Let’s say you’ve written the last chapter of your story, but you still have something to add. There are still questions left unanswered or mysteries you’ve yet to address. However, you just couldn’t fit them in the last chapter because the main conflict took center stage. What can you do in this case?
The answer is simple: write an epilogue! This extra chapter can help you wrap up any lingering loose ends. Additionally, it can give your audience a glimpse into the future after the main story ends. With that said, it’s worth noting that epilogues as a type of ending have their pros and cons, so it’s important to know when you should or shouldn’t write one.
To help you understand more about epilogues, we will answer all your questions in this article, including how to write an epilogue and when to do it.
What Is an Epilogue?
An epilogue, or expanded ending, is an extra chapter at the end of a fiction book that takes place after the main conflict of the story is resolved. Epilogues could also appear as post-credit scenes in movies and TV shows. They serve as bonus content for readers to enjoy after an eventful story.
When to Write an Epilogue
Many books don’t contain epilogues because they don’t need them. However, some authors choose to write epilogues for various reasons, which ultimately amount to satisfying readers’ curiosity. Just like the rest of your story, an epilogue can be very fun to read.
Below are the benefits of writing an epilogue for your story:
- Wrapping up character arcs: In some stories, resolving the main conflict can overshadow the growth and development of certain characters. So, you can add an epilogue to show readers how these characters have evolved.
- Revealing future events after the conflict is resolved: Epilogues are often used to show what the fictional world looks like after the main storyline is concluded. For example, the main characters might get married and have children, or the hero of the village finally settles down in their dream home.
- Hinting at a sequel: Some authors take advantage of epilogues to imply that there will be a sequel to their story in the future. If you choose to do that, just make sure you use subtle teasers that will get your readers excited.
- Giving readers closure and reinforcing the emotional impact of the story: If your story ends with unresolved tension or lingering questions, consider adding an epilogue set in the future. This way, you can add extra dimension to the way the main conflict was resolved without changing anything about it. For example, let’s say the hero loses their friends while defeating the villain. In the epilogue, you can show the hero reflecting on these losses as they try to rebuild their life. This approach not only gives your readers closure but also adds emotional depth to the story’s conclusion.
When to Avoid Writing an Epilogue
More often than not, you could be better off concluding your story in the final chapter instead of adding an extra ending scene. In fact, you will find that many authors avoid epilogues because they are not always needed or do not add value or depth to their stories.
To explore why that’s the case, let’s take a look at the reasons why you might not need an epilogue:
- You’ve tied up all loose ends in the final chapter: If no mysteries remain unresolved after the final chapter of your book, an epilogue may not serve a purpose. Similarly, a story that ends on a definitive and final note usually does not need an epilogue. In both scenarios, the ending of the story delivers an impactful message, but expanding on that message in an epilogue would feel repetitive and draw out the ending.
- Your readers usually dislike reading epilogues: Many audiences actually dislike epilogues. In their eyes, a story must end in the final chapter, or else the ending is not well-executed. You can check out Quora, Reddit, and other online forums to see what your potential readers think of epilogues in your genre. Additionally, you can hire beta readers to give you feedback on this topic after reading your book and checking whether an epilogue is needed or not.
- Your epilogue is better off as a sequel or spin-off story: Epilogues are supposed to be short bonus chapters that aren’t essential to understanding major loose ends in the plot. So, if your epilogue is significantly important to the plot, you should think about turning it into a sequel or spin-off story instead. Remember that an epilogue is a companion piece to your ending, not its own new storyline.
- Epilogues can feel detached from the rest of the story: In many cases, epilogues can have different tones, settings, or even characters. In other words, they might feel detached from the main story. This can put off readers or pull them out of the fictional world as they might not be expecting such a different setting. If your epilogue doesn’t have a clear connection to the rest of your story, then it’s best to cut it out.
How to Write a Good Epilogue for Your Story
If you’ve decided that an epilogue will work well for your story, then let’s learn how to write one. Unlike regular endings, there are a few rules and tips to follow when writing an epilogue. So, without further ado, let’s go over the best practices for writing an epilogue.
1. Answer Any Questions Readers Might Still Be Asking
Even after the main conflict ends, your readers might still have questions about certain parts of the story. Perhaps a character’s side plot has yet to be resolved, or the main characters’ fates are still unclear. You can expand on these plot points in the epilogue.
If you’re unsure what questions readers will have about the plot, you can bring in beta readers. They will tell you which mysteries they’d like to see resolved in an epilogue.
2. Highlight the Main Themes of the Story
As with the final chapter, your epilogue should reflect the themes of your story. By doing this, you’re adding meaning to the epilogue. Moreover, adding story themes to the epilogue turns a bonus chapter into an important part of its conclusion.
For instance, you can end a book about the danger of unrestrained ambition like this: the main character has risen to become queen of her nation, but in doing so she’s manipulated everyone around her and ruined countless lives. After her coronation in the final chapter, she now sits on the throne alone, surrounded by royal guards who fear for their lives and secretly resent her.
3. Keep It Short and Sweet
How long should an epilogue be? As a general practice, they tend to be shorter than regular chapters because they are essentially bonus content. Just keep in mind that even if your regular chapters are quite long, you should try to keep your epilogue below 8 pages.
4. Show a Snippet of the Fictional World or the Characters’ Lives in the Future
Your readers might be curious about the futures of the main characters. Or perhaps they might be wondering what the world looks like after that epic battle. Why not showcase these changes to the characters or setting in the epilogue? After all, epilogues are the best place to write about what happens after the main storyline is over.
5. Choose (Or Come Up with) New Ideas and Formats for Your Epilogue
There aren’t many rules governing the format of an epilogue. Many authors, in fact, have come up with new and creative ways to write them. You can do the same as well if it will engage your readers or further improve the story.
To do that, you can draw inspiration from the epilogues of other books, movies, comic books, or any fiction medium you like. You can even base the structure of your epilogue on certain non-fiction books and articles if it suits the themes of your story!
Below are some of the different ways that authors have written their epilogues:
- Character interviews: Imagine hosting interview sessions with certain characters in your story. What questions would you ask them, and how would they respond? Write them all down and present them in the epilogue of your story. This format adds further depth to the characters while making the epilogue more fun to read.
- Detective case files: For detective novels, you can turn your epilogue into a collection of detective case files as if readers were looking at classified information. This can help keep them immersed in the story while answering their questions at the same time.
- Poems: Have you ever wished to end a story with poetry? You can do so in the epilogue! Many authors use poetry throughout their books as quotes or forewords, so why not try writing your own lines for the epilogue?
Examples of Fantastic Epilogues in Fiction
As we wrap up this article, let’s take a look at examples of well-written story epilogues from popular books and movies. Each of the following examples differs in themes and content, but they still skilfully wrap up their respective stories.
1. Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay
In the well-loved young adult novel, Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins wraps up the story of Katniss and Peeta in a short but impactful epilogue. Having struggled to survive for so long, Katniss finally finds external peace. But despite her newfound happiness, her past experiences in the Hunger Games keep her up at night.
The epilogue takes place twenty years after the main events of the story. Katniss and Peeta have settled down and had children. And yet, Katniss’ trauma haunts her and causes her to have nightmares from time to time. In addition, she was quite reluctant to have kids at first because of her fears. Still, she does overcome some of her inner demons and strives to build a better future for her family.
2. George Orwell’s Animal Farm
The epilogue of Animal Farm is alarming and pessimistic, yet inevitable given the events of the novella. The pigs who once strived to achieve equality for all animals at the farm now rule over them with an iron fist.
The epilogue shows the rest of the farm animals watching the pigs entertain human farmers at the farmhouse. The other animals are shocked to realize that they cannot differentiate between the pigs and the humans. This is because the pigs have started mimicking human behavior, like walking on their hind legs and wearing clothes. This transformation symbolizes the pigs’ betrayal of their initial ideals from “all animals are equal” to “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
3. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
In the final book of the Harry Potter series, Harry and his friends have grown up and started their own families. The Dark Lord had been defeated nineteen years ago, never to terrorize Hogwarts again.
The expanded ending of the book shows Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sending off their children to Hogwarts. Their interactions are short but friendly, and they tell their children a few parting words before the train departs. This epilogue, as short as it is, concludes Harry’s story and gives readers a glimpse into his future.
Final Thoughts
As with all parts of the story, a well-crafted epilogue can add new depth to the ending and give readers closure. But before adding one, make sure your own book will benefit from that extra post-credits scene.
What do you think of epilogues? Do they elevate the reading experience for you, or do you prefer a regular story conclusion? Let us know in the comments below.
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