Choose Keep when you want to return to the words. Consider Burn or Release when you want a deliberate ending and understand what the app will do. If you are uncertain, wait. Finishing the writing does not obligate you to decide the letter's future immediately.
The choice is about this page. It is not a measure of your courage, forgiveness, or readiness to move on.
Keep: when the exact words matter
A letter may hold a memory you want to revisit, an observation you are not ready to evaluate, or a first attempt at saying something difficult. Saving it gives you time.
Ask: “Would I want these words available next week?” You do not have to reread them today. Keeping is especially sensible when the content matters as a personal record. Do not use a symbolic closing action to dispose of information you may need.
You can also keep a letter because you like it. Not every emotional page has to become a lesson or a goodbye.
Burn: when you want a visible ending
In Rescript, Burn presents a visual burn scene for the letter. Some people may prefer that clear, deliberate transition at the end of a session. Others may find it too final or simply unappealing.
Try the sentence: “I want to stop returning to this version of the conversation for tonight.” If that fits, a closing ritual may fit too. It still does not guarantee that the thought will stay away.
Read the confirmation before continuing. Never assume you can retrieve the words later just because the action is presented as a visual effect.
Release: when another kind of ending fits
Release offers a different visual close. It remains an unsent action: it does not deliver your words to the recipient or publish them as a message to other people.
You might choose it because you prefer that scene, because the word “release” fits your intention, or simply because you want to finish. There is no psychological ranking that makes it a more mature choice than Keep or Burn.
Product demonstration with sample writing. The ending remains your choice.
Ask these questions before deciding
- Do I want access to the exact words again?
- Am I choosing freely, or trying to prove I am over something?
- Do I understand the consequence shown in the app?
- Would waiting until tomorrow make the decision easier?
If the last answer is yes, wait. An unfinished decision can be a thoughtful one.
What the choice cannot promise
A closing ritual cannot guarantee recovery, erase a memory, or settle a relationship. The visual ending also does not describe every aspect of data retention. For product details, read the FAQ; for information handling, read the Privacy Policy.
You can always begin another letter about a feeling that returns. That does not invalidate the ending you chose for this one.