Secrets To Writing

(4e) When and How to Write an Amazing Prologue

Today we're going to talk about one of the most divisive literary devices around: the prologue.

As you probably know, a prologue is a section that appears before Chapter One in a book. The prologue is something separate from the main story, which always begins in Chapter One.

Some readers are OK with prologues. But some hate them, and will sometimes even bypass a prologue entirely on principle, skipping automatically to Chapter One.. (Error Code: 104153)

This applies to literary agents and publishers, too; some don't mind prologues, but some will automatically be wary of a submission if it begins with the word 'Prologue' instead of 'Chapter One'.

When it comes down to it, it's really just a matter of personal preference. But as an author, you need to be aware of all the pros and cons involved in having a prologue.

So how do you know whether to include one or not? And if you do, how do you ensure it's well-written and worthy of inclusion?

Let's take a look at exactly when and how to write a prologue for your novel.

Should my novel have a prologue?

The first question you need to ask yourself is: 'Does my novel need a prologue?'

Note: if you haven't already started writing, don't worry about this question yet. Just start the story wherever you feel is best, and when you come back later for structural editing and revisions, you can think more about whether to prologue or not to prologue.

If you have already written your novel, or if you have a specific scene or section in mind for your prologue, there are certain things you need to consider to determine whether the prologue is necessary or not.

Ask yourself the following questions. If the answer to any of them is 'no', you might need to reconsider including your prologue.

Does the prologue involve a different time, place or point of view than the main story?

A prologue should be entirely separate to the main story that begins in Chapter One. This means that the prologue needs to be characterised by one of the following:

•  Occurs a different time and/or place to the events of the main story – for example, an event that occurs 50 years before the events of the main story (but that somehow shapes or has an impact on that story).

•  Told from the perspective of a character whose POV doesn't occur in the main story – for example, in a crime/thriller novel, the prologue might be told from the perspective of a murder victim, while the rest of the novel is told from the POV of the detective trying to solve the murder.

Basically, a defining feature of a prologue is that it in some way doesn't 'match' or 'fit in' with the rest of the story.

If Chapter One follows on directly from the prologue, then perhaps the prologue itself should actually be Chapter One!

Does the prologue provide necessary information?

Think about what you're trying to convey with your prologue. What purpose does it actually serve? What information does it provide?

If you're simply including a prologue to set the tone/mood or establish the world of the story, consider doing so in Chapter One instead.

A prologue must provide information that's important to the main plot of your novel. This could be something that foreshadows future events in the story, for example, or something that your main character doesn't know (we call this dramatic irony).