How to sign off - various thoughts.

[reynardo]

I write. I write letters to friends, and to acquaintances, and to complete and total strangers. Sometimes they're formal letters, which is dead easy, (Yours sincerely/faithfully) but usually they're not.

Now most of the time I don't have an issue with finishing it. Hugs if it's someone I would hug in person, with variations on the fact (Love and hugs or Hugs and kisses), and of course the prevailing sentiment works well: Thinking of all of you at the moment to an acquaintance going through a rough time, or Missing you heaps to someone who's moved away and you haven't seen them in ages. Then to some special friends, Fluffy-Bounce! is always appropriate.

And yes, I always try and get my own personality through and be personal when writing. It's my voice, after all, and I really want that to come across. Or it's something in a story I'm writing, and I want to hit just the right note with the communication between two or more characters.

And being Aspie doesn't help - I've been known to hit exactly the wrongest note from time to time :-P

So, out of curiousity, what sort of ways would people sign off letters in the following circumstances?

1) A letter to an author you admire, who you've met once at a convention, and have had an occasional correspondence to date, but they've hit a really rough spot and you want them to know that you're not just being polite - you really care about what's happening to them.

2) A very awkward letter to someone you were best friends with many years ago, but now that their life has changed incredibly for the worse, (drugs, or something as bad), you're trying to turn down their "business opportunity" they want you to be part of.

3) A letter sent as a relationship starts between two people, where they're both level-headed enough to realise they're not in love yet, but they do really like each other very much and are hoping for more.

I will accept serious or silly submissions :-)

Comments

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

May the seed of your loin be fruitful in the belly of your woman.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

I assume that's for the "business proposition" refusal :-)

[meladara.livejournal.com]

I'm a letter writer too, though I must confess most of them never see the light of day. I use writing letters as a method to sort out my thoughts most of the time.

I actually just wrote a letter(and by just I mean it is literally right next to me and the ink isn't even dry...). I am very much unsure if it will go anywhere but the garbage. It is along the lines of example number three, except we are at the very beginning of getting to know each other. Per your question: I signed it 'With Sincerest Regards'

I'm still not sure if I'll send it... I never am sure until it either gets ripped up in the garbage or placed into the mailbox. LOL! We'll have to see.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Send it! take the risk! If they're worth writing a letter to, they're worth knowing better...

If I had a letter hand-written from someone that I knew, and liked even just a little bit, I would be thrilled.

[teddyradiator.livejournal.com]

1) Sincere personal regards

2) Best wishes on your endeavours

3) Warm regards
Affectionately
Speak soon
Till next time

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

I should have remembered number 2! It's perfect, and hits just the right note. The others - I do particularly like "Affectionately".

[bunny-hugger.livejournal.com]

I tend to use "Sincerely" for almost everything. I guess it's formal and stilted, but it seems to communicate exactly what I mean, that I am saying something that should be taken as honestly meant. I would probably use it for 1) and 2) and let the content of the letter dictate the rest of the tone.

The third I might sign "Your friend." I think this may be how I signed things to Austin before we were an acknowledged couple. ... I just looked, I signed an early letter to him "Your humble bunny" which communicates essentially the same thing but a little more fondly.

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

I can't think of a situation in which it's not appropriate.

[meladara.livejournal.com]

I am so hesitant because, although I highly respect this person, I really don't know him as more than acquaintance, and our acquantance is rather new, as well. I am afraid that if I were to give him the letter it might freak him out... Not that the content of the letter is freakish or over the top or anything, its just me expressing my desire to have the opportunity to get to know him better and a confession that that his daily smiles and kind words really do help make my day better. But still, we've only just got to the point where we exchange words in the last month, and even those aren't exactly comfortable... I'm not even sure if he is just being polite to me or if he is interested in me. Though, one could argue that if I never do anything about it I may never learn one way or the another...

Truthfully, I write to him often and then trash them, so that I don't do something rash. I sincerely like the man!

AHH! I don't know!

Anyhow, I agree that I would love to get a letter from him. I enjoy getting letter from anyone. Maybe I will rewrite it, just to be sure it isn't over the top, before sending it. Maybe...

[paisleysnail.livejournal.com]

Haha I find this post very interesting, because I hate trying to think of a sign off so much that I leave them off whenever I can!

To be fair though, most of my correspondence is emails for work - where either its super formal if going out to a client or just my name with no sign of at all for internal (often even the name feels unnecessary - it's an email, they know who it's from).

[loganberrybunny.livejournal.com]

I've been known to sign actual paper letters "Frithaes", though only to people who have the foggiest idea what I'm gibbering about... but I'll have a go at your three examples:

1) I'd probably go with a simple "Yours" but make the last sentence of the letter proper something encouraging. I do use "All the best" quite a bit in emails, but much less so on paper.

2) I'd be tempted not to use a sign-off at all and just put my name, but if I didn't want to seem as cold as that then possibly just "Regards". Anyone who'd known me that well in the past would know that I don't generally use plain "Regards" to very close friends.

3) I'm a bit at sea with this one. Furry being what it is, I can write "Love and snuggles" on some people's letters without it implying anything at all beyond friendship. I think in a situation like this, I'd probably do any implication in the body of the letter, and stick to a "Frithaes" at the end!

[beowabbit]

My standard closings are:

Cheers,

Love,

Hugs,

Hugs and love,

Hugs and joy,

Warm wishes,

and depending on the content, sometimes

Good luck,

Not sure if that list is useful, but there it is.

Oh, once in a *great* while I use

Passionate kisses,

[beowabbit]

Maybe a thank-you letter to the priest who officiated at your daughter’s First Communion?

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

Everything about that scenario is inappropriate for me.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

1, Best regards

2. Thinking of you

3. Yours (hopefully)


or...

1. I meant it, and honestly I am not a nutter.

2. Sent through guilt, not real affection, please don't expect me to care any more than this.

3. I hope you don't dribble when you snog.

[fenrischained.livejournal.com]

1) Best wishes,
2) Good luck. Try not to get arrested.
3) I have your heart with me. In a jar. On my shelf. Among my ever-increasing collection of human body parts. Basically, what I'm saying is that I'd like you to donate your liver to science. And by "science" I mean "mad bio-engineering attempts to produce an abhorred monstrosity which defies the laws of God and man". Anyway, see you soon.

You probably took the last two as a joke. I take them as proof that I am not to be trusted with writing letters.