s volume
5, and volume 6 clinches the story, and everything is nearing its end.
7. Hello!
The time
travelers shared valediction. Don’t answer letters that end with this. You’ll
end up having responded four months before you got it.
8. Take care,
your friend, Fatima
Intimacy is
the prime mover in this valediction. It’s not between lovers or close family
members, but there is love there. Love across a distance, but this at the end
of a letter is one of those sharp little surprises which remind you
9. Live long
and prosper/May the Force be with you, Spock Skywalker
These are
silly letters. These are silly letters from very silly people, no matter the
topic.
Or, well. If
the topic is silly, if the topic is so silly it’s fictional, then these letters
immediately acquire a deadly seriousness.
10. Yours
forever, Moss
A teary
farewell. A final farewell. If this is at the end of a letter, it better be the
end of a story.
Otherwise
you’re just a cheat.
11. As always,
A Kvetching Turtle
