An epilogue is the part of a story that appears at the end of a book and is meant to conclude or comment on the main story. Depending on how effectively it is used, epilogues can have great impact by making the story unforgettable.

Tip #1 Use an epilogue to tie up loose ends in your story

An epilogue can be used to provide more information on the ending. The ending of the book should answer unsolved questions, not the epilogue. In the cases where the story ends abruptly and the reader is curious as to what happens afterward, an epilogue can provide more details. Epilogues provide closure and add to an ending, giving the reader a better understanding of the story as a whole.

Tip #2 Maintain the traits of the characters

An epilogue should not conflict with the image painted of the characters by the author in the main story. A villain should not automatically change to be the protagonist when writing the epilogue. When writing it, consider the role that each character played and maintain their traits so as not to confuse the reader by contradicting the main story. An effective way of portraying characters in an epilogue is showing their growth and how the story and the events in it changed their lives. It should not just contain details of their lives after the main plot but also how the story contributed to who they became later.

Tip #3 Give a glimpse of what is expected in a sequel

Writing an epilogue can be a great way to give readers a glance at the contents of a sequel. It should not be too revealing though, just enough details should be included to raise readers’ interest. The author could consider writing epilogues in other forms such as poetry and not just in the common narrative style.

Tip #4 Continue with the main story’s style and language in the epilogue

The epilogue should maintain the point of view and the language of the rest of the story. It should fit seamlessly into the rest of the book as it is meant to complement the main plot and not stand on its own as an independent section.

In the epilogue, you could point towards the lesson in the story as a way to amplify it, even though the main story may already have delivered the lesson.

Tip #5 Remember to set it in a different time frame

An epilogue should contain the details of a character’s life way after the ending of the plot. The reader may already be wondering what happens later and the epilogue is the best section to answer this question. Epilogues do not always have to follow the happily-ever-after format but since the main story should have dealt with the conflict, providing happy details of the protagonists in later years gives the reader satisfaction. Still, the epilogue should not be too grandiose as to overshadow the main parts of the story. It should contain just enough details to satisfy the reader.