Prologues, what's in yours?

[Alia]

Last night I started to write again. It's been a long time coming and I'm glad I'm attempting it.

I wanted to start from the beginning and rewrite my poorly written cliche (the whole story is one) to something more original. It was the prologue I was trying to tackle.

I like it when a writer lures you in with a sense of mystery starting right off in their prologue and I tried to do that last night.

As I was writing I started to wonder EXACTLY what should go into a prologue.

According to Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus. Free access. it states this...

pro·logue also pro·log
1. An introduction or preface, especially a poem recited to introduce a play.
2. An introduction or introductory chapter, as to a novel.
3. An introductory act, event, or period.


In my mind, a prologue should be something that captures your reader's attention to make them interested in reading more of the story. I also feel that each chapter of your story should be like this and the end should make them long for more.

I also think that a prologue should be vague but not so vague that the writer can't understand what's going on. Hence that sense of curiosity that makes them want to continue onto the story.

I also believe that the prologue should set up the whole of the story... it leads you in, but isn't part of the story necessarily. You can take or leave the prologue, because (if I remember right) most readers don't read the prologue, they skip over it. Therefore no important information should be contained within it. (And don't ask me where I learned that. I haven't a clue!)

So here's my question and thoughts...

What do you put in your prologue, or do you even create one for your story?

Last night I had this thought of using the prologue as a small story within a story. To take that small story and spread it out through out the whole of the story. Did that make sense? What I thought I would do is have my story teller start to dream, the main story begins as he is awaken and then throughout the story have him flash back to the dream. But if readers don't read the prologue would that be a lost cause? Would that leave them bewildered on what's going on?

Also, is that a total cliche?

[Mary Hoffman]

I wouldn't bother writing anything that people weren't going to read! If they can't be bothered to read Prologues they'll miss all sorts of clues and other good stuff.

Mary

[fire_elf20]

i have a prologue in my story that im working on now and I like you think its a lure or a hook for the reader mine is set some 19 years or so before the main of the story but it gives a unique insight to some of the characters you will incounter and sets up some of the story

[Green]

People who don't read prologues are morons. Why choose to read a book, and then arbitrarily refuse to read it from the beginning?

If you want to write a prologue, then write it. Put in it whatever you want, provided it works, and have fun. If some idiot decides not to read it because they're lazy, then screw them. Their loss.

[scalem X]

Alia, just go with your idea. And worry about if the dream is the first chapter or a prologue later. I totally agree with the drawing in part and I also agree with the replies that state: "what do you mean people don't read prologues? I certainly do."

[Anthony G Williams]

Originally Posted by Alia

What do you put in your prologue, or do you even create one for your story?

It depends on the story. In my first novel, The Foresight War, I didn't use one because I didn't think that the story needed it. My second novel, Scales, starts with a brief prologue to set the story. It concerns the last few minutes of a man's life before a mysterious explosion and fire turn him into something not entirely human. So the prologue does the job of introducing the reader to the character and showing what his life was like when he was an ordinary person. The first chapter then starts with his recovery in hospital (you can read the prologue and the first couple of chapters from the link on my homepage).

Incidentally, that novel finishes with an epilogue which returns the man to the scene of the prologue, only in entirely different cirumstances. Sort of rounds the book off nicely, I like to think!

Last night I had this thought of using the prologue as a small story within a story. To take that small story and spread it out through out the whole of the story. Did that make sense? What I thought I would do is have my story teller start to dream, the main story begins as he is awaken and then throughout the story have him flash back to the dream. But if readers don't read the prologue would that be a lost cause? Would that leave them bewildered on what's going on?

Also, is that a total cliche?

Don't worry about that - it sounds an interesting idea, so if I were you I'd go for it!

[JDP]

I use a prologue in my current story set some two decades before the rest of the book. I use the prologue to clarify the details of a past event and to show what became of certain characters that appear later in the book, as well as to answer historical questions (alluded to in the previous book of the series).

I guess you could read the novel without reading the prologue and still fill in most of the gaps, but that's certainly not intentional. If someone chooses not to read it, that's their problem. They may as well choose to skip chapter 8 or 18 - You're wasting your time if you worry about these people. Would you tie up your plot in the penultimate chapter just in case a reader decides not to read the final one? No, I don't think so.

Take care with the whole 'dream' thing though - this is often (mis)used and could put a potential reader off unless pulled off very well.

That's what I reckon anyway.

[Fatimus]

In the book(s) I'm currently trying to write the prologues tend to be very obscure references to a future event. For example, the prologue may describe a captain commanding his first mate to flee to the mainland alone while pirates shanghai the ship, the story after the prologue may not be about the captain at all, but will include (later on) the shanghai story from another perspective (most likely the pirates).

[Alia]

Originally Posted by Green

People who don't read prologues are morons. Why choose to read a book, and then arbitrarily refuse to read it from the beginning?

If you want to write a prologue, then write it. Put in it whatever you want, provided it works, and have fun. If some idiot decides not to read it because they're lazy, then screw them. Their loss.

I like you Green!

I agree totally. It's the prologue in books which entices me to read it. (And how I decided upon my name Alia for this forum!) If they can't read the WHOLE book then it's their loss.

Incidentally, that novel finishes with an epilogue which returns the man to the scene of the prologue, only in entirely different cirumstances. Sort of rounds the book off nicely, I like to think!

Anthony... I've seen this done and have always enjoyed books like this. I had the idea for my story to make the epilogue the prologue for the next story, or something like that.

Alia, just go with your idea. And worry about if the dream is the first chapter or a prologue later.

Scalem X, to be honest this is exactly what I did. I continued the story as am worrying about other things at the moment. Yet, it still haunts me like bad cheese.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and ideas. This was very helpful.

[WriterDoug]

My prologue takes place after the main story, but it also begins the actual ending of the novel (to create another form of that nice loop that Anthony G.W. mentioned.)

I did not honestly do this to give my readers a headache. I borrowed from a real event in history that was strikingly similar to my own imaginary story, and I used it as a segue to show that history often (regrettably) repeats itself. A character from the main story serves as the vehicle for taking the reader into the past by relating the two incidents and hopefully making mine almost seem like it could have really happened. I should say that is a big goal for me, since the book is literary, historical fiction (or in simpler terms, something that is proving a tad difficult to sell though agents are telling me the story and writing have real promise.)

cheers,
WD

[Bogswordian]

In the seris of books im writing 'The Tales of Bogsworth' my prologues are usually set before the story line and they give a breif but important glimse into past events which shaped and continue to shape the world. These are important later on in the story.

In reality you can get through my books pretty easy without reading the Prologues as the infomation they contain is later explored in greater depth during the books. But personly i think if you buy a book but dont read the whole thing whats the point in buying it.

Thanks

[Bruin]

I'm digging up all sorts of old threads here.

I'm definitely a fan of using a prologue. As I've alluded to elsewhere the story upon which I'm working is set in two different periods anyway (near and far future) and my prologue is about a star ship captain making a terrible mistake seven years or so before the events in the far future segment kick off. My first chapter however starts with a scene in a corporate boardroom in near future London. Not only do I hope that the prologue will give some insight into one of the main characters but I'd also hope that the contrast between the two scenes would pique at the readers curiousity and to get them to want to understand how these two vastly different events can be connected.

[Lith]

Prologues can be great, if they're done right. Personally though, I don't like the ones that are too distant from the story (in time or place), or which feature characters that aren't in the story. So distant past or future scenes are out. And I'm getting kind of tired of the trend in fantasy to demonstrate how history repeats itself. Whether it's because it's handled badly or is simply overdone, I don't know. And I might be in the minority with that opinion.

As yet, I don't think any of my stories have prologues. If they did, they'd be two or three pages of actual story/world introduction, setting out the necessary information about politics and the rules of the world (if there's something like magic in it). If a reader isn't willing to invest in a meagre three pages, then they can just go pick up another book. Preferrably one with pictures.

[Nik]

I used to worry when a book had a prologue, because it suggested the main tale might take a long, long time to get going.

Then films and TV shows began to have prologues-- Um, think 'James Bond' movie for classic flash-fiction mini-tale before main intro rolls. IIRC, current examples of this art are 'CSI' episodes...

IMHO, many mid-series books use (or need ;- ) a prologue to save a lot of tedious flash-backs-- As you know, Bob !!

IMHO, even for a stand-alone story, a prologue can be very useful. You expect less depth from a short tale, it can set broad outlines of character, mood and period in a few terse words. And, perhaps most important, a reader knows a prologue will be mercifully short, so is more likely to read it through...

On a writing site I used to frequent, the moderator would post 'openings' with the question, 'Would you buy this book ?'

Despite middle-aged eyes I'm still a fast reader, so the paragraph or two would generally go in a glance. Sometimes even those few lines would make me edge away. Usually, my reply was, 'Insufficient'. But, where do you end such an excerpt ? Perhaps a prologue can fill that role, too ??

[Steve Jordan]

Prologues are a natural for set-up, especially if your story gets going in such a way that stopping for exposition at the beginning isn't a great idea, or is written in a particular voice that negates exposition. I like them, but I don't always use them... some stories just don't need them, or your "prologue" material is simply a good Chapter 1.

I don't like pretentious prologues, material trying to be overly-clever (It was the best of galaxies, it was the worst of galaxies) in order to start the story with a flourish. They are better served setting the tone of the storytelling, so you have a good idea how the rest of the book will read.