Prologues.
One thing I've seen when it comes to the prologue is that writers don't know how to use them. I think one of the things that always caught my eye regarding prologues is I've read far to many of my share of prologues which aren't actually needed.
But, reading through the stories, I am reminded of one type of prologue I in particular loath—the prologue which revolves around relating to the readers the MC (main characters) origin story. They make me cringe.
There are of course different types of origin stories I've seen introduced in prologues, but the one that really turns me off as a reader is the ones that the writer feels the need to introduce the readers to their MC as a bouncy, sparkling perfect little bundle of joy—the dreaded birth story which proceeds to tell the reader just how special their bouncy, sparkling perfect little bundle of joy is. And—well, how can I not suspect a Mary Sue or Gary Stu when a writer introduces me to such a sparkling perfect little bundle of joy, making sure I know just how amazing their MC is from the very start of their life.
"Ah, but Yemi. Doesn't the Harry Potter series do this?"
No, actually. It doesn't.
First off, name me a single Harry Potter book that actually starts off with a prologue. You won't be able to name me one, and sure, the first chapter of the first book does have some of the things one would want to see in an actual prologue, but the first chapter is just that—the first chapter, "The Boy Who Lived." Of course, one could argue it is a prologue for the entire series, just as there is an epilogue for the entire books, and in both veins they are what one would want to see for either one of those, a prologue or an epilogue, but it is not really a prologue for the first book.
Second, we aren't introduced to Harry at his birth and instead at a defining moment in his young age. He's a year and three-months, but the point isn't to introduce Harry as a tot, but instead introduce the readers to the pivotal event which in turn led to everything that happens over the course of all seventh books. It's an important piece of information that takes place outside of the time the books happen, which is over the course of the years involving Harry's magical education in the same way that the epilogue for the books do.
And no, Harry Potter fans who copy what happens to Harry aren't in the clear here, but in fact guilty of copying the background story of a canon character rather than coming up with something original. Yes, I'm talking to the writers who have their own character also survive a killing curse thus stealing what makes Harry Potter unique. Some have it take place elsewhere, but others try having it take place because the babe is in the same place as Harry, his twin, or even a non-related kid who happened to be at the Potter's secret place.
A few will probably say, "Why is it that Harry's only allowed this unique thing and not my OC! That's not fair!" Actually, it is fair, and truth—I'm not saying one can't say go with Neville Longbottom instead of Harry, but it completely and utterly lessons being The Boy Who Lived if there's more than one, but Neville really should be the logical other option because of the way the prophesy is worded.
I mean, the chances of just one male child being born on those two days was .55%, two was .30% and three would be .17%, but the real question is why are you doing that with your story unless your story is specifically about there being an unexpected third option that Dumbledore didn't expect. Even then you would need to make it work narratively, but the reason for doing this is, well--
--to make your character special. Nothing more, nothing less.
"But Yemi, what is wrong with making my character special?"
Nothing.
The problem lies with the fact you think your character needs to be special for readers to even take an interest in them, but because you think that, you're taking on whatever special thing you can think of, including things like making them a sparkling perfect little bundle of joy.
This isn't an interesting character, so should definitely be avoided in a prologue—using the prologue as a means to present how special your OC is.
As yourdictionary says, "the main purpose of a prologue is to provide you with information that doesn't fit into the rest of the story from the narrator or character's point-of-view."
And we're definitely not talking needless information here that the reader doesn't need to know, but info the reader needs to understand the story. The big question to ask is if you can reveal that information elsewhere in a way that doesn't bog down the narrative.
It's certainly not about revealing the birth of ones MC to the readers, because the birth of the MC, while an important event in the MCs life is not an important event within the narrative. And a characters birth is important to the narrative, said character is most likely to remain a baby the entire time so there's no real distance between the birth and the rest of the narrative.
As for whether your story needs a prologue, check out the linked article "How to Use Prologues, Part 3, Prologue Dos and Don'ts" by Harmony Kent.
