Your epilogue tells readers what happened after your memoir’s conclusion

You completed a rough draft of your memoir’s chapters.

Next, you crafted a satisfying, memorable Grand Finale for your readers. (If you missed the last three posts on your memoir’s all-important ending, click on links below.)

Now it’s time to work on your epilogue.

The epilogue plays a different role than your story’s final chapters.  

Your final chapters should be your conclusion. An epilogue is not a conclusion. It serves as a follow-up, telling readers what happened after your memoir’s conclusion.

Readers have come to know you and your story’s main characters. They care about you and your causes and, as a result, they want to know more.

Write your epilogue as a message addressed to those readers.

Your epilogue can answer questions: “Where are they now? What are they doing now?” It can also invite them to get involved in a cause (such as a ministry or blog) by supplying information and links to get them started.

“An epilogue provides comments outside the main action

that give insight into what happened.

The main actions in the book

may take place in one period

and the reader will want to know

what happened afterward.

That kind of follow-up

could appear in an epilogue.”

(Writers and Editors)

That’s what my new memoir’s epilogue did. Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go ended when my husband and kids and I left South America and returned to the States, but within the main body of the memoir I had written about what would take place after we left: the kidnapping and murder of our coworker, Chet Bitterman, and the kidnapping of another coworker, Ray Rising. Those were significant events I wanted readers to know about, including long-term ramifications, so I included those specifics in my epilogue.

Epilogues can serve another purpose, too. They can explain to readers what your current view is of what happened in your story.

Since writing memoir requires retrospection, examination, and piecing together past events, writers usually stumble upon key insights they missed earlier in life. Through writing, they gain a perspective that evaded them in the past. They begin to make sense of an experience or relationship.  So, you can use your epilogue to share those insights and current views with your readers.

Sharon Lippincott writes about that function of an epilogue. In her excellent The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing, she writes:

“Many stories, especially those about events when you were young, may be more valuable or meaningful to readers if you add a few thoughts at the end about how you see things now. The simplest way to handle this is to add an epilogue explaining the insight you’ve gained that has changed the way you view the situation.”

Sharon gives a couple of examples of wording to use: “I would be middle-aged before I fully comprehended that. . . .” and “Over twenty years later, he was diagnosed . . . and I finally understood . . . .”

Other useful phrases are:

• Looking back, it now occurs to me that . . . .
• I had no way to know back then that. . . .
• The way I see it now, years later. . . .
• Over the years, I’ve come to accept. . . .
• Twenty years later, I discovered. . . .
• It took me a decade to realize. . . .
• At the time, neither of us knew what was happening or why, but. . . .

Sharon Lippincott also writes about the value of sharing her current-day thoughts from an adult perspective.

She writes this about one of her vignettes, The Rocking Chair: “The main story took place when I was about sixteen. . . . Since the story recounts some typically teenage resentments of my mother, I wanted to temper the harshness of that judgment by pulling the story into the context of adult understanding. I did this in the epilogue rather than spoiling the authenticity of the memory by interjecting current thoughts into the story body.” (from The Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing)

You can do what Sharon did: share your current-day thoughts in “the context of adult understanding.” Readers will appreciate that.

However you choose to write your epilogue,

create a rich experience for readers,

one that will make them glad they read your memoir.

Perhaps they’ll recommend it to others.

And maybe they’ll even write a review of your book (!!!)

on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.

(See links below about how to submit book reviews.)

Links for how to submit book reviews:

HOW TO SUBMIT BOOK REVIEWS ON AMAZON. Be sure to check their Community Guidelines. Among other restrictions, if you haven’t spent $50 at Amazon in the past twelve months, you cannot leave a review.

HOW TO SUBMIT BOOK REVIEWS ON BARNES AND NOBLE. Click on links toward the bottom of that page.

HOW TO SUBMIT A BOOK REVIEW ON GOODREADS. 


Recent posts about your memoir's ending:

Back to basics: Your memoir's Grand Finale, Part 1
Back to basics: Your memoir's ending, Part 2
Inspiration for your memoir's all-important ending, Part 3

Does your memoir capture God in your everydayness?

Jesus said, “Go tell your family everything God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). That’s what writing a memoir is about!

That doesn’t mean you have to write about only God. That doesn’t mean you must write His name on every page, or even in every chapter.

But your job as a memoirist is, first, to recognize and know that God was involved in all you experienced and, second, to  explain that to your readers, especially in the end, in your grand finale.

But, you might be saying, I’ve lived such a mundane life—just a normal, commonplace life. Nothing noteworthy has happened to me or my family.

If that’s the way you see your life, wait! Ponder Heschel’s words in I Asked For Wonder:

And isn’t Heschel correct? The Bible is full of stories

about God’s involvement in everyday trivialities.

And God has been involved in your ordinary, unremarkable days. 

Don’t doubt it!

Think about young David,

year after year herding his sheep,

living a quiet, apparently insignificant life.

Yet God joined with him there

and taught him

and prepared him for his future

and inspired him to write those precious Psalms.

(How much poorer our lives would be

without those shepherd-boy’s writings!)

Your job is to peel back layers and dig for those gems—God-things that were happening, which perhaps you didn’t recognize at the time—and when you discover them, you will be full of wonder!

So, write your stories. They are important—if they weren’t, we wouldn’t find instructions in both Old and New Testaments to tell our children and grandchildren what we’ve seen God do for us. Writing your memoir is not a hobby—it’s a ministry!

Keep plugging away. Eventually you’ll finish your collection of vignettes and you can publish your memoir. When you do, you’ll have done what Jesus said—you’ll have told your family what God has done for you and for them.

When you do that, be sure to let us know here at SM 101. 

(On Tuesday, Linda Moore Kurth left a comment 

on her almost-complete memoir. 

Congratulations, Linda! 

How about the rest of you? 

How much of your memoir have you finished? 

We'd love to hear from you!)

For your memoir’s grand finale: Psalm 136

Recently we’ve been considering your memoir’s ending. You want, and need, to create a grand finale—an ending that will impact your readers. (Click on Do you know how your memoir will end? and Give muscle to your memoir’s ending.)

Your grand finale gives you an opportunity—a chance to highlight your moist important points, those messages you want your readers to remember and apply to their own lives.

Most of us here at SM 101 write our memoirs because of verses like Deuteronomy 4:9 which tells us:

Always remember what you’ve seen God do for you

and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!

(That doesn’t mean you must mention God in every incident/chapter/vignette, but you, the author, will pull everything together, recognizing God was always with you and acting on your behalf even if you didn’t recognize Him at the time.)

Craft a grand finale that celebrates God in a personal way.

One of the easiest, most powerful ways to craft a grand finale is the following fill-in-the-blank exercise using Psalm 136, a magnificent song of praise to God—a celebration of God.

You’ll customize your own version of Psalm 136 starting in verse ten, but first let’s look at verses one through nine. Praise focuses on God the Creator of all: He is good and His love endures forever. He made the heavens, spread out the earth upon the waters, and made the sun, moon, and stars.

I suggest you include those first nine verses, as-is, in your grand finale, then starting with verse ten, you can tailor-make the rest of the psalm for your memoir.

Here’s what I mean.

Starting with verse ten, praise focuses on God who is personally involved with His children—their families, their daily comings and goings, and the span and purposes of their lives.

For example, those next few verses praise God for bringing Israel out of Egypt and recount the additional ways God showed His love and faithfulness to His people, Israel.

Your customized version of Psalm 136 could look something like this (and you will fill in the blanks, listing the ways God guided your family):

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

            His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

            His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

            His love endures forever.

to Him who alone does great wonders,

            His love endures forever.

who by His understanding made the heavens,

            His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,

            His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—

            His love endures forever.

the  sun to govern the day,

            His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;

            His love endures forever.

_______________________________

His love endures forever.

_______________________________

His love endures forever.

_______________________________

His love endures forever.

…and so on. (Psalm 136, NIV)

Starting with verse ten, you might want to go back several generations, especially if, for example, your family survived the Holocaust, or the infamous Clearances in Scotland, the potato famine in Ireland, a war, or the Great Depression, or some other challenge. Or maybe you know (or can research) stories of your family as pioneers or immigrants.

Add as many lines as you wish. Probably the more the better!

Your grand finale will likely consist of

more than a paraphrase of Psalm 136,

but including it can help your kids, grandkids,

and other family members

recognize they are part of God’s family,

part of something much bigger than themselves and their generation.

Make your grand finale a celebration of God!

Do you know where you’re going with your memoir?

Do you know how your memoir will end?

Throughout the writing of your story, build toward your ending.

As a memoirist, you record more than the details of what happened.  You excavate a story deeper and higher and wider than the immediate story. You uncover a story larger than the story on the surface.

You dig it out—in pieces if you must—but you dig it out.

You build toward the end—where you hold in your hand the treasure you unearthed.

That means that while you write your rough draft, you need at least a vague idea of what that treasure is so you can aim for your ending.

If you can’t figure out what your higher, wider, deeper, larger story is, if you can’t grasp the specifics of the treasure you’re mining, take a couple of minutes to read Dig it out, in pieces if you must.

Give yourself time to ponder and pray about what God has for you within your story. Over time, you can dig through the layers and find that treasure.

Later, when it comes time to craft and polish your ending, refuse to write something anemic and trite with the message that “Everyone lived happily ever after.”

Instead, write a compelling, satisfying end, an end that shows how far you came, how you rose above obstacles, and how you changed.

Write your memoir’s ending in a way that gives readers hope, courage, faith, tenacity, and inspiration for living.  

In one way or another say, “This is the most important lesson I want to leave with you.”

In your finale, take stock of life lessons you learned.

Sum up principles you’ve learned.

Notice how Henri Nouwen summarizes sweeping, vast concepts:

"In the life of a God-centered person, sorrow and joy can exist together. That isn't easy to understand, but when we think about some of our deepest life experiences. . .great sorrow and joy are often seen to be parts of the same experience."

And this from Nouwen:

"Often we discover the joy in the midst of the sorrow. I remember the most painful times in my life as times in which I became aware of a spiritual reality much larger than myself, a reality that allowed me to live the pain with hope. I dare even to say: 'My grief was the place where I found my joy.'"

Use your memoir’s ending to clarify your message for readers:

What do you want them to feel 

when they finish your memoir?

How do you want them to think 

as a result of reading your memoir?

What do you want them to do—

how do you want them to live—

because they read your memoir?

Write your memoir 

not because of who you are, not because you’re so great, 

but because of who God is.

Your memoir’s Grand Finale, part 4

“It is true that sometimes the best things said come last.

Your [memoir’s] ending need not be lengthy,

but surely you will want it to come from the heart.”

(Frank P. Thomas, How to Write the Story of Your Life)

When you craft your memoir’s Grand Finale (your conclusion, ending, postscript, or epilogue), make it personal.

Consider addressing your readers by name: your children and grandchildren, if your stories are for them, and even speculate on readers you’ll never know because they have not yet been born.

Leave your readers with a benediction, a blessing.

Lee Eclov, in “Let Us Stand for the Benediction,” explains what a benediction is not: It is not “a kind of churchy, Hallmark sentiment.…”  

He says a benediction “isn’t a wish. We really shouldn’t say, ‘May the Lord bless you,’ the way people say, ‘May all your dreams come true.’ The benediction is a declaration: ‘The Lord blesses you—he really does!’ It doesn’t tell us what God will do for us, but what God is doing ever and always for his people.” (Lee Eclov, “Let Us Stand for the Benediction,” Leadership Journal, Winter 2009; emphasis mine)

With that in mind, in your memoir’s Grand Finale, pour out heartfelt, personal words—of God’s blessings and of yours—that will cling to your readers the rest of their lives.

Here is a benediction based on Philippians 4:7, “May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and minds.”

Consider 2 Corinthians 9:8 for a benediction: “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Acts 20:32, Romans 12:2, and  2 Corinthians 13:11 will give you good ideas for benedictions to include in your memoir’s Grand Finale.

Here is my favorite benediction:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;   

The Lord turn His face toward you

and give you peace.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

Lee Eclov describes Numbers 6:24-26 as the “one blessing [that] is the source and summary of all others.”

Eclov reminds us of God’s instructions to Moses: Aaron and his sons were to use those precious words to bless the Israelites.

“This blessing was Israel’s national treasure, their holy heirloom," Eclov writes. “This national blessing began with God’s promises to patriarchs, unique promises of success, safety, and significance. In these three lines, God summarizes what he would always bring to those who trust him.”

When you craft your memoir’s Grand Finale, search for words to impress upon your readers “what God is doing ever and always for his people.” Create a “holy heirloom” for your family, a declaration of God’s blessings that will anchor them in your family and God’s family.

Your memoir’s Grand Finale, part 3

Your Grand Finale, part 1

Your Grand Finale, part 2

For the past week, we’ve focused on writing a rough draft of your memoir’s Grand Finale—even if you’re still working on the main body of your memoir.

If you missed comments left by Sherrey Meyer this past week, let me tell you what she shared: She has already crafted her finale (while she’s writing her memoir) and it’s based on 2 Corinthians 12:9 in which the Lord tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient.”

Sherrey writes: “At the end of my mother’s life what has given me immeasurable peace was the manner in which God had healed us both with His grace, His sufficiency.” (Check out Sherrey’s two blogs: Letters to Mama, and Sowing Seeds of Grace.)

Sherrey knows where she’s going because she has pinned down her ultimate message. Because she has drafted a Grand Finale, she knows her target and she’s aiming at it with each vignette she writes. (And what a grand message Sherrey has for her readers! She’s writing a celebration of God and His grace—I can hardly wait to read it!)

Do what Sherrey did and write a rough draft of your Grand Finale (rough draft because stories can take a direction you might not have envisioned at the outset. Don’t worry if, after you’ve completed the main body of your stories, your memoir’s overall message ends up slightly different from your original plan. It’s better to focus on where you think you’ll end up, rather than drift, directionless.)

Drafting a Grand Finale helps you focus on your overall goal in writing this particular memoir. It helps you stay on message and bring everything full circle.

And then, when you’ve finished the main body of your memoir, tweak and polish and finalize your Grand Finale so readers will resonate with your memoir’s significance.

“Make sure no loose ends hang from the story

that leave people wondering.

They will feel the story isn’t over.…”

You want readers to feel the story is over, to feel that:

 “The story has been told, the tension resolved,

the consequences shown.

End the story with one strong sentence

that has a feeling of finality.…”

(Craig Brian Larson, “How to Tell a Moving Story,” from The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson and Craig Brian Larson, General Editors)

Strive to leave your readers satisfied.

Strive to leave your readers celebrating God!

Your memoir’s Grand Finale, part 2

Saturday we began considering your memoir’s ending—your Grand Finale.

You might be saying, “But I haven’t finished writing my vignettes yet!” Let me explain:

1) Write a rough draft of your conclusion, subject to revisions, and

2) It might seem strange to work on your ending before you’ve finished the main body of your memoir—your vignettes, your stories, your chapters—but think of this:

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you might not get there.”

Yogi Berra

In other words, plan ahead. Know where you’re going with your memoir, and aim for that. Plan ahead for your memoir to end on a high note so your readers will long remember it.

How do you do that?

Well, you had a reason to start writing your memoir. What was it?

For me, it was stumbling upon Deuteronomy 4:9, “Always remember what you’ve seen God do for you, and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!”

If you can pinpoint your reason to begin writing your memoir, you’ll have a better idea of how you want it to end.

You might want to get out a couple of sticky notes. On the first one write, “The reason I’m writing my memoir is________________” and fill in the blank.

On the second, write, “The message I want my readers to take away from my memoir is _______________” and fill in the blank, keeping in mind you probably won’t know the final version of your ending until you’ve written all your chapters and have taken time to dig deeply and discover all the gems hidden within—a crucial part of memoir.

“… The last impression

is what people remember.

Begin well, with attack and accuracy.

Drive it through.

But, whatever else,

make the end the best.

Know exactly what you are aiming for

and finish with a bang.” 

Alma Gluck

C’mon back on Saturday when we’ll examine additional considerations for your memoir’s Grand Finale.

Your memoir’s Grand Finale

Even if you’re still writing your memoir, you can begin planning your Grand Finale—your conclusion, or postscript, or epilogue. Whatever you call it, it could be the most powerful part of your memoir.

Your Grand Finale gives you an opportunity to highlight the most important points, those messages you want your readers to treasure and incorporate into their own lives.

If, like most of us here at SM 101, your memoir’s purpose is based on Bible verses like Deuteronomy 4:9—

Always remember what you’ve seen God do for you

and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!

—then craft a Grand Finale that celebrates God in a personal way.

I have lots of ideas for your Grand Finale, but let’s start with one of the easier ways to craft your memoir’s ending: a fill-in-the-blank exercise using Psalm 136, a magnificent song of praise to God.

In the first nine verses, praise focuses on God the Creator of all:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

          His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

          His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

          His love endures forever.

to Him who alone does great wonders,

          His love endures forever.

who by His understanding made the heavens,

          His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,

          His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—

His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,

          His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;

          His love endures forever.

I suggest you include those first nine verses as-is because, starting with verse ten, you can customize the rest of the psalm for your family.

Here’s what I mean:

Starting with verse ten, praise focuses on God who is personally involved with His children—their families, their daily comings and goings, and the span and purposes of their lives.

For example, those next few verses praise God for bringing Israel out of Egypt, parting the Red Sea, and leading them through the desert wilderness. It then recounts the many additional ways God showed His love and faithfulness to His people, Israel.

Your customized version of Psalm 136 would look something like this, (with you filling in the blanks, below, with ways God guided your family):

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

          His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

          His love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords:

          His love endures forever.

to Him who alone does great wonders,

          His love endures forever.

who by His understanding made the heavens,

          His love endures forever.

who spread out the earth upon the waters,

          His love endures forever.

who made the great lights—

          His love endures forever.

the sun to govern the day,

          His love endures forever.

the moon and stars to govern the night;

          His love endures forever.

_______________________________________

          His love endures forever.

_______________________________________

His love endures forever.

_______________________________________

          His love endures forever.

_______________________________________

          His love endures forever.…

…and so on.

Starting with verse ten, you might want to go back several generations, especially if, for example, your family survived the Holocaust, or the infamous Clearances in Scotland, or the potato famine in Ireland.

Your Grand Finale will likely consist of more than a paraphrase of Psalm 136, but including it can help your kids, grandkids, and other family members recognize they’re part of God’s family, part of something much bigger than themselves and their generation.