How to end the first book of my trilogy?

Question

I'm not even near finishing my first novel yet. I'm over one hundred pages in right now though. I already know how this first book is going to end *I made chapter summaries*. Anyway, I was thinking about it for a while now. The last chapter will end with them continuing the journey. Is that a good enough ending? Should I have an epilogue? People say that epilogues should be for the last book in the series. Though, Twilight for example has an epilogue. Say I don't have an epilogue, should I put the first chapter of the next book at the end? That way, people will know there's more to come.

I'm kind of lost here. What should I do? Also, I didn't right a prologue. Is that necessary? I just started with chapter one, by diving right into the story. Is that okay to do?

Answer 1

A prologue is mostly just to explain certain things about setting up your story that you really couldn't find a logical way to put in the story itself. You don't need it if you don't want to do so.



For your own book, I would suggest ending by leaving something of a cliffhanger; a very large loose end in which the reader knows you have to write more for the story to make any sense. As one example, one of my old Star Wars series left the first book off by having one of the main characters of the story being arrested for severe negligence that ended in the deaths of over 100 delegates attending an annual ceremony of a planet about to join the New Republic. Since the reader knew that he could not end the story with that arrest without saying the outcome of the trial, I knew there was more coming.



I suggest you do something similar, and leave open a cliffhanger that shows the reader you have more coming. And then afterwards, perhaps just a small section of the next book. To continue the example above, the author cut a small part from Chapter 2 of his second book in which the arrested character was pleading with a close friend and fellow representative in the New Republic government to believe that his fighter ship had been sabotaged. Perhaps, instead of an epilogue, you could do the same.

Answer 2

Alrighty, as folks above could have stated, it IS feasible to write down a part manner respectable sequence with out figuring out how it's going to finish, however should you wish your ebook to have the energy and good fortune of say... J.K. Rowling or (in spite of what others stated) Christopher Paolini, you relatively have to plan it out like they did... I've learn many books on why Harry Potter is SO triumphant and it relatively comes all the way down to the narrative force which might't exist with out outlining... Lets simply say that if Rowling had made up our minds to not plan out her sequence it by and large handiest could've offered a pair thousand copies... examine that to the 4 hundred (or extra) million copies and I believe you get the factor... It'll retailer you money and time to no less than have a well notion of what could occur...

Answer 3

you don't have to have a prologue and i think you should kinda put some of the first chapter of your next book at the end that way it makes the reader know that there is another one and they will want to know want else will happen. Keep the reader tense with the story.



O and can you tell me what you think of my book I'm working on. I have struggled really hard to write it and want people's advice on it. Please and thanks.

Answer 4

prologues make it easier for people to understand the world of your story more quickly its up to you to add it as for the ending.. its hard to say you haven't given to many details but maybe try cliffhanger.