What should a prologue be about

Fantasy authors are especially at risk of this if the prologue is used as a means of world-building. Info-dumping in your prologue is a no-no for a number of reasons, chief among which is that it makes for a rather slow start. And as we discussed above, a boring prologue is a huge turn-off for readers! If the main story veers off in a direction so different to the prologue that the two feel like totally separate entities, readers might feel confused or even cheated. This applies to the voice and style of writing as well as the actual events of the prologue.

If none of these elements are ever tied back in throughout the rest of the main story, you run the risk of disappointing or frustrating readers, or having them wonder what the point of the prologue was in the first place. As we mentioned above, it can be a real anticlimax if your prologue overshadows your first chapter.

And remember that some readers will simply skip prologues altogether. For this reason, Chapter One still needs to be able to draw the reader in just as effectively — if not more so — than your prologue.

Claire is a freelance editor and proofreader based in Newcastle, Australia. She holds a B. Claire's biggest passion is working on editorial projects, particularly when it involves perfecting book manuscripts for publication.

Fantasy novels are well-known for including maps, more so It can be hard to sit down and start writing. Or maybe Should my novel have a prologue? Does the prologue involve a different time, place or point of view than the main story? The pros and cons of including a prologue in your novel are many.

In other words, a prologue is an introduction. Prologues are there to provide the reader with context before the story begins. Introductions are generally reserved for nonfiction books. Like the rest of your story, the prologue offers an opportunity for you to flex your creative muscles. There are five basic types of prologue ; choosing which will best serve your story is your first and most important task.

Description : Is there an important incident or crisis that affected the world of your story or the main character, but it happened before the action begins in Chapter One? Then a Backstory Delivery prologue may be the smoothest way to bring your readers up to speed. Description : Some stories begin with a bang, others must build slowly to a fever pitch. This type of prologue teases the reader with an intriguing, exciting, heartwarming or disturbing event that will happen later in the book.

This secret is a clue, planted at the outset of the narrative, that will later help the protagonist solve the crime, defeat the antagonist, or otherwise save the day. This type of prologue offers dramatic irony , giving your readers a thrilling feeling of suspense as they know something important the main characters do not.

Purpose : Bring the plot full circle while avoiding a deus ex machina. Description : This one can be as inventive as you want. Instead of following the point of view of the rest of the narrative, you offer an alternative view of the situation or characters. It took the form of a statement, written by a fictional psychologist, about the ensuing text and the protagonist who purportedly wrote it.

Purpose : Set the stage for the story through the delivery of key information, or establish the mood and atmosphere of the narrative.

Description : Boom! This is the In Medias Res prologue, my least favorite type of prologue and the only kind that will make me instantly put a book back on the shelf. This kind of prologue presents the effect first, then backtracks in later chapters to explain the cause. Martin did a great job with this in his infamous series Game of Thrones. The series opens with a prologue of men venturing beyond the wall to investigate certain occurrences.

This will often make them skim the prologue, skip the prologue, or skip the book entirely. Prologues are a great story-telling tool when used properly. Make sure you need a prologue before you include one, keep it brief, keep it interesting, and keep it Absolutely Necessary. A great prologue means nothing if it only ever sees a folder in your computer that you only open every seven months.

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Hannah Lee Kidder is a contemporary and fantasy author, writing coach , and YouTuber. She has published two bestselling short story collections, Little Birds and Starlight.

Hannah is currently minding her own business, streaming a variety of writing and life content on Twitch , somewhere in the Colorado mountains with her roommate, Saya, who is a dog. We help you save time, money, and headaches through the book, writing, marketing, and publishing process by giving you the proven, step-by-step process and accountability to publish successfully.

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