Multiple Epilogues

[pmmg]

Thinking back on the LOTR movie (cause I dont remember the books anymore), it seemed that after the ring was destroyed and the good guys won, the story just kept going on with one denouement after another, to the point where I recall feeling like...why is this movie still going on?

To me, if felt like there were just multiple epilogues to close it out. In my own writing, I have at times come to the end and thought, I actually could have one of several epilogues to the story, but I just kind of picked one and went with it. I am wondering, if any have seen books that had more than one epilogue at the end. I cannot recall any.

 

[Queshire]

Eh, I can't really think of any books like that, but there's games that show small snippets of the individual party members returning to their friends & families after saving the world and movies that give a sentence or two describing the fates of the various characters after the events of the movie.

Most of the examples from literature I can think of tend to be setting up things for a sequel instead of being a proper epilogue, but I still think the idea could translate well enough. Maybe frame the epilogue as the protagonist going around visiting old friends a few years later?

 

[ThinkerX]

Memory is a bit hazy, but I seem to recollect a couple of the 'Malazan' books had multiple epilogues.

Kate Elliot's 'Crown of Stars' had a couple of epilogues.

For my part, I intended to finish 'Empire: Judgment' with a 20-30,000 word epilogue...but at 40,000 words and no resolution in sight that became 'Exiles' (and the rough draft topped 160,000 words.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

We tend to have four or five per book. We find them very useful for tying up minor plot threads and to set up the next book.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Thinking back on the LOTR movie (cause I dont remember the books anymore), it seemed that after the ring was destroyed and the good guys won, the story just kept going on with one denouement after another, to the point where I recall feeling like...why is this movie still going on?

To me, if felt like there were just multiple epilogues to close it out. In my own writing, I have at times come to the end and thought, I actually could have one of several epilogues to the story, but I just kind of picked one and went with it. I am wondering, if any have seen books that had more than one epilogue at the end. I cannot recall any.

I liked this explanation of the ending of the lord of the rings movie:

The book's ending is even longer by the way. But it's also a bit different. The Scouring of the Shire show a lot about how the hobbits have grown. There's more plot in the book's ending with that in there.

 

[CrystalD]

The books I read, the epilogue is usually wrapping up one major plot point, but then the author is like actually wait I want to wrap up more and they either write a whole set of side stories they release later in a collection, or give out freebies in newsletters, then add the "better" epilogue to the end of the ebook lol.

 

[pmmg]

The books I read, the epilogue is usually wrapping up one major plot point, but then the author is like actually wait I want to wrap up more and they either write a whole set of side stories they release later in a collection, or give out freebies in newsletters, then add the "better" epilogue to the end of the ebook lol.

I cant say that is not your experience, only that, the plot points should be wrapped up in the story. The epilogue is kind of for added curiosity. I use epilogs to show something that has meaning to the whole tale, but not part of the current story. Kind of as a lead in to a story line to come. But not wrapping up a current one.

 

[CrystalD]

I cant say that is not your experience, only that, the plot points should be wrapped up in the story. The epilogue is kind of for added curiosity. I use epilogs to show something that has meaning to the whole tale, but not part of the current story. Kind of as a lead in to a story line to come. But not wrapping up a current one.

Yah I think a lot of the time the author gets attached to a world they've spent so much time in, so they wan to wrap up as much as they can with shrts and the like. Did we need to see two side characters gt their happy ending? Not really, butit's stillnice to see. Depends on the type of reader and writer you are, I think it's fun but it's totally not necessary