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So I'm about 5k into my first draft. I realized, when I got to 5k yesterday, that the first scene I wrote wasn't the first scene. That where I started the story wasn't the correct or proper event to start things off. I also realized that while there was information necessary for the readers to know before that scene, there wasn't enough for a whole other chapter. As a result, I'm convinced a prologue is the best course of action. However, I'm not sure and I'd like your guys' input.
The first scene I wrote is of Uncle Hermana and his niece trudging through a village on their way to a cabin in the woods where they will meet a dwarf and other parents because the children are being taken to a school in another dimension. The cabin is near a cave that has tunnels that weave in between dimensions to other planets. But people don't know via the journey to the cabin why Herman and his niece are heading there, and I feel like that's appropriate information I'd like to show the audience (rather than tell). I'm thinking my prologue should show two specific events that occur prior to them journeying to the cabin. Specifically, all children living in other dimensions who were born on Zara (they world the children are traveling to via the tunnels) receive Zarian messengers to inform them that they're going to be tested to discover which three "job classifications" will be their majors at the school. And then later, they get tested.
I feel that particular scene, however, is unnecessary. So I feel like my prologue should include Anora receiving her school letter.
At the same time I feel these scenes are redundant. But including this information in the woods scene is out of the question because Uncle Herman, though he's never hidden from Anora that she was born on Zara, is not much of a talker about the country because he hates it.
I know people say first books shouldn't have prologues, but how do you know when you should include one?
The first scene I wrote is of Uncle Hermana and his niece trudging through a village on their way to a cabin in the woods where they will meet a dwarf and other parents because the children are being taken to a school in another dimension. The cabin is near a cave that has tunnels that weave in between dimensions to other planets. But people don't know via the journey to the cabin why Herman and his niece are heading there, and I feel like that's appropriate information I'd like to show the audience (rather than tell). I'm thinking my prologue should show two specific events that occur prior to them journeying to the cabin. Specifically, all children living in other dimensions who were born on Zara (they world the children are traveling to via the tunnels) receive Zarian messengers to inform them that they're going to be tested to discover which three "job classifications" will be their majors at the school. And then later, they get tested.
I feel that particular scene, however, is unnecessary. So I feel like my prologue should include Anora receiving her school letter.
At the same time I feel these scenes are redundant. But including this information in the woods scene is out of the question because Uncle Herman, though he's never hidden from Anora that she was born on Zara, is not much of a talker about the country because he hates it.
I know people say first books shouldn't have prologues, but how do you know when you should include one?