By Dania Voss
“Goodbye
is the hardest thing to say to someone who means the world to you, especially
when goodbye isn’t what you want.” – Unknown
As
authors we strive to bring our stories to a satisfying conclusion. We want the
end to be rewarding for our readers.
But
what if as writers, we’re not ready to say goodbye to our characters or the
story? And what if our readers might not be ready either?
What
if we don’t have to be? Quite yet. Enter the epilogue.
An
epilogue is the section of your book or story that would come after you type
The End. As a reader, I love books that include an epilogue. I personally enjoy
including an epilogue in my novels. I’m a romance writer so I share a glimpse
into my happy couple’s lives anywhere from a few months to a few years into the
future after the main story ends.
What
kinds of things can you include in an epilogue? Here are a few ideas for you to
consider.
·
You
can show how your main characters have grown, or how they have changed since
the end of the main story. The epilogue is a wonderful way for your readers to
experience your characters still successfully triumph over challenges or issues
they may have faced during the main story.
·
If
you intend on writing a sequel, your epilogue can include hints or teasers
about what your readers can expect next.
·
The
epilogue is a place where you can express your main character’s final thoughts on
events that happened during the main story.
·
Is
your book part of a series? The epilogue can prepare your readers for the next
installment. Include a scene with the characters that will be featured in the
next book.
·
Include
one last (minor) plot twist or conflict that can easily and quickly be resolved.
How
long should an epilogue be? In my humble opinion, I believe your story should
dictate the length, as long as it doesn’t become tiring for your reader. An
epilogue can be as short as two or three pages. I tend to write long chapters
of about twenty pages, so my epilogues end up close to full chapter length.
So
when you reach The End of your next book or story, but you’re not ready to say goodbye
because “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.” - Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow, I hope you’ll give serious consideration to the epilogue.
Born in Rome,
Italy and settled in the Chicagoland area, Dania Voss became a romance junkie
in her teens. She is a lover of all things pink and a huge fan of 80's
hair bands. After decades of voracious reading, she published her first romance
novel On the Ropes, the prequel in her Windy City Nights series in March 2018.
It was nominated as best Contemporary Romance in the 2018 Evernight Publishing
Reader's Choice Awards. The Windy City Nights series takes place in and around
Chicago which means - baseball, men in uniform, sexy Italians and steamy
nights...She writes contemporary, steamy romance but at their core, her stories
are about love, commitment, family, and friendship. She writes romance with
heat and heart. Dania is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America
and the Chicago Writers Association. She's been seen on affiliates of NBC, ABC,
CBS and FOX. She's been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Artist First Radio
Network, and has been a guest speaker for the Red Hat Society. Website / Social Media Links: Website: http://www.daniavoss.com/
Blog: http://www.daniavoss.com/blog Newsletter: http://www.bit.ly/DaniaNews
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaniaVoss/
Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010582547667
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dania_voss Instagram: https://instagram.com/daniavoss Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/daniavoss/ Bookbub:
https://bookbub.com/authors/dania-voss
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/daniavoss
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