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Mar 27, 2023 · A prologue can be the perfect introduction to a book's world, but they're not easy to pull off. A great prologue will set the scene and intrigue readers, without info-dumping or giving the game away.
- With Examples
A prologue is a short opening section in a book that is...
- With Examples
- What Is A Prologue?
- Prologue Don'ts
- Types of Prologues
- Strengths of A Prologue
- Do I Need A Prologue?
Prologues come before chapter one and could be expository/introductory prose, a poem, diary letter, news clipping, or anything in between. As a reader, when I start reading a prologue, I’m usually impatient to get to chapter one. But by the end of a good prologue, I’m wondering about the subsequent story and excited to see how the event fits into t...
1. Using a prologue as a place for a massive dump… information dump.
Information dumps are one of the easiest ways to make readers’ eyes glaze over. Paragraphs of text that provide dense (albeit important) background information are tough to digest. Without strategically trickling this information throughout a scene or throughout the chapters/book, readers can be immediately turned off to a story. (4 Approaches for the First Chapter of Your Novel.) Not to mention, the opening pages are a make-or-break moment. You have mere seconds to hook a reader (or industry...
2. A boring prologue (that readers want to skip to get to chapter one).
Obviously writers don’t start writing a prologue saying, “What is the driest scene I can write? The more boring, the better!” If your scene lacks action or purpose that propels your story, you may be falling into this danger zone. Look at your manuscript with the critical eye of a reader and ask: “Would I skip this prologue and go right to chapter one?” If so, consider what you can do to spice things up a bit (while keeping the prologue relevant to your story).
3. A prologue that has nothing to do with the main story.
Prologues need to somehow propel or impact your main plot. Period. If your prologue is filled with action, offers bite-sized pieces of background information, and weaves a compelling scene but is not relevant to your main plot, you probably need to re-think your strategy. It doesn’t matter if your writing is solid if the scenes aren’t strategically moving toward that pretty plot arc—depicting an emotional journey for your character and exhibiting the stakes for your protagonist and the world...
Here are a few examples of different types of prologues: 1. Background/History: This type of prologue provides background to the history of the world and events that previously transpired—such as a major battle or betrayal. These events typically took place before the beginning of your story and somehow significantly impact the events going forward...
Fear not, writers. Prologues aren’t all bad. In fact, they come in handy in a number of scenarios: 1. To provide a “quick-and-dirty” glimpse of important background information without the need of flashbacks, dialogue, or memories that interrupt the action later on in the book. 2. Hook the reader into the action right away while having the readers ...
Trying to decide whether or not you should keep (or even write) a prologue? Consider the following questions: 1. What information am I providing in the prologue? Why is it important to reveal it up front? Can it be revealed throughout the story in smaller trickles and still be as impactful (or more)? 2. Does this character’s POV come up again later...
Dec 21, 2017 · A prologue is a short opening section in a book that is separate from the main narrative. Taking place within the story's world, they provide the reader with character backstory, worldbuilding, or foreshadowing. Prologues come at the beginning of a book; after any copyright, dedication, and epigraph pages.
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Nov 26, 2022 · A good prologue can be the length of a standard novel chapter, but it’s usually better to write a short prologue than a long one. That’s because the longer a prologue is, the longer it takes the reader to get to the main story.
Feb 26, 2024 · The prologue appears at the very beginning of a novel as a section before the first chapter of the book. A good prologue will feel essential to the novel and not just a bonus chapter or a stalling tactic on the part of the writer.
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A prologue is a short introductory scene in your book that is separate from the main events, timeline, or perspective of your story used to enthrall the reader to read more.
Aug 17, 2023 · A prologue is an introductory section of a literary work that provides background information about the story or characters. It is typically found at the beginning of a book or play, before the main narrative begins. But what exactly is a prologue, and what is its purpose in writing?
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