Comments on: Once Before a Time: Prologues http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/ about the craft and business of fiction Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: thea http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4599 thea Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:15:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4599 i don't know. i kinda like prologues, esp in historicals. if done well, it's a good hint. i won't write them off my list. but i think people make way too much a big deal over them. i don’t know. i kinda like prologues, esp in historicals. if done well, it’s a good hint. i won’t write them off my list. but i think people make way too much a big deal over them.

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]]> By: Ray Rhamey http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4595 Ray Rhamey Thu, 22 Feb 2007 20:21:46 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4595 I think you have to be darned careful with a prologue to make it COMPELLING, to raise story questions, etc. I, too, habitually skip prologues. I suspect Therese is right--I found too many of them to be, er, useless. Today I did another Flogometer at Flogging the Quill, and the submission, a prologue, didn't pass the test. Why? Dull. I think you have to be darned careful with a prologue to make it COMPELLING, to raise story questions, etc.

I, too, habitually skip prologues. I suspect Therese is right–I found too many of them to be, er, useless.

Today I did another Flogometer at Flogging the Quill, and the submission, a prologue, didn’t pass the test. Why? Dull.

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4590 Kathleen Bolton Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:18:18 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4590 Also I forgot to SQUEE alongside Therese when I learned Juliet Marillier will be joining us as a contributor. Welcome, Juliet! Also I forgot to SQUEE alongside Therese when I learned Juliet Marillier will be joining us as a contributor. Welcome, Juliet!

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]]> By: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4589 Kathleen Bolton Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:16:56 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/02/22/once-before-a-time/#comment-4589 I think they're ok. Craft books warn that people will skip them, but I've never done that because I know I'm supposed to get essential information from it. Having said that, there are certain genres (romance, koff) that seem to over-use them when the information could have been conveyed in a flashback. But then again, we're supposed to use flashbacks sparingly. So I think it depends on the story and the writer. Good writing can pull anything off. I think they’re ok. Craft books warn that people will skip them, but I’ve never done that because I know I’m supposed to get essential information from it.

Having said that, there are certain genres (romance, koff) that seem to over-use them when the information could have been conveyed in a flashback. But then again, we’re supposed to use flashbacks sparingly.

So I think it depends on the story and the writer. Good writing can pull anything off.

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