Can I just start by saying that 'prologue' is probably the most commonly misspelt word I have ever seen on Wattpad?

Like, I've seen prolouge. Proulog. Prologe. Proletarianised. Pringle.

You name it!

Now, as a reviewer and a reader, I never have problems with prologues/pringles/propaganda. If they're there, cool. If they're not there, also cool.

However, I know some people who are very anti-prologues/provinces/proliferous.

So, let's get into it! I'm going to break down this chapter into four sections:

- What is a prologue?

- What are the pros and cons of having one?

- When should you include a prologue?

- How do you make a prologue good?

So, let's get right into it!

A prologue is basically a section of writing that comes before your 'first chapter'. Usually, what separates a prologue is that it feels separate to the story itself -- whether it is told from a different perspective, or is in a different time period, or even is just some exposition to explain the context of the story.

It can sometimes be a diary letter, a poem, or just some normal prose.

Most importantly: since it is basically the first thing your reader will read, it needs to be just as gripping as your first chapter.

Well! Let's go through the pros first:

If done well, a prologue can:

- It can quickly set the tone you need for the story, before your reader even has to meet the protagonist.

- It can foreshadow events that happen later in the story, making that moment feel more satisfying.

- It can be unique and gripping, especially if you use a different format (such as a diary entry or a poem).

- Sometimes, it can help the writer introduce concepts that would, otherwise, be difficult to weave in through dialogue or an info-dump.

- It can quickly and efficiently introduce the conflict and questions.

- It can also quickly and efficiently introduce a protagonist or antagonist motivation.

- It can create direction or focus instantly.

- It can contrast the first chapter in a luring and enticing way.

- Some people love them.

And as for some :

- It can delay the start of the story.

- If not done well, can feel misplaced or awkward or even overwhelming.

- If not done well, can be confusing if it is never tied in well to the rest of the story.

- Some people hate them.

Obviously, there are probably more we can add to both lists! But, if we look at it now, it's like... well. Prologues clearly have more pros and cons. So should we all include prologues?

Answer:

Really, you should only be using a prologue if it is I have said this word about a million times now, but I mean it. Good writing is always purposeful. I should change this book title to 101 Writing Tips from a Purposeful Reviewer.

So,

I mean, honestly, I want to say that... if you feel like you need a prologue, go for it. That's really the bottom line. It's your story, and if you feel a prologue suits it, then you do you bestie and have fun with a prologue!

Overall, though, you should ask yourself the following when considering a prologue:

Do I need it? Is it purposeful?

Do I have crucial background information the reader needs to know before I start the story?

Do I have a creative, gripping way to execute it?

Will my first chapter be equally as strong?

Does it make my reader want to read on?

If you answer any of those questions with a 'yes', then a prologue could work! But the most important question:

Will my story make sense without it?

If the answer is yes to that question, then you probably need the prologue.

However, you must make sure your first chapter does not pale in comparison to your prologue. If it does, then we may have problems, because we have this enticing prologue followed by... yawn, something very boring. Like reading a story about evil shoelaces strangling wolves, and then being forced to read the dictionary.

But, basically, if you need to get some context introduced before your story, or you have this amazing and exciting idea of how to really lure your reader in before they even meet your protagonist, a prologue could suit you!

However, if you do not have a prologue, that doesn't mean your story is lacking in any way. It just means that you didn't need one, based on how your story is structured!

And now, for the most hefty part of this story:

We've all seen some prologues that have genuinely had us on the edges of our seats, ready for more. But we've also had some that made us go... well, why was that necessary?

So, here are some tips on how to write a good prologue!

I know I said that you can use prologues to help set up concepts your story has. But this does not give you permission to info-dump. Ever. Do not make it too much, and do not make it overwhelming for the reader.

I mean, if your first chapter picks up from the prologue with the same setting and characters and perspective, then... well, what was the point? If it feels like it could have been chapter one, while your real chapter one could have been chapter two, then definitely reconsider whether it should even be a prologue. Your prologue should be very different to your chapters.

Seriously. Make it emotionally investing. It is essentially replacing your first chapter, so you need it to be masterful in capturing their attention. Establishing an emotional connection and a desire for more is what you need here to make a prologue work.

On average, prologues are shorter than chapters. Don't make it too long. It should not drag. Please.

Like, if your story is a historical fantasy about vikings... maybe don't make your prologue about someone buying a new pair of sunglasses. Unless... you... somehow made it... tie in. I won't question it. But still!

You should aim to make sure it either includes:

a) themes of your story

b) important characters within your stories

c) some sort of relevant setting or

d) some sort of way of telling the reader about the story's world

I know it's not compulsory but... if you do manage to do some sneaky foreshadowing in your prologue, or something that makes the reader later on realise they know something the protagonist doesn't know... it's incredibly sexy.

Why foreshadow something in a prologue... when you don't know what to foreshadow?

Basically, you want to have a clear understanding of the themes, conflict and events in your story before you write your prologue. That way, you can ensure it's capturing exactly the slice you need it to capture in your story.

I already mentioned it before, but here are some specific things to look at that you could have experiment with:

a) a different perspective

b) a different time [for example, years before or after the actual events of the story] or

c) a different style of writing that is not regular prose

For example, the time travelling prologues are cool, because we see the protagonist in the future and can't help but wonder... well, how on earth did they get there, with broken sunglasses and miniature vikings up their nose?

Or, who is the murderer, and why do they have a picture of the protagonist beside their bed?

Or why is the prologue about a bag of chips?

I mean, of course you want to read other stories. So, when you read, make sure you keep note of prologues you see, and what was effective about them. Or, on the other hand, what you didn't like about them. Keep an eye out for those so you know what to watch out for!

So, to end this chapter, let's go through some scenarios.

"Hi, Sunshine! I want to include a prologue because my first chapter is boring. Should I?"

"No. Just make your first chapter better."

"But that's hard."

"And so is eating salsa with a metal straw. And you don't see me stopping that. So go and write a more gripping first chapter."

"Bonjour, Sunshine! I want to include a prologue because I want to set up the atmosphere. It's set in a desert so I want to include a prologue in the desert to get that across."

"Your reader will get it pretty quickly without it. Just make sure there's sand in your first chapter. You do not need a prologue if it's just to establish the setting."

"Howdy, Sunshine! I need a prologue so I can do some worldbuilding--"

"Try including it in your chapter. Do not info-dump your world to us in a prologue."

"G'day, Sunshine! Here is my prologue. Can you have a read?"

"This is... an exposition dump."

"Yes?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. Not allowed."

"Morning, Sunshine! So, I wrote a prologue."

"Why?"

"Well, because all the other stories I read seem to have one. So I thought I needed one?"

"You don't need one unless you need one. So, no! It's okay to not stick to the status quo!"

"Okay, Sunshine. I have a prologue."

"Is it purposeful?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would your story make sense if that prologue didn't exist?"

"Well... yeah."

"Then you don't need it."

"But it's aesthetic!"

"So are unicorns! But that doesn't mean all stories have unicorns in them!"

And that's all I've had to say! Sorry it couldn't be that fun or that long, but I feel like this sort of thing is pretty straight forward. I hope it was helpful for those who have been contemplating writing a prologue!

So I need help! Please private message me short passages of writing that are written by yourself, that are really bad. Give me awful clichés and terrible grammar and dialogue that makes no sense! Give me no setting and no cohesion and all that jazz! Please send me typos and such! The worst possible writing you can do, and send it to me in a private message so I can do an example of a very sugar coated review.