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How does everybody feel about prologues?
Love them? Necessary evil for some stories? Or should we just relabel them as ‘Chapter 1’ and not prologue?
@Michaelvaliant@writing.exchangeI just realised I can add a form! So I will ask again:
PROLOGUES
Love them? Necessary evil for some stories? Or should we just relabel them as ‘Chapter 1’ and not prologue?
#writers #writingCommunity #prologues #writingAdvice
@Michaelvaliant My answer is not really there, but is along the lines of "My feelings are determined on a case-by-case basis." I feel sometimes prologues work, but there needs to be a reason for it to be a prologue. (EG a different form or style) And, obviously, there needs to be a solid reason for it to be there at all.
@andyb that was going to be my next option, but apparently you can only set 4, so I just left it as is.
I think this is my opinion too. I like a good prologue when it makes sense. And really dislike them when I feel they were done badly.
@Michaelvaliant I mean prologues never bothered me so I don't mind them if they're part of the story.
@Michaelvaliant Labelling the first chapter “prologue” changes reader expectations, which can be important for managing expectations correctly.
However, that change is to demand that readers wait for the main plot thread to start.
“Don’t invest in this” is a risky message to start your book with.
Hence, it should only be used when it’s critical to the structure of the whole book and doesn’t threaten to turn away a new reader. That’s going to be a judgement call, and important to get right.
@Michaelvaliant (None of the poll options fit my vote so I didn’t vote!)
@robinshipton I could only add 4 options unfortunately, I should have left an ‘other’ option! Feel free to explain in the comments though!
@robinshipton excellent reasoning!
@Michaelvaliant I neither like nor dislike them. I definitely don't think they could just be converted to chapter one, but they should be used with conscious decision and thought about why it's necessary to set the scene in that way, separate from the rest of the narrative.
@Michaelvaliant sometimes they’re necessary. My WIP had to have one.
@Michaelvaliant They seem to get a lot of hate amongst literary agents and editors, but I love 'em
@mverant apparently so does the writing community - 77% are FOR prologues so far.
@Michaelvaliant I voted "I love a good prologue" with the emphasis on "good." Many prologues are not necessary. Labelling a prologue as Chapter 1 is obvious and not a good idea. However, there must be no other way to tell the story as effectively (the story won't make sense without it). But they must be written very well. Writers should ask themselves if they're starting the story in the right place and, if they decide to include a prologue, be confident that it's necessary and well-written. 
@kfoxx_writes well said!
@kfoxx_writes @Michaelvaliant I had the same thought…emphasis on “good” :)
@sdramsey @kfoxx_writes how subjective do you think ‘good’ is when it comes to prologues? Is it just personal@opinion, or is there a right/wrong craft way to do them?
@Michaelvaliant Excellent question! So much of this industry is subjective. Foreshadowing, hinting at the conflict to come, setting the mood/tone, providing a key piece of information (perhaps that can't be known by the narrator) that will make sense later on as things start to come together--these are good reasons to include a prologue, but if there's a way to weave it into the story at another point, then it means the prologue isn't really necessary. If it's to introduce action and pull...
@Michaelvaliant ...the reader into the story, and then start chapter one at a slower part of the story, then it's sort of "cheating" and perhaps the story isn't starting in the right place. In any case, the prologue should be short and serve a very important purpose in the setup of the story.
@Michaelvaliant Agree with @kfoxx_writes 100%. And I think one thing you *don't* want in a prologue is a long chunk of historical background for which the reader will have no context (and let's face it, no reason to care). I think that's a trap a lot of fantasy novels fell into in the past. A good rule of thumb: can it be skipped without impacting the reader's understanding and/or enjoyment of the story? If so, might as well leave it out. :)
@sdramsey Yes, Sherry! No info dump and if it can be skipped without impacting understanding of the story then no need--absolutely agree.