There is quite a lot of dissent in the literary community about the use of a prologue. Popular wisdom says that editors hate them and won’t even look at a proposal that begins with one. Does that mean to avoid a prologue no matter what? In what is only my opinion, not at all. But as in everything, there is more than just one statement that is germane to the subject.
A synonym for prologue can be crutch. The story line is confusing. That first sentence doesn’t grab readers’ attention. Backstory can be condensed and presented at the beginning. These are not good rationals, and in fact they are reasons that have given the lowly prologue a bad name. The story has to be understandable by the intended audience in the body of the manuscript.
But a prologue can be an enhancement. I had a trilogy accepted for publication by one of the Big Five. As I worked with my editor on the first book, she asked me to write a prologue. SHE asked ME. I wrote it for her. Rather than backstory that could be worked into the body of the manuscript, it became a historical piece that otherwise would never have appeared in the book. My writers’ group always laughed at my love affair with prologues. Until that day. They laugh no more!
So what made the difference? I’m not an editor and frankly, the entire thing confused me at the time. What I’ve learned in the interim is this. Your story should be able to stand alone. Period. But sometimes, a prologue can add a dimension that foreshadows, teases, and presents salient points that enhance the reader’s experience.
The same editor also asked me to provide an epilogue. Huh. I couldn’t believe it. Of course I happen to love epilogues as well, those few pages at the end that give you just a tiny bit more. As with a prologue, an epilogue is not a substitute for ending the story in a satisfying manner. Conflicts needs to be tied up. A resolution is needed. The characters conclude their interactions. The narrative stands alone.
An epilogue gives the reader a non-essential, yet intriguing, window into the future of the characters’ lives. Often it’s not necessary. THE END may really be the end. But if you have information that exists outside of the main story line, sometimes even a teaser to a sequel, it will be at home in an epilogue.
In my current Work in Progress, I began with a prologue because the story is set in modern day, but there is history that is imperative to set the stage. And I plan to also do an epilogue to give the reader a peek at a better future than the one in which the personal drama wraps up. The story itself stands alone. It doesn’t need propped up. But it is enhanced, bracketed, by the prologue and the epilogue.
Generally, I still avoid using a prologue and/or epilogue, just because I don’t want it to be the thing that sends my manuscript into the circular file. If, however, I feel strongly that it’s important to both the story and to me as the creator of said story, then I go for it. Since I keep it short, around two pages maximum, and it’s a grabber, my hope is that the editor will read on to Chapter One, even if eventually I’m told to hit delete.
The most important thing? There is no “write” answer, no absolute in the creative process. Write your story. And don’t sweat the small stuff!
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