I was recently asked to add an epilogue to one of my novels to help round off the book. I felt that the book ended quite nicely already, but since I’m not a publisher with many years of experience and expertise, what the hell do I know?
Of course, the advice was sound. My book now has a more comprehensive ending that ties up the loose ends and offer a more well-rounded conclusion. By including this epilogue, the reader will now feel satisfied that the characters’ lives have come to a satisfactory conclusion, and they can be left alone knowing they will prosper. Before adding it, it wasn’t clear what the rest of their lives would look like. Yes, they had overcome that immediate challenge they faced in the book, but seeing as it was a narrative nonfiction story that took place 25 years ago, we should know what the future would hold for them. And now we do.
So, here’s the prompt…
Take a look at the longer pieces you have written - a novel, novella etc. - and see whether it could do with an epilogue to really send the piece home. Perhaps you feel that your current ending is satisfying to you, but from the point of view of the reader, they might be left wanting. Reread the home straight of the piece and decide whether more can be said. And remember, the epilogue does not have to take place in the immediate timespan of the rest of the book. You can revisit the characters decades later, depending on the piece. Epilogues give you the license to jump ahead in time and check in with your characters. That’s exactly what I did with my new epilogue, and it has worked a charm.
The same principle applies for the prologue but instead consider whether there’s something to be said at the beginning of book to set up the first chapter. Again, it can be years before Chapter One takes place, or even years after, if you’re feeling confident in your time-hopping abilities.
So, take a look at your longer manuscripts and see if they could do with some bookending – whether laying up the first chapter with a prologue, or rounding things off with a satisfying epilogue.
Happy writing!
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