When (and When Not) to Prologue

(Remix)



There are three things that make something a prologue:

It comes before the first chapter.
It is a part of the story (as opposed to an introduction, preface, or forward, which are about the story, but not part of it).
It says "Prologue" at the top.


Simple, right? That's what makes something a prologue instead of, say, "Chapter One," but it doesn't explain what makes a good prologue. That's what this post is about.



WHEN NOT TO PROLOGUE

A lot of writers use prologues as a band-a...