Writing prologue

 

Hello, friends!

Those of you who have read my stories know just how much I love prologues - both reading and writing them. Of course, not every story needs one; I just like to use it to set the vibe for the entire story, so the reader knows what they're getting into.

A bit of writing terminology for starters:

Prologue - opening of the book

Preface - short account by an author, explaining the origins of their book

Foreword - an introduction to the text and its author by another person

Introduction - summary chapter, outlining the argument and contents to come, used primarily in non-fiction

There are considered to be four types of prologues:

FUTURE PROTAGONIST PROLOGUE 

PAST PROTAGONIST PROLOGUE

DIFFERENT POV PROLOGUE 

BACKGROUND PROLOGUE

FUTURE PROTAGONIST

• shows the future self of the MC

• this prologue often presents the end of the story first 

• it can be in form of a letter or memoir

• example: Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco

PAST PROTAGONIST 

• show an event from the MC’s past; something crucial for the story, like a loss or accident

• helps us understand the MC better even before the 1st chapter

• example: Affinity, Sarah Waters

DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

• it can add mystery to the plot or serve as foreshadowing

• good to pass on knowledge the MC doesn't possess yet, but readers benefit from

• example: Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

BACKGROUND 

• introduces the setting of the story and the rules of the world

• used mostly in fantasy and sci-fi

• good to use if the story relies heavily on world-building

• example: Wolf hall, Hilary Mantel

Additional advice…

→ keep it short

→ make it significant for the story

→ use it to set the tone for the story

→ include prologue only if it's useful and makes sense, don't push it otherwise

→ don't info dump in the prologue