To Prologue or not to Prologue

Robyn Weightman
May 6, 2020
5 min read

Updated: Nov 11, 2020

Prologues have been a discussion point for reader's and writer's since there have been books to read. Are they needed? Should every book have one? Those in the world of books have strong feelings towards prologues and their necessity, with some being thoroughly against their use, others feeling empty without them.

In this blog we will first discuss the three main types of Prologue and the Pros and Cons of each, before rounding up with the must follow rules in choosing to include a Prologue or not. Whether you are for or against prologues, they are and always will remain a major topic of conversation.

But why would you use a Prologue?

A prologue conveys information which is needed for the reader to understand the story.

Keep this in mind as we go through the types of Prologues.

The three main types of prologue are;

1. Different P.O.V

Some writers begin their work from a different P.O.V (point of view). This is often the antagonist. This gives the antagonist a connection with the reader before they're thrown against the protagonist. Perhaps they have a wordly idea which the reader needs to understand.

An example of this is in Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, when the prologue introduces the White Walkers. It sets the scene for the rest of the book and immediately creates tension for the reader. They want to know what a White Walker is before even knowing any of the main characters within the book.

Another type of P.O.V change is when the prologue introduces a character which the protagonist spends the entire book looking for. Writer's use this to give the protagonist a reason and purpose from the beginning of the book.

2. Background

The second use of Prologue's is to give background to a protagonist. Though it is not called a Prologue, Chapter One in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter shows Harry being left at the Dursley's house. This creates a background for this orphan boy with many unanswered magical questions. (We'll get into why this is named Chapter One but is used like a Prologue later.)

By giving the character some background, the reader has empathy for them straight away. They also understand their life situation, even if years have passed between the prologue and the first chapter.

3. Foreshadowing

While background tells the reader of the protagonists past, foreshadowing gives the reader a hint of what the future holds. If you're writing a book where the character is telling their own story, then you may have begun with a Prologue of your character sitting in a bar about to tell the story of their life (Patrick Rothfuss, Name of the Wind), or sitting alone in a room with a typewriter, writing their story (Moulin Rouge).

What are the Pros of having a prologue?

1. They convey important information which the reader needs to know to understand the rest of the story.

2. They create interest and tension to hook readers.

3. Give background to a character in a short space of time.

Now, remember what I said earlier. A Prologue is used to convey information which the reader MUST know in order to understand the rest of the story.

What are the Cons?

1. Waste of time - Often, a prologue isn't needed. The characters background could be conveyed in snippets throughout

the story, the information could be sprinkled throughout, it doesn't give any information which the reader wouldn't have

got later.

2. Stalls the reader - We said earlier that some readers love Prologues, and others hate them. This is perhaps why

J. K. Rowling labelled her prologue as chapter one. Readers who hate prologues will often skip them entirely. Most

of the time, this has zero effect on the rest of the story. If a reader can miss out your prologue and still understand

the story, you do not need it.

3. Gives parts away - If you use a prologue to foreshadow an event, be weary what you foreshadow. Sometimes

this can ultimately mean that the reader knows the character will survive until that point. Taking away tension

throughout the rest of the book.

4. Info dump - The main use of a Prologue is to convey information which the reader needs to understand the story. It

does not mean the entire family tree, (Tolkien, I'm looking at you.) This goes back to the show vs tell argument. If you

info dump, you are telling the reader which, means they're not involved. For most readers this turns into reading an essay

which only few people enjoy doing.

5. Nothing to do with the main story - This happens surprisingly often. These Prologues often introduce a

character, do a lot of characters building and then kill them off at the end. Does the death of this character effect

the protagonist in chapter one? No, it doesn't. This links into wasting the readers time and why some reader's now skip

prologues entirely.

6. Too long - The final con is prologues which are too long. A Prologue should ideally be 3-4 pages. If it is longer than this

your reader may become bored or inpatient to start the main story.

The cons list is a little longer than the pros, no?

Prologues are a slippery place, but they don't have to be.

When choosing whether to write a Prologue ask yourself;

1. Can the information be conveyed throughout the book?

2. Does it affect the overall story?

3. Is it there because Chapter One does not have enough tension?

If you can take the prologue out and a reader would still understand your story, then the prologue is not needed.

If it is longer than 3-4 pages, make it shorter and show information, rather than tell it.

Could it be labelled as Chapter One instead?

If chapter one cannot hook the reader, then look at how it can be rewritten, is chapter one needed? Maybe start from chapter two?

Like any chapter of your book, a prologue should have a goal. If it does not affect your protagonist or move the story forward, then it is not needed. Use a prologue wisely and they are a useful, tension building tool. But misuse them, and you risk your book being put down before it has begun.

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