Comments on: From the Mailbox

By: Livia

Livia — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:24:43 +0000

It seems like everybody's writing about prologues this week. Editorial Anonymous wrote one a few days ago, and I just wrote a blog entry analyzing a prologue that I really liked.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:15:36 +0000

I think that sometimes prologues are uneccessary, but other times they can really set the mood or sell me on a book. For instance, before Twilight became a major craze I picked it up and was hooked from the prologue alone. Even now, I can tell potential customers (I work in a bookstore) that if they arent interested in reading on after reading the prologue, then I wont push it. 9/10 times they buy the book, so sometimes the prologue can come in handy!

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:50:20 +0000

I haven’t read many prologues that I thought were necessary, and would try to avoid them myself, but I can see their usefulness in some situations.

By: Kathleen Bolton

Kathleen Bolton — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:34:37 +0000

This is another case of when “da rules” don’t mean a lot when writers are making artistic choices. A good prologue can also save on big info dumps later in the narrative.

By: Lorna Suzuki

Lorna Suzuki — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:17:46 +0000

I love them when they are well written and loathe them when they reveal too much in the hopes of drawing the readers in.
Another helpful, informative post, Kathleen! Thank you!

By: Ray Rhamey

Ray Rhamey — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:52:47 +0000

I think that the bottom line is that if the voice and story in a prologue is compelling–makes you turn the page–then go for it. Whatever works to hook the reader. . .as long, that is, that the narrative follows delivers on what the prologue promises.

By: Marc Vun Kannon

Marc Vun Kannon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:44:03 +0000

I use prologues to present a scene, especially when there is no specific action or dialog taking place. Often these pieces are useful background, important to the story, and not always available to tell as part of the story. Most of my ‘descriptive prose’ is from the POV of the character perceiving it, so prologues are one of the few cases where I-the-author am speaking.

By: Kristan

Kristan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:18:27 +0000

I know we could probably debate Stephenie Meyer’s ability as a writer until the cows come home, but I found her use of “prologues” to be very effective. She did more or less what Maya talks about: presenting a snippet from the middle of the book (really, from the climax) as a prologue, in order to hook a reader with suspense and some mystery, and then when that part shows up again in the story, you find out there’s a little more to it than you thought. I’m trying that out myself in a new novel, and whether or not it stays, it actually helps motivate me as the writer because I keep rereading it when I start new for the day, and it’s like, “Omg yeah, that’s what I want to get to! I can’t wait!”

By: Maya

Maya — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:28:37 +0000

I often like it when an author presents a snippet from the middle of the book as a prologue. For example, there was a paragraph at the start of Marian Keyes’ ANYBODY OUT THERE? that contained an imagine of the MC receiving a photo in the mail and “everything changed.” I don’t want to give the book’s surprise away, but at first I interpreted this one way and finally as something totally different. It was mysterious enough to intrigue me, and it cued me in for a revelation to come, which increased the tension as I read.

Is this actually called a prologue, or is there a different name for this device?

By: Jamie

Jamie — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:14:20 +0000

I think prologues, when done correctly, are great! You can provide that bit of background needed or that cliffhanger hook in just a few short sentences if you’d like, and then (hopefully!) the reader won’t be able to NOT turn the page!