The Pros and Cons of Prologues

Is “no prologue” one of those writing “rules” that don’t always make sense?

Do you think there are times you should write a prologue?

As a reader, do you read prologues?

M.L. Davis Writer

Prologues can be a contentious issue. Everybody has a different opinion on them. I’ve known of readers who love them, agents who hate them, and everything in between! The last novel I wrote started with a prologue, even though as a reader I’m not a huge fan of them. Sometimes you just have to do what works for your novel. But for anyone who’s not sure, I’ve listed some of the pros and cons of prologues below.

The Pros:

You can hook the reader
Prologues tend to be short and sweet, and so it gives you the opportunity to really hook the reader with a gritty opening. You don’t need to introduce the characters involved in any depth, which gives you the chance to create a real air of mystery.

Chance to use a different POV
The prologue doesn’t have to follow the pattern of the rest of your story…

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Short: Dugong Dreaming

This sounds like a fun read: A short story about an opera singer stranded on one of Saturn’s moons, the tough choices of motherhood and some very musical Dugongs.
It’s nice to see some spec fiction from down under. I’m trying to read more world fiction. What’s your fave non-US/European novel?

Shel Calopa

A short story about an opera singer stranded on one of Saturn’s moons, the tough choices of motherhood and some very musical Dugongs.

Available February 2020 in ASF’s Aquarius Anthology.

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