In today’s video, we’re exploring why you might use an epilogue after your main story and how to effectively go about doing so using an example from my first Josie Prescott Antiques novel, “Consigned to Death.”
Hello, Jane Cleland here. “What’s an epilogue, and do I need one?” An epilogue is something that happens after the story is done. Often, authors use them to align with a prologue. And so this begs the question, should I use a prologue? There’s a variety of opinions here. Some people say no, never, just jump into chapter one. Um, I’m not so sure.
Very often, prologues set the scene. They introduce you to facts that would not be in evidence in the story because they happened earlier. Or occasionally, they happen in the future, and then the story proceeds to get you there. It seems to me, from an alignment point of view, if you’re going to have an epilogue, you probably need a prologue.
When I wrote my very first novel, Consigned to Death, the first Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery, my editor wanted to see the murderer. And he said you could just write a scene where Josie is there, and the murderer walks by, if that works. Or you could have an epilogue. And I thought about it, and I, I went for the former alternative because it seemed more organic. I was able to just continue the timeline, and it worked. It felt quite natural. An epilogue is an add-on, and that’s okay. Just make sure you need it.
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