Writers! I keep hearing on podcasts that we should be “careful” with prologues—but no one ever explains why. So… why? What’s the big deal with prologues? #help #amwriting #writingcommunity #writer #author #writesky #writingadvice #art
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I hear it's because it's often fluff. And if you've got only a few words to snag an agent's interest, things have to get interesting as quickly as possible.
Mostly because they're a red flag and generally horrendous...an expository dumping ground chock full of the laziest and most passive writing. Anyone who's ever read slushpile submissions tells hilarious horror stories about prologues.
They serve a purpose, but only in the most virtuosic hands.
Mostly because a lot of authors use them as a crutch and infodump. Prologues are hard. If the prologue isn't delivering on the promises you're going to set for your readers then it's going mislead them. That said, there's no rule against it, just make sure it fits your narrative tone and style.
Yep! Prologues are rarely needed, and writers tend to use them in drafts as a sort of throat clearing space. You want to start your story with the hook--not the lead up to the hook. Prologues can help if they offer context that the reader actually needs, but doesn't fit well into the main narrative.
If you go to the bookstore, a ton of books have prologues which makes me wonder why there is such hate around them. Then again, my kid says she always skips prologues because she wants to get into the meat of the story which, in her mind, is Chapter 1.
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They serve a purpose, but only in the most virtuosic hands.
(that’s bad)
One consideration for you. If you include a prologue, querying with P10 starting on Chapter 1, skipping the prologue, may be best.
That which contributes to the larger story may not be the right query package.
Agent(s) have stated this.