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Prologue Debate
To prologue or not to prologue that is the question?
Well I am writing my first novel, a fantasy trilogy and have been listening to StoryWonk Sunday podcasts, doing writing classes here in OZ and generally trying to learn the 'novel' craft.
Lani Diane Rich from StoryWonk http://storywonk.com/ (a USA podcast that's great) is absolutely against the prologue and believes it can be absorbed into the narrative and is basically lazy story telling. Let me tell you Lanie makes a great argument for not having a prologue.
HOWEVER... I have a prologue in my fantasy novel that sets up the world that I don't really think can be absorbed into the rest of the novel and I think it's important to the story.
Then there's the people who skip the prologue entirely believing it's irrelevant. Many crime writers I know all have prologues.
So is it a genre thing or lazy writing?
Would love to know everyone's opinion????
Tags: craft, crime, diane-rich, fantasy, genre, lani, prologue, storywonk, writing
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Margaret Morton Kirk on -
Emma Darwin gives her thoughts here: http://emmadarwin.typepad.com/thisitchofwriting/2011/07/prologues.html
Basically, it comes down to whether the prologue does something which can't be accomplished by other means. I have a very short prologue in my work in progress, because it introduces a 'mystery man' whose changing voice becomes important throughout the novel. So if you feel it needs to be there, my feeling would be, stick to your guns :)
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Permalink Reply by Terri-ann Varga on -
Thanks Margaret. The more I read about it the more I think I should take it out just in case. I will get the novel 100% finished and then re-visit I think. Thanks for the article link it was great.
Cheers
Terri-ann
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Permalink Reply by Ashley LaMar on
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As a reader, I never read the prologues. I skip them entirely and treat them as though they don't even exist. I'm sorry, I'm sure this isn't very helpful but I am trying to be honest. I used to read them and eventually I began feeling as though they were either irrelevant to the story and simply filler text or they divulged information I didn't want to be exposed to before I even began reading the novel. I skip straight to the beginning of Chapter 1.
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Permalink Reply by Quanie Miller on -
I agree with Ashley. I skip the prologue all together and go straight to chapter one.
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