Comments on: I Have an Awesome Idea for Epilogues

By: DS

DS — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:10:47 +0000

I solved my problem with romance epilogues. If it’s my book I tear them out and throw them away. I usually donate the books when I’m finished so I like to think that it solves the problem for the next reader also.

I only do this if the epilogue doesn’t contain any new or interesting material. It’s my own statement about how much I hate useless epilogues. I have been doing this for years and it started with an Anne Stuart epilogue that totally ruined a book for me.

By: Ann Somerville

Ann Somerville — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:48:46 +0000

Mara – thank you.

By: Mara

Mara — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:34:07 +0000

I wrote an epilogue to Interstitial two weeks after the story was released, and put it out for free – got a letter complaining about it not being in the original. I had to explain it didn’t exist when the story came out…

No one should complain about a free story–but having just downloaded and started Interstitial, myself, I think I can understand the impatience for a sequel. It’s a crisp, lively, involving read.

By: JulieLeto

JulieLeto — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:32:33 +0000

Loonigrrl, I loved it, too! After all the death and destruction, particularly at the end of Hallows, I desperately needed to know that everything turned out okay and that all those years later, life had returned to normal. I cry, too! Not as much as I do every time I read Dobby or Fred dying, but a nice sniffle.

By: Ann Somerville

Ann Somerville — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:25:20 +0000

I wrote an epilogue to Interstitial two weeks after the story was released, and put it out for free – got a letter complaining about it not being in the original. I had to explain it didn’t exist when the story came out…

By: loonigrrl

loonigrrl — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:33:09 +0000

Why, yes. You hated Deathly Hollows too?

;)

And then it turns out to be something cloying like HP & the Deathly Hallows.

*blushing* Am I the only one who kind of liked the Deathly Hallows epilogue? I cry every time I read it! Sure, it was totally saccharine, but I really needed the finality it gave us. Without it, I would have kept hoping for an eighth, ninth, tenth, etc.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:47:49 +0000

I’m so sad that my awesome idea wasn’t met with universal approval, but it’s a good sign that I shouldn’t be running publishing. I’m glad we have the posts for the conversation though. Up next is another poll for you all to tell me that I’m whacked. Also, I do have problems coming up with poll questions (as you may have guessed by some of the ridiculous ones I’ve subjected you all to) so if you have any ideas, let me know.

By: MoJo

MoJo — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:13:20 +0000

Shannon Stacey wrote a funny epilogue to “Taming Eliza Jane”! It’s not at all what you would expect.

It took me 3 times reading that, going WTF?!?! before I got it and then I laughed my ass off. That was hilarious.

By: Bev Stephans

Bev Stephans — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:12:23 +0000

Shannon Stacey wrote a funny epilogue to “Taming Eliza Jane”! It’s not at all what you would expect.

I say keep ‘em in the book.

By: theo

theo — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:42:09 +0000

I’m with you, Kaetrin. I didn’t vote for that same reason. Sometimes, the epilogue is very satisfying, other times, it almost ruins my happy end-of-story haze.

So yes. It all depends on the book.