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Description:
In this episode of The Novel Writing Podcast, host Colleen Mitchell explores epilogues. Are they necessary? What purpose do they serve? Colleen shares her thoughts, best practices, and five key questions to help you decide if an epilogue is right for your story. While not essential for every book, epilogues can be the perfect finishing touch when done well. Tune in to learn more!
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To Epilogue or Not to Epilogue
You are listening to The Novel Writing Podcast, episode 138. I'm your host, Colleen Mitchell. Grab a cup, cozy up, and let's get to writing!
The Appeal of Epilogues
I will gleefully admit that I'm a sucker for epilogues after long, multi-chapter fanfictions where I get a happily ever after moment set months or years after the closing scene. I've written such epilogues myself, where I got the chance to wrap up storylines that never saw justice in the canon.
Are Epilogues Necessary?
But are epilogues necessary? Like most writing questions, it depends. Ultimately, if it comes down to it, no. Epilogues are not necessary. However, they do provide authors the opportunity to zoom forward in time at the end of the book and present a scene of harmony or closure that can't fit into the final chapter either because it's too far in the future, or the content has no real role in wrapping up the main plot of the book.
When Not to Use an Epilogue
Epilogues shouldn't be used at the end of a book that is part of a series. As a reader, I would be confused about why there is an epilogue on book 1 or 2 of a series that's 3 or more books, because an epilogue by definition (according to Merriam-Webster), is a final section that brings to an end and summarizes or comments on the action or characters of a story.
In a series, the end of book 1 or 2 or whichever book that is not the final book, has an open ending. As in, there's an expectation that the overarching series arc has yet to complete, and an epilogue plopped in the middle of that kind of upsets the apple cart in terms of expectations.
When to Use an Epilogue
But at the end of a series? Have at it. The reason the epilogue for the Harry Potter series worked so well was not just because it was at the end of the 7th and final book, but it also took place in the far future (19 years later), and it happened at King's Cross Station--the setting in all the books that represents passing from the muggle or non-magical realm to the magical one. It was a full circle moment for every single reader, because they started the series, in essence, at King's Cross, and Rowling left everyone there again at the end.
Questions to Ask Yourself
If you are struggling with deciding if you should include an epilogue (or not), here are some questions to ask yourself about the story:
1. Is your book a standalone, or a series? If a series, which book in the series is it? An epilogue is more suitable for standalone books or the final book in a series.
2. Is the story itself resolved by the end of the final chapter? If not, don’t use an epilogue to resolve it. Rework your final chapter to ensure the main plot is fully contained within the chapters of the manuscript. Epilogues are not for resolving the main plot.
3. Do you expect readers will want to know about the characters' lives in the far future? If your readers will crave insight into what happens to your characters after the story ends, an epilogue might be a good fit.
4. Does your imagined epilogue solidly close out the series in a way that readers would be satisfied? The epilogue should provide a satisfying conclusion, offering closure to your readers.
5. Why do you want an epilogue at all? Reflect on your reasons for wanting to include an epilogue. If it serves to enrich the story and provide a satisfying conclusion, it’s likely a good choice.
Special Cases for Epilogues
In some instances, an epilogue can do double duty: providing closure for a series while opening the door for a potential sequel series. This doesn’t mean ending on a cliffhanger but rather leaving readers with a gentle curiosity about what might come next in the characters' lives.
A good example is Rick Riordan's *Percy Jackson* series, which was followed by two sequel series. An epilogue at the end of the first series could have provided a seamless transition to the subsequent series without detracting from the overall narrative.
Final Thoughts
Just remember that if you're going to do an epilogue, make sure it's at the end of a standalone or the end of a series, and don't use the epilogue to tie up the actual story. The final chapter should be tying up the story. But if your story neatly finishes with “The End” on the last page of your last chapter, and inserting an epilogue seems to detract from it, you’ll lose nothing by skipping it entirely.
There will be a companion episode to this soon on the other oft-maligned pseudo-chapter, the prologue.
Wrap-Up
That's it for today's episode! If this has been helpful for you, I'd appreciate it if you left a rating or review on your platform of choice. While it does nothing for me, it does help other writers find this podcast.
Thanks for joining me, and remember, the first draft is supposed to be garbage.
Show Notes
Dive into the first episode of the Novel Writing Podcast with your host Colleen and her sometimes-guest Halie Fewkes Damewood! Here, we give you the gist of who we are, what we do, and what you can expect from this podcast.
What to do next…
Halie & Colleen are both authors! Find their books below:
Secrets of the Tally, by Halie Fewkes Damewood
The Chronicles of Talahm, by Colleen Mitchell
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