Epilogues and prologues are sometimes enigmatic parts of a novel that can even perplex the author of a book. What are they, and are they necessary? The answer to the second question is no, you don't need them. The inclusion of an epilogue or prologue or both is purely a matter of style. Some authors find them useful, but most authors in today's publishing world don't include them in their books. I have used them, and I do find them useful.
They are extra-bits of a story. In mystery books, a prologue can be the incident that triggers the mystery. I've used the epilogue to wrap up a subplot that would be the bridge to the next book in a series. In the final chapter of the book, after the conclusion, I simply used the epilogue as a launching point for the next story.
Some authors, use a different point of view in their epilogues and prologues. They play with style and voice to give the story a book-end feel to it. A prologue can even be in the author's voice. In this case, it would be used to explain the motivation behind the story, what drove the author to write it and share it with the world?
Epilogues and prologues aren't for everyone. If you've never included either in a book, don't worry. They aren't crucial to the structure of the book. But, you may find, as I have, that they can be fun to write, and if done right, they can give your story that little extra oomph that you've been looking for.
-Richard
| Richard Ridley is an award winning author and paid CreateSpace contributor. |