Not a Prologue, but...

Cyia · Jan 16, 2010

If you have a short snip at the beginning of a novel, not a chapter like a prologue, what would it be called? A preface, maybe?

What I mean by a snip is three lines, less than 15 words total.

Like if Animal Farm had a couple of lines before the story: All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

Cassiopeia · Jan 16, 2010

mmmmm....I've seen things like that in italics just below the chapter title or numbered.

katiemac · Jan 16, 2010

Technically, I think it's still a prologue. I'd probably just make it the first paragraph in chapter one and then go with a line break.

A preface is usually an introduction by the author.

Cyia · Jan 16, 2010

I've had it as the first chapter by itself, but it looks weird to me. If it looks weird to me, it's likely to look weird to others, too.

Caitlin Black · Jan 16, 2010

I've seen lines like those on what seem to be similar to dedication pages. Like, a dedication page will have "For my brother, and all his porn," in the middle, and then the next page will have that animal farm bit, in the middle.

It's like a mood-setter for the theme of a book. Don't know exactly what to call it, but not preface and not prologue...

kuwisdelu · Jan 16, 2010

Cyia said:
If you have a short snip at the beginning of a novel, not a chapter like a prologue, what would it be called? A preface, maybe?

What I mean by a snip is three lines, less than 15 words total.

Like if Animal Farm had a couple of lines before the story: All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

That's an epigraph.

Cyia · Jan 16, 2010

kuwisdelu said:
That's an epigraph.

Thanks, Kuwi. I knew there was a word for it, but it slipped right out of my brain.

Feathers · Jan 16, 2010

I didn't know there was a word for it. Awesome.

How acceptable are epigraphs?

Adagio · Jan 16, 2010

"A glass of water in a dark room--"

[Chapter] I in David Plante's novel Annunciation.

That's all there is. Not even the word "chapter."

Adagio

Lady Ice · Jan 17, 2010

Feathers said:
I didn't know there was a word for it. Awesome.

How acceptable are epigraphs?

Quite a few books have them, I think. I believe that they're pretty much always quotes that are appropriate to the novel- in some cases, they explain the novel's title.

maestrowork · Jan 18, 2010

Epigraphs usually are put at the top of the chapters, and usually they are quotes. But in this case, I would say it's an epigraph for the entire novel.

Not a Prologue, but...

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

Cassiopeia

Otherwise Occupied

katiemac

Five by Five

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

Caitlin Black

Wild one

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

Feathers

emerging from the writing cave

Adagio

Lady Ice

Makes useful distinctions

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray