How do write an epilogue for an autobiography?

Question

I am wondering how to write it. Here is an outline of how my teacher wants us to do:

Imagine that a complete stranger just picked up this portfolio. The stranger reads it from cover to cover. How would this stranger see the author? What kind of person appears to have filled these pages? Write a character sketch of the person captured in these pages from an outsider's point of view. Refer to specific pieces of writing to support the strangers impression of the author (you, of course).

I can't think of how to start it and I'm not a very creative writer either. Help? Thanks!

Answer 1

An epilogue to an autobiography sums up a student's life. Each writer is likely to have a different perspective on how to do that. Some might have a life view, such as "My life has been exciting and I can't wait to find out what will happen next!" or "I never seem to be able to do anything right." Others will have a highlight that stands out, such as, "The hike we took to the bottom of the Grand Canyon changed my life and made me decide to be a geologist when I grow up." Some might list major events in order as a chronological summary of what has been lived so far. Giving students choices is likely to lead to more authentic writing.

Answer 2

Hi, Anne.  I would brainstorm a list of themes that run through your autobiography and/or life.  What lessons have you learned?  What mistakes have you made?  What have been your successes?  What qualities do you have and how have you changed over time?

Frame your epilogue around these central ideas.  You could even get creative and write it as if you were someone famous - maybe somebody who is a lot like you - and talk about how you (this famous person) can relate to the story of you (the author of the autobiography/yourself).  Make sure you note somewhere in the epilogue who this famous person is so that your teacher "gets" it.

These are just some ideas to get you started.  I hope they help!

Answer 3

I'd be happy to help you get started on your epilogue! Here’s a structured way to approach it based on the outline your teacher gave you.

1. Set the Scene

Start by imagining the stranger reading your autobiography. What do they see first when flipping through the pages? What impression do they get from the overall tone, style, and content? Begin with that broad picture.

Example:

"As the stranger reads the pages of this portfolio, a sense of resilience and curiosity emerges. From the early stories of challenge and growth to the later moments of triumph, the author appears as someone deeply connected to their own journey, always striving to learn and evolve."

2. Analyze the Author’s Character

Now, take a deeper look into what the stranger might think about you as a person based on the content in your autobiography. Consider specific traits or qualities that the stranger could perceive.

Example:

"The author comes across as determined, yet often thoughtful, reflecting on their experiences with honesty and vulnerability. For instance, when describing the challenges they faced in their career, they didn't shy away from acknowledging their mistakes, but instead highlighted how each setback led to growth."

3. Use Specific Examples from Your Writing

Choose a few key moments or passages from your autobiography that support the stranger’s perception of you. These should be real examples, showing specific events or moments of reflection.

Example:

"In one of the most striking passages, the author recounts their first leadership role, where they not only took charge but learned the importance of empathy. This story of leadership demonstrates their commitment to personal growth and their ability to turn difficult moments into opportunities for self-improvement."

4. Conclude with Reflection

End the epilogue by reflecting on how the stranger would view your overall character or life’s purpose based on everything they’ve read. Think about what message you want to leave the reader with. This might connect to your main life lesson or a key takeaway from your autobiography.

Example:

"By the end of the journey, the stranger would likely see the author as someone who embraces change and continuously seeks out new perspectives, understanding that their life is a work in progress—shaped by every experience, every challenge, and every triumph."

Putting It Together:

Here’s an example epilogue using the steps above:

Epilogue:

_"As the stranger reads the pages of this portfolio, a sense of resilience and curiosity emerges. From the early stories of challenge and growth to the later moments of triumph, the author appears as someone deeply connected to their own journey, always striving to learn and evolve. The author comes across as determined, yet often thoughtful, reflecting on their experiences with honesty and vulnerability. For instance, when describing the challenges they faced in their career, they didn’t shy away from acknowledging their mistakes, but instead highlighted how each setback led to growth.

In one of the most striking passages, the author recounts their first leadership role, where they not only took charge but learned the importance of empathy. This story of leadership demonstrates their commitment to personal growth and their ability to turn difficult moments into opportunities for self-improvement. By the end of the journey, the stranger would likely see the author as someone who embraces change and continuously seeks out new perspectives, understanding that their life is a work in progress—shaped by every experience, every challenge, and every triumph."

Tips to Make It Stronger:

1. Focus on traits or themes: What overarching themes do you see in your autobiography? Perhaps perseverance, creativity, or transformation? Make sure your epilogue reflects those.
2. Use concrete examples: The best epilogues are specific and don’t just speak about general qualities but tie them back to real moments in your life that show the person you are.

I hope this gives you a strong foundation to write your epilogue! Let me know if you’d like help with any specific part or more examples. Good luck!

Answer 4

An epilogue made for an autobiography reflects the writer’s journey, experiences, and overall meaning of their lives to them. Writing creates closure, shares last thoughts, and at times look forward to the future for the reader.

To write your own epilogue, you can follow the following steps:

1.) Reflect on Important Parts in Your Life

Summarize and reflect on the most important and meaningful parts of your life.

2.) Share the Lessons Learned

Share interesting things you learned throughout your journey.

3.) Acknowledge the good and bad.

Don’t glorify the best things only, and don’t sound like you dread your whole life up until this point.

4.) Look Forward to the future.

Describe how you hope the future will be for the reader, your friends, family, and loved ones.

5.) Include a closing message for the reader.

End with a thought, inspiring message, or a quote that means a lot to you and/or relates to your journey in life.

Example of an Epilogue:

 After experiencing so much darkness, I now realized a long-awaited light. I have come to notice that setbacks are not a means to an end, but a step forward. As I draw near to the finale of my life, I enter with gratitude for the difficulties. For in my heart, I know that the journey of life is ongoing and fruitful.

Answer 5

Replace author with "me, I," etc. For ex... I never saw him before, but he held in his hands my diary. I wanted to yell at him, but decided it would be best if I didn't. I wasn't sure if he was dangerous or not, but the look on his face as he read it, was intriguing. He flipped through my personal life as if it were a comic book, and I wondered what he thought as he read it. Was he mesmerized by my achievements or did he feel the anguish I experienced when I went through my brother's death, etc.,

... (you finish it,)

Answer 6

Greetings!

I understand your question in more of a philosophical sense. The issue that I see arising from it is due to the concept of genre. Even autobiographies have genre (e.g., historical, memoir, etc.). Assuming it is fiction, I have this concept from Anne Lamott: #&@!$y first draft. (Yes, in her book, she call it just that.) For example, I drew from this when I wrote in my blog about thinking of something just writing like crazy.

At this point, my major concern is that you are trying to restrict yourself to being perfect. Instead take the imperfections and just write them on paper. Once you are done after about a half hour of writing, set it to the side and come back in a couple of hours.

Notice all the ideas you had for the epilogue? Now you can start rapping up the story line.

This time you give clarity to the situation of your characters while allowing the reader to engage with their mysterious concepts.

The same principle applies with autobiography as well.

I hope that this helps.

 

Literature Critic from University of Central Florida

Answer 7

This is not an easy question to answer because not everyone will come to the same conclusion. A prime example is how a Jungian and a Freudian will interpret a particular scenario? Both may watch the scenario at the exact same time, but may relate to it in a different way from one another ...thus arriving at a different conclusion.     

I would suggest (as previously noted) to highlight the milestones in this person's life.  Keep it short and sweet. Do not drag it out.

Answer 8

Well Anne, that is a very abstract question - we can't see the ms. Thus who can answer?   I would make some other assumptiion than a complete stranger; at least they are now a reader, and if they write a review/epilogue they become a writer...

We only know the author's  character from the specifics of what they wrote... 

Assuming it was more or less chronological, go back to their youth and see how their character developed via certain incidents. I know an 8O-y.o. Polish woman here who could tell tales of horror in WW2 but they only made her stronger; her mother died when she was 7; her father was off to the war; she was alone from siblings and lived 3 years in an orphanage, etc. She has a great imagination b/c that was all she had. Character is the tempering we get between the anvils and the forges of life.

I  hope this helps; at least you got one reply.

NF writer from Seattle, Fred

 

Answer 9

On a mundane level, an epilogue to a celebrity memoir could be someone finally passed away many years after they left public life. For instance, former President Reagan left office in 1989 but went almost totally private by 1996 per his dementia. So his epilogue would be “Reagan lived out his days with the former First Lady at his ranch in Santa Barbara. He passed in the summer of 2004.”

Let me know if you need to write an epilogue about something abstract.