Prologue Ponderings...
I've found if there's one thing that gets people arguing faster than yelling "Twilight is the best book evar!" in a room full of Harry Potter fans, it's mentioning that your book begins with... the dreaded prologue.
I have a prologue. Actually, I've had two. The first one I cut up and inserted into chapter seven, which is exactly where it should have always been. But I put the new one in it's place, because I felt, and still do feel, that something needed to be there.
I have a few reasons for wanting to keep my prologue. The main one being that I think the reader needs to see the relationship Arion had with the brother he lost to truly understand his actions. But he's emotionally shut down throughout the beginning of the book and, in that state of mind, wouldn't allow himself to think about his brother. Being in third close, I have few options for bringing up things he wouldn't think about. And he certainly wouldn't stand for anyone else talking about his brother.
Also, when I asked my beta readers if they thought the prologue added to their understanding of the characters/conflict, 4 out of 4 of those who have responded gave a very emphatic "YES." And my bff whines at me every time I say I'm thinking of cutting it. So it's kinda hard to argue with that. :)
Of course, I somewhat understand people who dismiss prologues out of hand. I've seen a lot that are info-dumps, that don't add to the story, and whose set-up goes nowhere. I get the annoyance there. And I know I probably sound like every other writer who whines, "but mine is different!" but... I feel like mine should be there.
But would I cut it if it meant the difference between being published and not? Yeah. I probably would. I'm at the point where I feel like most of the story is malleable. I do like revision, and I love it when I can see the story getting better. So if it worked out that there was a way for me to do thing things the current prologue does within the context of the chapters, I'd cut it. For now, it stands.
Why am I muttering about this? Mainly because I'm about to send out queries, and my first five pages happen to be my prologue. I think they're pretty good pages. But, without the rest of the story behind them, I worry. Then again, I am a known worrier. I tend to worry about pretty much everything. So I'm hoping this is going to be like most things I worry about and it won't be a problem. But if it is?
Changeable. Cause that's just how I roll. (Ugh, I did not just say that, did I? I did. I'm such a dork.)
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The first time I heard that people don't read or don't like prologues (I think it was in a fantasy class at the Bethesda Writer's Center) I was utterly and completely floored. It's part of the STORY! Why WOULDN'T you read it??? I just don't get that mentality at all. Send it with the prologue until you start hearing feedback that it's hurting the story.
And yes, it DID add to my understanding of the story. :)
That's basically how I feel, too. Honestly, I just start reading & sometimes only later realize I've read a prologue.
I do get annoyed when it's a total info-dump, but usually the rest of the story reads similarly when that's the case.
Thinking over my eight to a dozen stories planned out (if not actually being written) I have three prologues - and each one contains events that happen prior to the main content of the novel that sets up the story and the world a bit better. Bones is a summary of sorts about Dinah's diagnosis, as the story is about her relationship with the ghost. The Circled Green features the dying moments of the MC's mother eight years prior to current events, and He Came From The Sea has the event one year prior which sparks off the storyline.
If the prologue can be fit into the actual story and doesn't serve as a sort of set-up snippet, then it doesn't seem to be needed. If it's not a sort of a how we got here sort of thing, even, and that is the point of the story in a way, it gets annoying.
To go back to your mention of Twilight (even though it was vaguely attached :P), I always found those prologues annoying - especially with each successive book. "Oh noes, Bella is in trouble. Must be Tuesday."
If the prologue can be fit into the actual story... then it doesn't seem to be needed
That was the exact problem of my first prologue- especially because the events than needed to be rehashed.
If the prologue... doesn't serve as a sort of set-up snippet, then it doesn't seem to be needed
And that's what the current prologue is. I have tried to find a way to fit it back in, but the way that character thinks/behaves, it just isn't really plausible.
The Twilight prologues annoyed me because they confused me- I hate being thrown into the middle of a scene without having any idea what's going on.
Yours sound like very sound prologues that do what prologues are meant to do. I'm sure people do overuse them, but for those situations, which wouldn't necessarily fit within chapters, it makes total sense to use a prologue to convey the information. :)
Just echoing my very emphatic "Yes!" I love your prologue. And because of the state that Arion is in when the book begins, I think it's really important and couldn't be done elsewhere, nor would it be as effective elsewhere.
Make that 5 out of 5....I very strongly feel that your prologue is necessary! Sorry for taking so long to get comments back to you....I think I finished reading a month ago now...ugh. Hopefully I will have energy in the next few days to sit at the computer and type up comments for you!
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