September 11, 2024
A book prologue is a piece of writing that introduces a story or sets the tone for a fiction book. It provides useful information that will help the reader make sense of the rest of the book.
It serves three main functions.
When you talk about an introductory piece of writing, you must be clear about which one you mean. Is it a preface, a foreword, or an introduction? They all differ, and each serves a different purpose. These parts of a book are sometimes referred to as the “front of the book” elements. You can use these elements in both nonfiction and fiction books, although a book prologue isn’t typical in nonfiction.
These are used in fiction to set up a storyline. They give context that a reader needs to understand the story that’s about to follow. For instance, a fantasy story might use a book prologue to describe the fictional world the author has created, or to describe the creation story of how that world came into existence.
It might tell a story that happened in the past, before the action of the novel started. For example, in Dominick Dunne’s The Two Mrs. Grenvilles, the author opens with the account of the death of Ann Grenville. This tells us that she has died, and it also reveals something about the type of person she was. When the story opens, however, it starts at the beginning of Ann’s story. It describes her childhood and how she met her husband. The novel builds to an ending that makes the knowledge of her eventual lonely death even more compelling.
Some book prologues give the viewer or reader information they need without interrupting the flow of the action. In the opening pilot of the show Game of Thrones, viewers learn about the White Walkers who live beyond the wall. Once the actual story starts, several characters discuss the White Walkers. Many don’t believe in them and hotly deny their existence. Meanwhile, the audience is fully aware that they’re very much alive and waiting for anyone who dares to enter their territory. The opening scene provided this information without interrupting the flow of the story.
Prologues have been used in theater and fiction. Shakespeare included one in many of his plays. They told the audience where the story was set, what the plot was, and sometimes even gave away the ending. Prologues were necessary in a time when theatergoers wanted to know what a play was about before deciding to sit and watch it for two hours or longer. Plays were often held outdoors, and the actors had to make sure they grabbed the audience’s attention before they decided to find something more entertaining to do.
The ancient Greek playwrights, including Aeschylus (the “father of tragedy”) and Aristophanes (the “father of comedy”) used prologues for the same reason. Today, most plays don’t have prologues because going to the theater is a vastly different experience than it was in earlier times.
A preface only appears in a nonfiction book. It’s not right for most fiction. The preface is an introduction to the author. It’s a way to explain why the author is a trustworthy source to write the book. It may expand on the information in the book or cast light on why the author chose to write it. Think of it as a “behind the curtain” glimpse of the book.
A preface can:
The introduction is the first section of a nonfiction book. It’s not necessary in a novel. The introduction has two purposes: to summarize the book, and to interest readers.
With the introduction, the writer sums up the argument that will be spelled out in detail in the book. This section provides an outline of the main arguments and a guide to how the book is organized. It may include chapter-by-chapter summaries.
A well-written introduction also compels a reader to buy the book. Most nonfiction writers want some idea of the author’s perspective before they spend time and money on a book. The introduction is your last chance to sell your book to a potential reader, so make the most of it.
Unlike the other front-of-book elements listed here, this one isn’t written by the author. Instead, someone else writes the foreword as a form of endorsement. A good foreword usually comes from someone who is respected in the subject matter of the book.
Good reasons to use a book prologue include:
Bad reasons to use prologues include:
Your book may not need one. Consider whether the information you’re providing is necessary or if the reader can understand the story without it. If it’s necessary to understand your fictional world, provide foreshadowing, or enhance the story in some way, consider writing one.
Prologues can be useful literary tools. They can provide foreshadowing, world building, and other elements of a good story. However, they are not necessary. Consider whether you can deliver the same information another way. If writing one makes sense to your story, do so. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.
If you want yours to work, focus on these elements. Here are some tips to make sure it it is just as interesting as the rest of your book.
Sometimes, there’s action happening behind the scenes that the main characters don’t know about. For instance, there might be a horde of zombies or a serial killer living in an abandoned castle. Your main characters don’t know this, but the reader does because you introduced this plot point.
Readers like feeling like they’re in on a secret, and the knowledge adds some background tension to the rest of the story. However, don’t do this unless that serial killer or zombie horde appear later and contribute to the plot. Otherwise, you’ve added irrelevant material for no good reason.
Many mystery writers use a book prologue to set up a situation, character, or event that is central to unraveling the mystery. The reader may not get all the hints they need from the prologue, but they should get enough to begin putting the clues together.
Readers don’t really like prologues. They’d rather get to the main action right away. Some readers skip them entirely, read them later, or find them annoying. Some writers feel the same way. They insist they’d never use one.
Keep that in mind, if you decide that this type of opener is necessary for your story. Do your readers a favor and keep it as short as possible. Use the first chapter to get the action going.
Keep it short, and make sure it only includes vital information the reader needs to understand the story.
Take the front part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. This works despite being very long because it provides useful information. The book prologue summarizes the plot of The Hobbit and describes the world of Middle-Earth. It’s helpful for people who haven’t read The Hobbit before reading the Ring trilogy. While it’s long, few readers have ever complained about it.
Authoring a book involves many steps. Building a remarkable story isn’t easy, and sometimes, the right introductory material can help. If you’re a new writer struggling with the demands of printing and publishing, Publishing Xpress can help you. Contact us today to learn more.
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