Prologues & Epilogues - What Not To Do
Webster’s defines a prologue as “the preface or introduction to a literary work; an introductory or preceding event or development.”
Preface.
Preceding event.
As in, before the story starts there was some sort of action, event, or occasion that is needed for the backstory of a character or characters, the story itself, or the plot. It’s to help the reader understand without having to devote a portion of the story to going back in time.
There seems to be a trend that I’ve run across lately wherein (yeah, I said wherein) the prologue is actually a scene from later on in the book, sometimes almost the end.
So, the author is showing readers what’s going to happen. I mean, so what’s the point of reading? If I wanted to know what happens in the middle or end of a book, I’d start reading there and also be a psychopath.
The main trait of a good author is unfolding a story bit-by-bit that you must keep reading. You have to turn the page to find out what happens next. They immerse you in the story and you trust them to lead.
I’m not sure if they think it’s a cutesy gimmick or something but it’s also a gamble. For me, it’s a huge turn-off. I have literally read a prologue and then returned the book. As in, got a refund. Not a good way to build up a readership if people don’t finish your book or even really start it.
If you want to include a prologue - and I won’t get into that argument here - do so, but make sure it’s something that needs to be shown in the past to move your story forward in the present.
Epilogues-that-aren’t-really-epilogues are another strange trend I’ve seen recently. If it starts on the same day or next day, it’s not an epilogue. It’s another chapter. The author theoretically typed, “The End” then decided it wasn’t the end. Very bizarre.
Epilogues are designed to close out the story - maybe something wasn’t resolved completely, a narrator perhaps giving his final thoughts, a passage of time, or to hook your readers for a sequel.
An author should satisfy the reader completely with their final chapter - the ending - not show them something that happened the next day unless it’s a precursor to another book.
Let’s say a couple get engaged at the end of a book. Yay, happy ending. We get to envision them living happily-ever-after. Our imaginations get to run wild with the possibilities of what their life will be like. Maybe we wish the story didn’t end because we connected to the characters; maybe we want more simply because we were drawn into the story. But in the end, we’re content with having escaped into another world for just a bit and satisfied with the outcome. Then we turn the page and there’s a new outcome - they eloped later that day. Okay, why wasn’t that just part of the story? Now there’s more questions since it’s essentially highlighted. Is there going to be another book that this is a lead-in to? Is the author just randomly showing another scene? Now my little book utopia isn’t very satisfying.
If you decide to write a prologue or epilogue, make sure you’re doing it right. They can be a welcome literary device if done correctly.
