A question for Gentleman Jim and friends

kaku · Jun 28, 2005

A writer friend of mine recently suggested I take the information in my prologue and weave it into my story by adding excerpts to the end of my chapters separated by a couple rows of asterisks. She felt my prologue, as a stand alone introduction, tended to overwhelm my story. My prologue is separated by a time span of five thousand years from my story (present day).

Is this a common practice? Do the POV switches (prologue and main story) have to have anything in common (except perhaps when the information merges at the end)? Are there other “tricks” to accomplishing this?

I would appreciate any insight you may be able to provide.

Regards,

Kaku

James D. Macdonald · Jun 28, 2005

If the information can go anywhere, you can put it anywhere. (Note how much backstory and exposition Tolkien put into the Council of Elrond.)

In my own career I've put prolog material into alternating chapters throughout a book.

Also -- ask yourself how vital it is that you have this prolog material in this novel at all. Will your book make sense if it's wholly excised? (While a story set during the American Revolution might be made richer by adding another story about the Norman Conquest, it probably isn't strictly needed.)

Do you have enough interesting stuff in your prologe to make a separate novel?

Aconite · Jun 28, 2005

*tongue in cheek* You box, too, Jim?

James D. Macdonald · Jun 28, 2005

John L. Sullivan sent me a Christmas card every year....

A question for Gentleman Jim and friends

kaku

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

Aconite

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle