The Generic MLA Guide to Suicide Notes 1.2.1
From genericweb.com/editions/suicide.html
Why Formatting is Important
The suicide note is possibly one of the most important written works you will write in your life. It is the final work you will be able to share with your family and friends. Often, it will be the most read and examined work you will ever write.
It is important to be sure your suicide note is properly formatted and composed to ensure not only that you are taken seriously (that your suicide is not dismissed as a joke), but also that people don't focus on your formatting and overlook why they are responsible for your death.
1.2.2 Margins
When placing your final words on paper, it is important to consider proper margins so that your suicide note can be easily read. As illustrated in Figure 1, the proper margins for a suicide note are as follows:
* Top Margin: 1.0 inches. This allows ample room for the note to be stapled as part of a police report without obscuring words.
* Left Margin: 0.5 inches. Your note will not likely be bound, so a large margin is not important. However, you want to leave enough room so that when your family/friends pick it up at the scene, their fingerprints will not leave your blood smudged over the words.
* Right margin: None. You should run the note all the way to the edge of the paper to demonstrate how close to the edge your life was.
* Bottom margin: Varies. A well written suicide note is concise. You shouldn't ever reach the bottom of the page.
1.2.3 Heading
Your suicide note will probably be read by more than just your close friends and family. It will likely be read by investigators, insurance adjustors, and more. It's important to take this into consideration when starting your note.
Do not start your note off with a greeting which singles out specific groups such as "Dear Mom," or "To My Family."
Do begin your note with a very general greeting. Try "To whom it may concern."
Your greeting should be followed by a comma and a single blank line.
1.2.4 The Body
The body of the note should be left justified, with one blank line between paragraphs. Do not indent the beginning of your paragraphs. It is often wise to hand write your note. This usually results in the note being hard to read, which means they'll have to spend more time looking at it.
1.2.5 The Closing
You should close your suicide note by skipping a single blank line, and indenting about three inches. Include a closing line, which can now be pointed directly at a single person or group (now that you've enticed everyone else to read your note anyway). You may sign your note, or simply make a vague reference to yourself.
If you follow the above guidelines, you should have no problem succeding in death where you failed in life. Good luck.
