Prologues
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To have or not to have, that is the question
Last week a member of my writer’s
group asked the rest of us if we thought the novel he was working on needed a
prologue. The answer was unanimous—no.
The other question he raised was if a book had a prologue, did that mean
it required an epilogue? That question also got a unanimous, negative
response—one does not necessitate the use of the other. Epilogues, like prologues, are done
at the whim of the author.
As
a reader I like prologues. The ones I don’t like are italicized and make it
difficult for me to tell how far back in time they’re going, if at all. I hate
prologues that involve a dream sequence, or long dream narratives anywhere in the book unless they’re
short and meaningful to the storyline. But that’s my own taste as a reader.
Epilogues?
I love epilogues. They’re very satisfying to readers like myself who enjoy knowing
how the characters fared after the mystery is unraveled. Prologues and
epilogues are most common in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. If you’re
writing in one of these genres, a prologue gives you the chance to begin your
story twice, at two different points. But adding a prologue can work for or
against your story.
Before adding a prologue, ask
yourself three questions:
- Do you really
need a prologue?
- What do you need the prologue to do for the story?
- Will it get the job done for you?
The prologue needs
to be an integral part of the novel by offering the reader a compelling hook
that will propel him into the first chapter. The prologue generally takes place
in a different timeline from the rest of the novel. This timeline needs to be
made clear in the prologue and again in the first chapter.
Advice
from the pros is most often against using a prologue. Before including one in
your novel, I’d advise doing some research first, and again I’d suggest adding
Don’t Murder Your Mystery, by Chris Roerden, to your how-to library. The entire
first chapter is devoted to the use of prologues.
Dear Readers,
I hope all of you had a nice
Mother’s Day. I’d like to hear from everyone on the topic of prologues.
Readers, do you like them? Writers, do you use them? If not, why? How about the use of italics? I find
reading italicized sections annoying, so when I write I try to avoid using italics for
lengthy sections. Any suggestions on how to set something apart from the rest
of the story without them?
As always, I look forward to your
input.
Have a happy and healthy week,
Marla
When I'm interested in a novel and find a prologue, I immediately feel more investment is needed to even begin. I've heard that term around: 'investment' - how much time or brain power or whatever is the reader going to need to invest in this piece of work. I just think that the prologue is like adding two beginnings, so the investment doubles immediately especially in a subconscious way. If the reader is hanging on by a thread, that is, if the cover, logline, liner notes w.h.y. have only provided a small interest, but enough to get their eyes inside, they might bolt at the sign of a prologue. I know I have.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a published novelist, but I am working on a full length contemporary fantasy (sorta upscale fiction) novel. I had a prologue which I eventually printed and made a paper plane out of. It flies pretty good (now).
I actually turned the prologue, which was really a journal entry by one of the characters, into a dialogue scene which works much better at presenting the initial conflict.
That's my take. Thanks for raising this question.
Thanks for your input, Bree. You put a lot of thought into adding a prologue and that is what we need to do, make sure it's really necessary. Good job.
DeleteYou're right about the investment. A prologue gives the reader one more thing to keep track of!
Good luck with your novel,
Marla
Good advice, Marla. A prologue really needs to be a significant event that leads into the first chapter and the heart of the story. Then they can be really valuable and add a lot to the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Ellis!
DeleteI had doubts about the prologue in my first book, so haven't done one in the one I'm working on. I was tempted though, then decided I could do it a different way so I wouldn't need it. Tough decision!Knowing when you really need one probably comes with experience!
Enjoyed your input,
Marla
Writer Dave says:
ReplyDeletePrologues are useful for introductory scenes if needed.
So far in my writing, I have not felt the need for one. I jump right into the story.
I find using dates and timelines at the beginning of chapters helps the reader keep in touch with the
movement of the story.
I use italics sometimes for a flashback, but I keep them to a minimum.
Using dates is a good way to do it, too. Much better than having reader wondering when a scene is taking place. I used some chapter dating too in my first novel.
DeleteThanks for visiting!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Marla. I agree with Ellis about prologues. I have one book where there's a short scene. I don't call it a prologue. I don't call it anything. But I do like epilogues and use them. Sometimes they're short, sometimes they're long and tie up all the loose ends. I would never say a writer shouldn't use either. It depends on the needs of the story. I love Chris's book. Learned a lot from her.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, it always depends on the book and should be well thought out.
DeleteChris's book is my bible! I reread it every now and then.
Thanks for visiting!
Marla
Thank you so much for posting this! I have an idea for a new novel and was thinking of doing a prologue, but wasn't sure if it should have one. Your explanation showed me it does need one! As for an epilogue, not quite sure how the book will end yet.
ReplyDeleteI write suspense, so prologues are always a consideration. Never was too sure about the one I did in my book, She's Not There. Glad you have it resolved, that's a good feeling!
DeleteNot sure epilogues are ever needed, but I like them because they let me know more about the characters.
Good writing,
Marla