Prologues

CindyB · Jan 14, 2007

I'm writing a vampire novel, and I'm wondering what the normal length of a prologue should be. Mine is 10 Word pages(double spaced, 12pt new courior).

Also, do you tend to read the prologue, just skim over it or not read it at all and move to the main story?

Thank you
Cindy

veinglory · Jan 14, 2007

I would expect a prologue to be about a page or less. Otherwise it seems more like chapter one, set in the past.

HorrorWriter · Jan 16, 2007

Twilight,
Hi. A professional horror-writing friend of mine just answered this question for me. He said that he would not make a prologue more than 20 pages. Mine is 30 pages and is set in the future. I don't like writing prologues. I hate them but an uber agent who may represent me asked me to add one. If she feels it should be cut short, she will edit it when I mail it to her like she did my first 3 chapters. Don't sweat it, write what you feel and make changes afterward if it suits the story.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 16, 2007

Length

Twilight Angel said:
I'm writing a vampire novel, and I'm wondering what the normal length of a prologue should be. Mine is 10 Word pages(double spaced, 12pt new courior).

Also, do you tend to read the prologue, just skim over it or not read it at all and move to the main story?

Thank you
Cindy

I always read prologues. I don't think ten MS word pages is too long at all. That should be roughly 2,500 words.

Liam Jackson · Jan 16, 2007

Just an opinion, but I think the length is largely dependent upon the content and intended purpose of the prologue, and the stylistic ideals of the publisher/editor. I was told to stick with a max of 1,500 words, but the length was determined by what we wanted to accomplish and not any rule of thumb that I know of.

As for reading prologues, I have to assume they have a purpose, else the author and editor would have culled it before the final draft went to copy. Dismissing a prologue makes as much sense to me as skipping the first chapter.

jonereb · Jan 21, 2007

The prologue of my WIP is 3.5 pages. It offers background on the force of evil that has returned to a small town after 60 years. If one chooses not to read it, he or she will not miss anything. However, if one reads it, he or she can get a better understanding of why certain events are happening.

jbal · Jan 21, 2007

I read every prologue. If I'm skipping already, it's time to close the book.
Incidentally, I'm reading a book right now, the prologue of which is an exerpt from later in the book. How corny is that? (yes, I double checked, it's not just a teaser, but an actual prologue, titled as such).

jonereb · Jan 21, 2007

jbal, I think "Water For Elephants" did that too. I'm not sure it was exactly verbatim from a chapter near the end. If not it was very close.

jbal · Jan 21, 2007

At risk of derailing this thread, here's another thing from the same book. Haunted house story which will remain nameless. There's about eight characters at the beginning. They're all together, one is making a speech. The pov character doesn't feel like listening, so in his mind he makes a list of the people in the room and their traits. This may be the cheesiest way of introducing a bunch of characters I've ever read, especially as it comes about 70 pages in. I know their names, why not let them do things and tell me what they're like that way? Just horrible.

alleycat · Jan 21, 2007

jbal said:
At risk of derailing this thread, here's another thing from the same book. Haunted house story which will remain nameless. There's about eight characters at the beginning. They're all together, one is making a speech. The pov character doesn't feel like listening, so in his mind he makes a list of the people in the room and their traits. This may be the cheesiest way of introducing a bunch of characters I've ever read, especially as it comes about 70 pages in. I know their names, why not let them do things and tell me what they're like that way? Just horrible.

That's almost as bad as a character looking in a mirror and describing herself.

jbal · Jan 21, 2007

Uh, yeah, uh...I've uh...never done that. Look, it was the first chapter of my first novel. It was a long tme ago. OK, it was only like a year ago. You remember that?

alleycat · Jan 21, 2007

jbal said:
Uh, yeah, uh...I've uh...never done that. Look, it was the first chapter of my first novel. It was a long tme ago. OK, it was only like a year ago. You remember that?

LOL. I wasn't referring to you (as far as I can remember, I've never read anything you wrote). That's just a classic example of poor writing.

Sorry. ;-)

JDCrayne · Jan 21, 2007

alleycat said:
That's almost as bad as a character looking in a mirror and describing herself.

That WAS a guidelines requirement for Romance writers, once upon a time. I don't know if it still is.

bsolah · Jan 22, 2007

I don't think there's a set rule for length of prologue. You should write as needed as it is for the other chapters.

I read prologues. They're part of the story.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 22, 2007

cheesy

jbal said:
At risk of derailing this thread, here's another thing from the same book. Haunted house story which will remain nameless. There's about eight characters at the beginning. They're all together, one is making a speech. The pov character doesn't feel like listening, so in his mind he makes a list of the people in the room and their traits. This may be the cheesiest way of introducing a bunch of characters I've ever read, especially as it comes about 70 pages in. I know their names, why not let them do things and tell me what they're like that way? Just horrible.

I've seen this done very, very well. If done correctly, I don't think tehre's anything at all wrong with it. Sometimes having them do things so you'll know what they're like works well, and sometimes it's just not smart. I think it comes from buy waaaay too much into show versus tell.

jbal · Jan 22, 2007

Well, didn't work for me here. It just seemed like some kind of roll call, and was a little odd since I had already been introduced to the characters.

engmajor2005 · Jan 22, 2007

I always read prologues.

They should be as long as they need to be.

I generally use prologues to set up back story, so that the reader knows what's happening before they get into chapter one. If they skip--oh well.

I like your user name.

I like your icon more.

I respect the fact that you came onto the message board and had the guts to say "I'm writing a vampire novel."

JDCrayne · Jan 22, 2007

Jamesaritchie said:
I've seen this done very, very well. If done correctly, I don't think tehre's anything at all wrong with it. Sometimes having them do things so you'll know what they're like works well, and sometimes it's just not smart. I think it comes from buy waaaay too much into show versus tell.

I don't recall reading that done as a prologue, but there is an interesting "roll call" in Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast" where the major characters are sitting at the dinner table and the author details what each of them is thinking at the moment. It's quite effective, especially since one of them is mad as a hatter and two others are definitely "wanting."

jonereb · Jan 24, 2007

Do you right the prologue first, in the middle somewhere, or after completing the novel. I wrote mine up front. But I keep adjusting it as I go.

bsolah · Jan 25, 2007

I write it first, followed by chapter one, chapter two....

jonereb · Jan 25, 2007

bsolah, the Humor Board needs you.

bsolah · Jan 25, 2007

lol, logged on at like 8am in the morning. Early for me if I'm not at work.

Anthony Ravenscroft · Jan 27, 2007

Speaking only for myself -- as in no citations to Authority -- I don't like prologues longer than one printed page.

What's the point? The writer's too inept to work it into the story? Ooopsie! The plot's so lame that it needs a couple-thousand words of teaser to keep me trudging gamely along? Uh-oh!!

The only writer who's made me really enjoy a prologue -- to a short story, yet! -- is Howard Waldrop. But then, that's Howard Waldrop, who's almost a category by himself.

But for a first novel, a first-book-in-infinite-series manuscript, a first anything, I think it's potential poison. Write it if you must, but (like the rest of your "bible") leave it at home, until & unless it is requested/suggested by a seriously interested editor or agent.

CheshireCat · Jan 31, 2007

Disagreeing with Anthony, if a prologue is something you can leave off when submitting to an agent or editor, then your story clearly does not need a prologue.

Prologues get a bad rap, and I've wondered for years why. If sit down at the keyboard and begin telling my story, and "Prologue" pops out first, then that's how I start the book. If I'm reading and there's a Prologue, then that's where I start reading.

Seriously, what is this prologue-phobia?

Liam Jackson · Jan 31, 2007

I've got to agree with Cheshire. Prologues are just another tool. It can used to full advantage, or it can result in a waste of ink on paper. Same with paragrpahs and chapters, for that matter.

Prologues

CindyB

veinglory

volitare nequeo

HorrorWriter

It's a new dawn. It's a new day.

Jamesaritchie

Liam Jackson

Heathen Horde Elder

jonereb

jbal

jonereb

jbal

alleycat

Still around

jbal

alleycat

Still around

JDCrayne

Indonesian Yak Keeper

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

Jamesaritchie

jbal

engmajor2005

JDCrayne

Indonesian Yak Keeper

jonereb

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

jonereb

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

Anthony Ravenscroft

Scribble, scribble, scribble

CheshireCat

Mostly purring. Mostly.

Liam Jackson

Heathen Horde Elder