Are Prologues BAD? Prologue Basics + Tips

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Are prologues bad? Why do agents say you shouldn't write them? What about fantasy, though?!
I'm going over prologue basics and why a lot of people mess them up. But I'm sharing tips and tricks for when you want to write one.
00:00 Introduction
01:46 Why Prologues can be Bad
04:24 Why many agents don't want prologues
05:46 Common genres for prologues
08:27 When to use a prologue
11:30 Do you need a prologue?
13:40 Tips for writing prologues
19:09 YA fantasy prologue examples
23:41 Thriller prologue examples
33:29 Examples analysis
34:39 Adding a prologue to The Ivies
36:11 Conclusion
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24 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 171

@AlyssaReids 3 года назад

This was really interesting because I never viewed prologues (as a reader) as a bad thing, but your points make sense.

@-autumnfeelings 3 года назад

Same. If it's interesting I love it, but if it's boring I skip it maybe

@AlyssaReids 3 года назад

@@-autumnfeelings I don't know if I could ever skip a prologue. lol. but they can be tedious sometime.

@INTCUWUSIUA 3 года назад

@@-autumnfeelings I never skip prologues. If the prologue is boring I simply do not read the book.

@LaurennM360 3 года назад

I totally thought you said “why do Asians tell you not to write a prologue” and I had a second of “well I don’t really have an opinion, you do you.” 😂 Then rewinding realized AGENT, she said agent. That being said, I will admit to skipping prologues sometimes...

@victoriacorreacruz5969 3 года назад

Same 😂

@corarara6482 3 года назад

Hahaha so specific

@myownchapter 3 года назад

Wait WHAT?! She said AGENTS?! I literally tought she said ASIANS, and my reaction was: well, it’s weird that she talks about them like that, but it might be a cultural thing... 😀

@averagejoe9040 3 года назад

I heard the same thing. I thought mabey asian writing styles were different.

@jeremyfee 3 года назад

And this is how the song "Secret Agent Man" becomes "Secret Asian Man" instead. :)

@Anonymous-wi6ig Год назад

The advice of using prologues as "teasing" the story ahead is so good!

@thoughtfuldevil6069 3 года назад

Prologues are great, provided they're not just long infodumps about the world/history of the book. Like if your characters are stuck in the afterlife after a car crash, a prologue about the car crash in question can (potentially) be excellent.

@soniccookie655 2 года назад

There are a lot of occasions where you could just have it be the first chapter, though.

@thoughtfuldevil6069 2 года назад

@@soniccookie655 Absolutely True! Just not always.

@soniccookie655 2 года назад

@@thoughtfuldevil6069 Very true. :)

@demeta3201 3 года назад

I used to think prologues were just little stories of the authors life and I always skiped them lmfaoo I was a dumb child

@-autumnfeelings 3 года назад

Me too when I was a kid

@smolexfundie6458 3 года назад

SAMEE i was dumb af

@NathanMellor 3 года назад

I probably did too. I think that's a good case for not labelling a prologue as a prologue. The first few paragraphs of the first chapter - then they won't skip it.

@midoreeeee 3 года назад

Same 😭

@grimgirl283 3 года назад

Me too. 😂

@bhsprinkle 3 года назад

"To prologue or not to prologue, that is the question" Good pun

@MichaelRichardson36 3 года назад

I would also be curious about your thoughts on epilogues (e.g. HP7). Just finished the Ivies btw and I loved it! Couldn’t put it down :)

@captainyulef5845 2 года назад

One of the Harry Potter books had a prologue, and it was actually a really well written prologue in my opinnion.

@amandamcbride6878 3 года назад

Congratulations on The Ivies release, Alexa!!! Just called Book Soup on Sunset yesterday and they have a copy so I will be going to grab it and I CANNOT WAIT! Outlining a YA thriller now and so excited to enjoy and study The Ivies!

@anne-marie339 3 года назад

Really interesting discussion :) One of my favourite prologues (and honestly one of the only ones I can remember) is The Secret History by Donna Tartt - the way she revealed the "what" in the prologue and took us back in time through the first half of the novel to understand the "why" and "how" was fantastic and so compelling.

@antoniosimone5530 3 года назад

I spent the first five minutes thinking you were talking about prequels for some reason and honestly, the points still held up

@DrVVVinK 3 года назад

Then you have Stephen King, who could have 30 to sometimes 50 page prologues, they info dump, but he can do in a way that works and still makes it page turner.

@denisusynin4820 3 года назад

I was desperate not to have a prologue in my book, but my opening didn't click. I tried writing in a flashback sequence in my early draft. I had a critique partner telling me that the tension underlying in my story wasn't evident until they read that. So I rewrote this sequence as the prologue, cut it down by about 40% (hardest thing I've had to do) and it completely changed how the first act reads! Granted I crafted the tension in that prologue to be foreshadowing for the conflict the protagonist would face.

@skyler.christine 3 года назад

Usually, prologues do bore me, except the Magic Treehouse ones (one of two series I never read in order) to help me understand where we were, what they were talking about, and in the Wings of Fire series, because it was like a side story or something to start the intrigue and would come in later and make the book even better.

@soniccookie655 2 года назад

Tui used her prologues as an occasion to show things outside of the strict limited POV, which I liked.

@alliemazing5774 2 года назад

I really appreciate you reading some examples of prologue beginnings that you liked. Especially when you also read the first part of chapter 1 and explained how it tied in or flowed in a way that felt substantial to you. Being told tips is nice but being read actual examples of work that stood out to you is incredible. All your effort in these videos is noticed and appreciated by me. I also genuinely feel like my ability to write a publishable book has improved since applying some of your advice. Thank you! P.s. If my book gets published, look for your pen name in my acknowledgements lol.

@billyalarie929 3 года назад

great video. your videos have gotten noticeably better over the last year or so. i'm not sure what you have been doing differently, but it's working, for my part. thanks for the insights.

@erikrinard7908 3 года назад

Related to your note about using a prologue to set up tension in your story, I think horror is another genre that uses them well because they can give the audience a glimpse into whatever spooky stuff is going on and create suspense for what is going to happen in the main narrative.

@sneekydangerous Год назад

Frickin great videos. I can’t express how much your knowledge is appreciated. Been helping me see stuff I’d never think about 😊

@joanderson4860 3 года назад

I would like to add that Six Of Crows technically has a prologue. It's listed as Chapter 1, but it's definitely more of a prologue. It's from the POV of a character you never see again and adds tension / shows you worldbuilding and what's going on. I know it's a fairly polar first chapter and some people really don't like it but I really enjoyed it.

@kirtiomart 3 года назад

Cleared out some doubts. Thanks. The Ivies arrives tomorrow to my house!

@chrisderby986 Год назад

I found this video really insightful(as I do all of your videos!). As a science fiction writer, I’ve included both a prologue and an epilogue to the novel I’ve written. Whether either or both of them are still there after my edits remains to be seen! Keep making videos! 😃

@ggjr61 3 года назад

This made me laugh. I had just read a mystery with a prologue when I started seeing videos on how you should never write a prologue. It was a cozy mystery and the murder occurred in the prologue.

@harpalycewilde4474 3 года назад

Literally every Law and Order episode begins that way.

@Anonymous-wi6ig Год назад

Yesss these kinds of prologues are good

@OhItsTanvi 3 года назад

I was *just* thinking about whether or not I want to add a prologue to my book. You have read my mind!

@ArabellaKFederico 3 года назад

This was great and I completely second all the points made. The Cruel Prince is one of my best examples of a good one as well, because it's that ACTION scene the tells the audience a lot about the character's misbeliefs and motives. Great video !

@stephanieevans3769 3 года назад

Prologues aren't bad, but I've yet to read an epilogue that didn't suck. Why every YA writer feels the need to wrap up every loose end all nice and neat and provide a trite, perfect happy ending for every character is beyond me. It's like fan fiction written by the writer.

@shante3 3 года назад

Shadow and Bone's prologue was literally the best part of the book and it was all downhill from there.

@nonstickpansexual4540 2 года назад

I saw the title and got worried because I was very proud of my prologue. Luckily by the end of the video I realized mine may actually be good. Loved the video.

@rebeccatrusty7003 3 года назад

I had to break up with my prologue before querying and it was tough but necessary for a better story. Btw, love the new hair and glasses!

@devradenny8354 3 года назад

I got my copy of The Ivies yesterday! 😁

@jamierose4242 3 года назад

Your glasses are so cute I love them!! Also great video :)

@lawyer2lawyer 3 года назад

Hi Alexa, you are the first person that I've every subscribed on RU-vid, hooray! Lol! First time subscriber long time watcher, you are truly a friend in my head. I've just started querying. It's funny that I've been in law school and have worked in many different branches of government, industry, etc.; and I tell myself, you're used to rejections. However, its so true when your query is rejected it's like telling you that your baby is ugly, lol! I remembered hearing you say in previous videos that you've read people's queries and gave them advice on what they were doing wrong/right. Are you still do that? If so, do you think you can fit me into your busy schedule? If not, I completely understand. Thank you for your videos. It's so nice to have a kind person who knows how grueling this industry can be.

@EmilyParagraph 3 года назад

i actually put down "radiance" halfway through the prologue because it was navel-gazing about how people dont have the patience for overtures/prologues anymore. maybe there was a point to the condescending tone, but i was there for planet-hopping 20's style movie makers, not a narrator tut-tutting about how my attention span is obviously crap. i might try again one day but it came off to me like a literary writer moaning about how ~true art~ doesnt exist nowadays. it's a little wild bc i generally love the folkloric/storyteller prologues. in fact i was browsing in b&n the other day and picked up the forever sea, and i think im gonna have to buy that one or two paychecks from now (only hardcover! $30 bucks! an expected and fair price but still T-T)

@SDHuston 3 года назад

Robert Jordan's first book, Eye of the World, had a very confusing prologue when I read it at the age of 13. After waiting many years for the series to finish, I gave up reading it until my later 20s, then started again. The second time, the prologue made a ton of sense and since I knew the story better, it gave me better insight into Rand's (MC) past life.

@ciarak8070 3 года назад

I love a prophecy prologue in fantasy novels! I find it so engaging as I try to figure out who it applies to and how it will unfold. I also found it interesting that you used Shadow and Bone as an example because I literally hated the prologue so much that I stopped reading the book! 😩 Maybe I'll give it another shot.

@kaymee8210 2 года назад

Amazing very helpful video. Thankyou :-)

@paulapoetry 3 года назад

When a prologue works, it can really work, and be an effective tool. But prologues can so easily be confusing or/and tedious. I use an epilogue in my novel, Distorted Perceptions, but have never included a prologue, thus far. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't. Great video. 😀💝

@erica_em 2 года назад

The prologue in The Push (regardless of how much you enjoy the book) is well executed and necessary because it exists outside of and sets the stage for the rest of the text, which is essentially a 2nd person letter to the husband explaining the narrator's POV in the past tense. The prologue, which is present tense, wouldn't fit with the rest of the book. (Same with the epilogue which circles back to the present tense, outside the context of the letter to the husband.) I liked that prologue/epilogue, as an example.

@pixelfrick 3 года назад

I feel like you read my mind because I just wrote a prologue last night lol, but after this video I feel a bit better about it knowing I probably did it the right way!

@graysonsbookmark 3 года назад

this reminds me of Kate Cavanaugh's video where she talked about the prologue to Strange the Dreamer

@hannahl.4494 9 месяцев назад

I really like those mysterious prologues that don't seem to have much to do with the story, except when you are a really observant nerd. Then it makes you see the big mid point plot twist coming (not right after reading the prologue, just a couple chapters before it happens because that's when I will drop that puzzle piece that's been missing from the prologue to make the missing connection you need to see the plot twist coming or to kind of prove that faint suspicion you might have had for much longer, if you are really observant.) It makes the reader feel smart and it generates vicarious suspense. (You know something the characters don't see coming, that's going to turn their life upside down but they are just there chilling, having no idea what's about to come, while you're sitting at the edge of your seat hoping they will figure out in time.)

@geebee1514 3 года назад

I don't mind prologues or epilogues. My debut, I started out with a prologue. But when I read and heard about the negatives of prologues, how it's lazy writing, I ditched it. I incorporated it in the story. I've also been told, readers will skip it (aka..the info dumping) and go straight to the story. Thanks Alexa!

@iliveinthecountry2159 3 года назад

The only reason I hate prologues is because I've seen too many long, boring, poorly written, unnecessary ones. But when they are well written, it's so refreshing. My advice on prologues is everything you said here, plus, pull out all the stops. Hook me right off the top. Make sure that prologue is some of your best writing, so good that I'm devouring the pages eager to get to chapter one. Then, make chapter one even better. :) I am one of those readers who always reads the prologue. The caveat here is that if the prologue is boring and poorly written, I will expect the same from the rest of the book and will put it down and never pick it up again. I won't even get to chapter one. Like Alexa said, "Don't waste the reader's time." It's naive, and inconsiderate, to expect the reader to read through a bunch of boring stuff before they get to the real story. If the prologue is well done and a critical part of the real story, you've struck gold. Thanks Alexa for putting this so clearly.

@vanshika123456789 3 года назад

(I'm only halfway through the video so I apologize if you already mentioned this later in the book) The prologue for Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is a masterpiece to study. if you want to really understand how Prologues work, especially in Fantasy, reading this and dissecting it really helps.

@caesuracrossing5473 3 года назад

I love the Prologue in The Ivies it was really well done. And kept me reading the book. I'm like you. I don't like writing prologues I see no purpose in at least my current work in progress to have one

@chrissasandlin8344 3 года назад

I had become anit-prologue as a fantasy reader...I wanted the history discovered with the story rather than served in the beginning like a lesson but those thriller examples had me adding to my TBR...so maybe it's a genre preference?

@user-yt3tl1ui1x 3 года назад

Love your new hair

@alaskau9175 3 года назад

I would love to see a pros and cons video by you on slow burn myster/thrillers.

@als2480 2 года назад

I like short little 2 page prologues that give you an idea of who/what the villain is, and the stakes.

@tanishjain7851 3 года назад

Love the new glasses tho

@Kelly-ib1hf 3 года назад

Prologues done well are some of the most satisfying parts of a story, in my opinion. My WIP has a very short prologue (800 words) -- an action scene from the POV of the main character's grandfather, who dies before the first chapter. It isn't NECESSARY to the story but it adds tension and intrigue when the inciting incident happens at said grandfather's funeral. It's an interesting idea to query without the prologue and then mention it to an agent once repped.

@jasminecrestmoore98 3 года назад

Random but, I just finished the Ives, it was amazing and I loved the prologue. Have you thought about doing an “if you like The Ivies then you’d like x and x” video? I really want to read more books like it now 😂 don’t even know where to start though.

@lauraskinnsreads 3 года назад

I like a prologue when it's used well and effectively but the same can be true for any writing technique-if it's done poorly then it's bad and that doesn't mean it's an indictment on every single time that craft element is used. My favourite prologue is in Donna Tartt's The Secret History, the tension and build-up of the book wouldn't be the same if it had just jumped into the first chapter. By revealing the murder on the first page, Tartt makes you want to read forward because then you feel like you have to know what happened and understand why the character was murdered.

@claiternaiter446 2 года назад

I completely agree. Just because people don’t know how to write prologues doesn’t mean they’re bad and shouldn’t be used. I think it’s just easier for the agents to say that because they seem to get so many bad ones and it’s easy to cut it without hurting the rest of the story.

@TheOtherAnne 3 года назад

I rarely continue a book that has a prologue which is info dumping, aka telling instead of showing. I especially despise prologues where the main character tells the reader about something that happened to them and how they feel about it

@mal8197 3 года назад

My favorite book has three prologues haha. I didn’t mind reading through all of them though, since they gave some important details and worldbuilding tidbits without info dumping

@evitanigamimaerd8790 3 года назад

Dark of the West has a prologue that occurs sometime after the events of the book. I haven’t finished the series, but I believe the later books would lead up to the prologue (and whatever happens after it). The prologue begs the question: how did things go so wrong? I’ve also read a Webtoon (The Remarried Empress) which also uses a prologue that happens sometime later in the story. In the case of the Webtoon, the prologue scene is the promise that readers are waiting for and reading toward. It’s an exciting scene everyone wants to get to.

@PianoGirl091 3 года назад

I loved The Ivies! ❤ It still would have been great without the prologue, but that's just my opinion. I am so glad you brought up The Cruel Prince, because... HOLY SHIT, that is a damn good prologue! I will never forget it.

@rocketaxxonu 3 года назад

And let us not forget that if you decide to write a prologue on ffnet, your chapter labels will be forever off by one. I don't think I knew there was such a strong controversy over prologues, so this was super interesting. I can definitely see a lot of situations were prologues would be useful in a number of ways, but it makes sense that it's something that you as the writer need to consider and make a deliberate decision about taking into account different factors and pros and cons. For me, I don't mind prologues as the reader, but I find often I won't remember much of what's in them on the first read without the fuller context of what's going on to reinforce memories of the details. So I like them best as emotional/tonal flavor, rather than something conveying information I need to know to follow the story.

@elizabethreads0312 3 года назад

As a reader I more often than not skip prologues and forwards and if I love the book or have so lingering questions that were unanswered I’ll go back and read them after I finish the book. I’ve always seen some authors hide a prologue by making it official chapter 1 (example HP and the Sorcerers Stone). When this is done well it has intrigue to the beginning or the story and helps with drawing me into the story quicker.

@maia_gaia 3 года назад

I love a prologue! Of course, it has to be done well, but that's true of any writing? To be fair, many of my favorite books utilize prologues and epilogues (A Song of Ice and Fire, The Queens of Innis Lear) or get a little fucky with time (Station Eleven) which I think a lot of prologues do. Also to be fair, I almost exclusively read adult SFF which skews my opinions more positively.

@bhsprinkle 3 года назад

Prologues are great depending on how they're executed. I like the background info involved or the added something. If it doesn't have one I'm not less or more likely to read it though. So it's a maybe situation.

@m.f.hopkins8728 3 года назад

I have a preface (1.25 pages) AND a prologue (4.5 pages) in what I'm currently writing, but I think they work. I hope they're working. I also have the epilogue, in my head. :) (The book is the third of a romance/paranormal/urban fantasy trilogy. The first book has a prologue and an epilogue, while the second book only has a 'meanwhile...' type of epilogue/ending).

@dannyperez1604 6 месяцев назад

I think when deciding to prologue or not the length, tone and pacing play a huge part of it. If you have a longer, slower paced story, particularly in the first few chapters where you focus on character development, a prolouge can start off with a fast paced bang that gives a promise to the reader that things will eventually pick up and payoff.

@EDDIELANE 3 года назад

Love the EYES! What is your thought on EPILOUGES?

@miguelon2595 2 года назад

The Prologue for the Wheel of time is pure genius. Same with the Prologues in the Stormlight Archive series.

@anthonykellogg8965 2 года назад

I love how you give informative advice but I do have one minuscule question about a word you say a lot querying/ query may you explain? So I can have a better understanding. Please n thank you🥰

@Author-ESHart 3 года назад

To prologue or not to prologue that is the question. lol Since I work in a writer partnership this is something we've discussed and have done a few times in a couple of books that we've self-published. Luckily, since we self-published we didn't have to worry about a literary agent telling us not to do it. I don't feel that the prologue took anything away from the books. Of course, we tried to make our prologues short and to the point.

@ChrisWilliamsDallas 3 года назад

In the novela Things have Gotten Worse Since We last Spoke, by Eric LaRocca, the prologue is titled as Author's Note. It gives fictional context for the rest of the book (this has already happened, this is a time line of events, the police have working with the court and we've redacted info). It also works well because it reads like a set-up from Rod Sterling at the beginning of one of his episodes.

@audreybeebee 3 года назад

For anyone looking for more examples to learn from, House of Hollow (YA spooky contemporary fantasy) had a fantastic prologue. Less than 4 pages and very gripping.

@jhouserwrites 3 года назад

I fought adding a prologue to my upcoming debut indie pub YA Fantasy book, but in the end, it had to be done. The POV character is in the dark about her true identity and the risks around her for quite a while, so there's not another way to "weave the world-building into the narrative." The prologue includes scenes on the day of her birth so we get a sense of the magic and risks she'll face. We understand, even when she doesn't, that she's being both protected and hunted. So while she's living her "happy suburban life," the reader is scrutinizing all of the relationships around her and spotting signs of her powers coming in. Are guys dating her because they like her? Or because they're an assassin trying to discover her? Is her teacher checking up on her because he's her dad, undercover... or the assassin general trying to suss out if she's one of his marks? Without it, a significant part of the book would read like a pointless contemporary YA book because the readers wouldn't be clued in and trying to pick up on clues.

@TheWordN3rd 3 года назад

I agree that prologues should be saved for when you need them. I grew up reading fantasy, so I'm used to them and tend to like them but there also have been a lot of fantasies where I think the prologue was unnecessary and wpuld have been better as a few paragraphs or conversations through the course of the book.

@vanl3n177 3 года назад

Lol, all three of my current WIPs (bc I have commitment issues) have short prologues. One of them touches on the deep flashback, another is set up for the conflict bc it's a third-party issue that affects my main characters for their inciting incident, and the last is ... a first chapter but not really?? For me, I used the prologue as a setup or taster for the overall tone of the book because one of them is multiple pov, but as I'm like 30%, 50%, and 50% into these books, I have yet to decide if I need the prologue or not.

@katelynharrison3779 3 года назад

What is your professional opinion on prologues in crime fiction? Specifically one that gives a sneak peek of something the story is revolving around. (A snippet of action that leaves multiple questions) I guess it would fall under the category of a flashback.

@-autumnfeelings 3 года назад

In my case the story is about a magic academy and dark magicians are locked out of the city of magicians. In the prologue I tease that they are going to sneak someone into the school for them which is very important for the story. It doesn't give much away but creates tension. Do you think that's bad as well?

@quartkneek3670 3 года назад

From what you've presented here, I'd say a prologue is a bad idea. There are better ways to tease that information. Even just having someone say in the first chapter or act one that it's never been done or they're guarding against it can be enough of a setup that also raises the stakes. If you brainstorm enough ways to plant seeds, I'm sure you'll find a bunch of ways to drop hints, stir in some mystery, show some character traits (like the over-confident or pompous attitude of saying something like, it can't be done). Have fun with it and your readers will too.

@1v1thousand 3 года назад

I thought a prolog in fantasy/scifi is kind of a down payment on the premise

@jobowisheshewasnomo4171 2 года назад

I'm months too late to ask this question, but I've got to give it a shot. Can a prologue be a poem that showcases a certain aspect of the story?

@jennifervanderkamp9707 3 года назад

I'm interested in one of the books you shared but I can't find it. The one by Rebecca Read/Reed, "The Truth Is." If you share books like this, can you please list them in the episode info?!

@AlexaDonne 3 года назад

The problem was me! I said the title slightly wrong--The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid. I included it in a previous thriller review video if you want to hear my more complete thoughts, as well. www.goodreads.com/book/show/48613336-the-truth-hurts

@jennifervanderkamp9707 3 года назад

@@AlexaDonne thank you!!

@mysticalarchives7821 2 года назад

My prologue is important because it gives essential background information of the main characters that provide 1) their initial skill set, 2) their prior experiences, 3) the emergence of their abilities which get the attention of the mentors for the inciting incident, 4) how they arrived at the position they start the story in, and 5) the tone and setting of the world they inhabit. The reason this is a prologue and not chapter one is because the story of the prologue is more of the end of one story and the specific events don’t connect to the main plot of the rest of the book, though they’re still relevant for the reasons above. However, it’s more than just 2-7 pages. I understand about short prologues, but sometimes prologues need to be longer in my opinion and the length doesn’t have to be a problem if done right.

@papernim 3 года назад

Not related to the video. But what are your thoughts on web-published novels? And should I resort on web publishing?

@LunaGer 3 года назад

I have read so many books with prologues, typically fantasy. I really don’t mind them. Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings” has not only a prologue but a prelude.

@meganthompson6676 3 года назад

What about Eragon in YA fantasy?

@grutarg2938 2 года назад

I think the prologue just to add tension can also backfire. I've read a few that just seem like movie trailers "Here's a promise of excitement to come. Now read through 12 more chapters to get there."

@AF-gd7fh 3 года назад

As a reader I love a good prologue. I'm not a writer so it may be technical wrong but I will always love a book with a prologue more. Funny thing is I hate epilogues. They tend to wrap things up to neatly.

@TheFlyingBookworm Год назад

I did not realize people skipped prologues 😳 I'm writing a story and the prologue is the scene where magic power is forced upon twin sisters. It's short, but important insight for the rest of the book. The idea that people would just skip it is terrifying.

@TheAwkwardSacOfDucks 3 года назад

I wrote a prologue for my first book, but its only about 120 words. I did it because the story itself starts out tonally very happy and funny, but the prologue is tonally dissonant to that. And I figured the juxtaposition sets that underlying feeling of discomfort throughout all the cute and funny parts of the story. And then when the darker parts of the story return, it always goes back to that first few sentences entirely centered around that singular event. Idk if that's a good thing, but I figured it would help set up all the really bad stuff that happens later in the story

@justjforsure Год назад

Same but with like my thriller/horror

@leebrandt8597 2 года назад

Well, the prologue for Jurassic Park titled 'The Bite of the Raptor' is 2300 hundred words long and has the exact same style as the rest of the novel, but from a point of view that's not used for the rest of the script, so it works really well.

@_kai.ren_ 3 года назад

I find that prologues are best for me if they are used to help set up the promise of the premise. If they can show how the book is going to be I am much more inclined to continue to read a story even if the next few chapters don't quite meet the expectation of that and the back cover. I don't really understand why some people have such a visceral negative reaction to prologues. Sure, there are some that just don't fit the rest of the story, but I've found very few books where I have felt this and sometimes the fact that there is a prologue has made me choose to pick up that book instead of another. And I actually like that some prologues start abruptly instead of the first chapter slowly giving me context about the situation and world. It gives me something to think about during the slower parts as I piece together where the prologue fits into all of it.

@ladonnabeard34 3 года назад

I am honestly debating on my prologue... It takes place 1000 years before the story BUT one of the characters is alive. She becomes possessed in the prologue and becomes the antagonist. I do plan to write from her point of view. (Initially didn't plan that until my book gave birth to book 2 . I realized my antagonist (well the human part anyway )needed a bigger voice. The prologue is neat but there's potential for a deeper perspective.. the 1000 year time gap has me debating. 🤔 figure I'll decide when it's time do my first major edit. (Plan to finish "0" draft this month.)

@miavelletri 3 года назад

The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater have GREAT prologues in a YA fantasy series

@NathanMellor 3 года назад

I hadn't though of a seven page prologue. The first four paragraphs of my first chapter could be considered a prologue. It is an introduction from the narrator - a flash forward into after the plot twist.

@elizabethreads0312 3 года назад

Also congrats on your most recent book and first venture into a published thriller.

@conscious.payne92 3 года назад

In my experience, prologues can help us as writers going in the writing process. Sure, they can be removed later, but it serves well to get the juices flowing!

@a3u132 3 года назад

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had a bad relationship with prologues as a kid because of a few bad ones.

@ope_itsmissh 2 года назад

I love prologues and epilogues! The more the merrier 🤣

@hannahschneider3418 3 года назад

Hey Alexa Donne! I don't know if you will see this but I was wondering if this would be a good prologue? Their “I love you” Was bullsh*t. And I fell for it. They were the one person I thought Wouldn’t hurt me. But they did. And now look what happened to me. I’ll never make that mistake again. I didn't want to put it as information for the story, I just wanted something to hook my reader and have them interested and wanting to read my book. (This is my first book so I would be so happy if you replied and gave me your opinion!)

@lizlovescookies2689 3 года назад

I honestly didn't know people had problems with prologues. They're usually short and important, and I've personally never had a problem with them. Now that you made this, though, I get some of the bad things

@Krissxten 3 года назад

I keep getting feedback that my prologue is like really exciting and attention grabbing, but my first chapter slows down quite a bit... and I'm not sure how to fix that to be honest.

@geebee1514 3 года назад

Maybe make that fabulous prologue your first chapter.

@audreybeebee 3 года назад

You might be starting the first chapter in the wrong place (too early)? That's something I've been fine tuning in my first chapter which was moving too slowly - trying to start the story closer to the inciting incident.

@claiternaiter446 2 года назад

If they made it their first chapter, wouldn’t they just have the same problem with the second chapter?

@Angela41541 2 года назад

can i be controversial and say that i love the twilight prologue? cause it sets you up immediately that this is not just a paranormal romance book. smth will happen that's basically a life and death kind of hunt that the main character needs to survive AND it gives you view at her arguably the most consistent and important character trait aka self-sacrificing nature of her in order to protect others. idk, I just remember the first time I've read it and it did intrigue me, I liked it a lot

@MandaShell Месяц назад

What do you think about epigraphs? I like them as long as they do not feel forced or cliche. I do wish authors would stop using Shakespeare and Robert Frost poems for them. I also feel like sometimes in sequels they get worse, because the author feels pressure to have them in each book, and sometimes--they just don't fit.

@emilienogaret2396 3 года назад

I have a really short prologue. Not even 1000 words, really just to hook the reader, to introduce magic that doesn't come back up until chapter 6 or 7, and giving the reader a little bit of darkness in a world that looks kind of nice and fluffy in my first chapter bc my main character is very sheltered. But the prologue is there to make the reader understand not everything is as good as it seems.

@shannonshan 5 месяцев назад

i've seen a few complain bout them cause the writers use them as an excuse to give away spoilers, and without fail people would respond with hate and judgement towards people not wanting spoilers and claiming thats the entire purpose of prologues. i swear those people are the kind that start books at the end before going to the beginning, its so childish to give out so much hate towards a valid want and demand others accept bad writing for their own benefit

@jennifervanderkamp9707 3 года назад

I hate when the prologue is an exact scene from later in the book, usually around the climax. I mean, word for word. As Alexa said, the great ones are far back past, far future, or the first kill scene in a thriller. I also hate an info dump in the first chapter of book 2 about book 1.