How About That Prologue?

I’ve written many prologues.  In classic literature they are abundant so I always thought “why not?”.  They look professional right?

Well….

Put it this way.  Prologue’s are beginning to have a very bad rap in fiction literature.  And this is probably justified. Too many times they are thrown in just for the sake of having one.  And I say this because I am guilty of it myself.  

So why stay away from them?  For one, they are probably unnecessary.  Look at your prologue if you have one.  Does it need to be a separate entity?  Why not include it in the body of your work?  If you’re good, most of the information you provide in a prologue can be scattered throughout your first chapter.  Some literary agents even view prologues as being lazy and distracting.  

But what if you really, really, really want to use one?  You can.  But make sure it satisfies a need.  Not your need but the story’s need.  If your prologue is separate from your story in both space and time it may be okay to swing.  One example of this would be a novel in which a specific event in the distant past caused the story to unfold.  Maybe the unjust execution of an innocent man started a chain of events that lead up to the story you are telling.  You want to show this execution taking place but it really won’t fit in your novel which is set in the present day.  Someone might argue that you can always reference the event in your novel but you feel it needs to be shown.  That might be the perfect candidate for a short prologue.  I stress the word short.  And if you use one then make it exciting.  Remember that you want to interest your reader.  The first sentence counts.  Don’t allow your prologue to simply be an “information dump” that is there to set up your real story.  If that’s the case then scratch it immediately.  Yo want to hit the ground running with your story and so doesn’t your reader.  A prologue is oftentimes seen as a speed bump.

You’re the writer.  If you feel the prologue sets your story up in an interesting way then keep it.  If you’re the least bit unsure then rethink it.  Make it part of the first chapter.  It might be the”zing” that your opening chapter needs.