Choose where the epilogue should start. Often the epilogue takes place months or years after the end of novel. This is crucial because readers become attached to the characters within the novel and want to know what happens in the future. Good areas may include marriages, child births or significant career changes depending on the type of novel.
Summarize events quickly to give an overview of the future. The tone should differ from that of previous chapters by increasing the pace and focusing on key events in the future rather than internal thinking. You can keep the same writing style, but you should leave out mundane details and focus on the basic facts.
Flesh out relationships. For example, did the main couple in your story get married, break up or re-connect in the future? Which other characters impacted their lives? What happened to minor characters within the story? For example, did the killer get the death penalty?
Aim to keep the epilogue about the same length as a chapter. You are not writing a sequel to the story; it is merely an extended footnote. Cut out dialogue to keep it at a shorter length, but you can keep in important sections of dialogue that add more emotion to the story.
Stick to your story's ending. For example, if the story ends where the couple stays apart, it would not make sense for them to get back together in the epilogue. Plot movements like this will take away from the story as a whole and leave readers displeased.
Write multiple epilogues to reflect on different characters. For example, if two characters went separate ways in a story, they could each get their own epilogue that discusses their future apart from one another.