How to Incorporate Epigraphs in Stories
An epigraph is a short quotation at the beginning of a book, story or chapter. An epigraph can set the tone for your work or create a counterpoint that shapes the reader's approach as he begins reading. A poorly chosen epigraph, however, has the potential to confuse or even mildly alienate your reader.
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Instructions
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Think about the effect you want your epigraph to have. You may be trying to add a sense of grandeur or erudition, foreshadow an important theme in the story or playfully signal your reader not to take the story too seriously.
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Choose an appropriate quotation. You may already have chosen a favorite author or work that you can browse for inspiration, or even a handful of favorite quotations to pick from. If not, use a dictionary of quotations to find ideas arranged topically. You may also choose to create a fictional epigraph by writing your own quote from a person or work that does not exist, such as a famous person in the world of your story.
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Look up the quotation you intend to use in the original work or a reliable reference work to verify that you have the wording exactly right.
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Place the epigraph in italics, single spaced, a double space below the story title or chapter heading. Indent it 1 inch more than the body text on both margins. Do not use quotation marks.
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Cite the source of the epigraph on the line below it on the right side of the text. In the citation line, type a double hyphen or em-dash and the name of the person quoted in Roman (non-italic) type. If you are quoting a printed work, add a comma and the title of the work in italics.
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References
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