A prologue is a device writers sometimes use to introduce their literary work. It usually comes before the main story and provides background information or context for what will happen.
Some writers argue that you don’t need a prologue, while others believe it can help set the scene and provide readers with essential details.
This blog post will explore the pros and cons of using a prologue in your story and give tips on writing one if you decide it is suitable for your project.
What is a prologue, and what purpose does it serve in a story?
A prologue is a section of text that appears before the main story begins. You can use it to set the scene and give readers essential background details. You can also use a prologue to introduce the reader to the main character or characters in the story.
There are pros and cons of using a prologue:
Pros
Some pros are that you can use the prologue to hook the reader’s attention, set the tone or mood of the story, introduce important backstories or characters, and foreshadow events that will happen later in the story.
Cons
Some cons are that the reader can see it as an unnecessary interruption to the main story, and it can be confusing for readers who don’t realize that it’s a prologue and not part of the main story. In addition, it can add length to your story without adding much substance.
Ultimately, it’s up to the author whether or not to use a prologue, and there is no one correct answer. Some authors find them helpful, while others find them unnecessary.
How do you know if your story needs a prologue?
Do you need a prologue in your story? It depends. If you have information that’s essential to the plot or characters, then a prologue can be a helpful way to provide it. But if you’re using a prologue as filler or backstory, then it’s probably not necessary.
Use your best judgment and listen to beta readers’ feedback to determine whether a prologue is right for your story. Ultimately, it depends on what you want to achieve with your prologue and how it fits into the overall structure of your story.
If you’re unsure whether to include a prologue, it’s often best to err on the side of caution and leave it out.
What are the different types of prologues?
There are three main types of prologues:
Backstory prologue
This type of prologue provides information about the past. You can use it to fill in essential details about a character’s history or to provide context for the story.
Flashback prologue
You can use a flashback prologue set in the past, but it’s not necessarily a backstory. You can use it to set up a mystery or provide information crucial to the plot.
Hook prologue
You can design a hook prologue to grab readers’ attention and get them excited about the story. For example, it can introduce a significant character or set up the story’s central conflict.
How do you write a prologue that engages and intrigues readers?
There’s no formula for writing a prologue that will work for every story. However, you can keep a few things in mind to ensure your prologue is effective.
– First, make sure your prologue is short and to the point. You only have a few seconds or minutes to capture your reader’s attention, so make them count.
– Second, make sure your prologue is relevant to the story. Please don’t use it as an opportunity to introduce random characters or irrelevant plot points. Instead, the prologue should be directly related to the story that follows.
– Third, make sure your prologue has a purpose. What are you trying to accomplish with it? What do you want readers to know before reading the main story?
Examples of successful prologues from popular books
If you’re still unsure whether a prologue is suitable for your story, consider looking at some examples from famous books. Here are a few examples of successful prologues:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins begins with a prologue that sets up the dystopian world in which the story takes place.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling starts with a prologue that introduces the concept of Voldemort and his power.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien has a prologue explaining the Ring’s history and importance in the story.
As you can see, these prologues are all crucial to understanding the story’s world and the conflict in the story. Without them, you would lose the reader.
Here are a few more successful prologues from books and films
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: “It was a pleasure to burn.”
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville: “Call me Ishmael.”
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: “When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow. When it healed, and Jem’s fears of never being able to play football again were assuaged, he was seldom self-conscious about his injury. His left arm was somewhat shorter than his right; when he stood or walked, the back of his hand was at right angles to his body, his thumb parallel to his thigh.”
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap.”
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.”
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: “When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough cotton sheets of my bed. She must have had a bad dream and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she would be the one to comfort me.”
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: “Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as Rhett Butler was.”
So, a prologue may be the way to go if you have a story in a unique or complicated world or with a long and involved history. It can help ensure that your readers are fully invested in the story.
Conclusion
A prologue can be a helpful addition to your story, but only if it serves a purpose. Therefore, you should never add a prologue just to having one. If you’re on the fence about whether or not your story needs a prologue, ask yourself how essential the information in the prologue is to understand the rest of the story.
If it’s not crucial, then chances are your story doesn’t need a prologue. However, if you decide to include a prologue, ensure it’s exciting and engaging enough to hook readers from the very beginning.
Thanks for reading. I hope this was helpful!
If you’re working on your first novel and are looking for more help with your writing, please check out my other writing articles at https://ullahakanson.com/blog/
All the best,
Ulla