Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 21: Writing Prologues

A prologue is a scene that can be incredibly important to the rest of the storyline, but typically wouldn't fit into the main narrative.

Oftentimes, these are large flashback scenes (sometimes from the point of view of a character other than our lead) that reveal important information we wouldn't otherwise know. Prologues done well can be incredibly effective at hooking you in, so here are some tips on writing them.

Know the difference

Many confuse prologues and extracts (a part of your story used to draw readers in). While it can be effective to use an extract to draw the reader into the story, an extract is not a prologue. Prologues typically are events that occur before the main narrative, rather than events that will later occur in the story.

Ask yourself if you need it

Could you integrate the prologue into the main narrative and still have the story be just as effective? If that's the case, you likely don't even need a prologue. The most common occurrence of this is in romance stories, where the story can be just as effective without it.

Ask yourself if the scene could just as easily be told in a flashback, or through gradual exposition. Examples of this on Wattpad are typically when prologues are only a paragraph or two long. If that is the case, the prologue is likely slowing down the pace of your story.

In some cases, adding in a prologue when it's unnecessary can have a detrimental impact. This is the case when the prologue ends up confusing the reader. Oftentimes this occurs when prologues and flashbacks are used together at the start of the story. Make sure that everything is clear for readers.

Hook us in!

Like with the blurb, the prologue should help hook us in, but not reveal everything. They are essentially the first chapters to your stories, so make them count! By the time the reader finishes the prologue, they should have questions that can only be answered by reading, and they should want to know who these characters are.

We hope this helped you all. What are your tips for writing an awesome prologue?

What others have had to say

KatherineArlene "Be aware that some readers skip prologues, so if you've included essential information they need to know, you may need to fold that information in later in the story."

Marg McAllister "A prologue should reveal significant facts that contribute to our understanding of the plot. It should be vivid and entertaining in its own right (who wants to read a boring prologue, no matter how much of the background it explains?) It should make us want to read on."

Ammelia11 "A lot of people on Wattpad skip prologues, and I personally think that it's because a lot of people are using them incorrectly. Used correctly, prologues can be really effective in a story. Used wrongly, they're a total waste of time. I use prologues in all my stories, and all of those prologues are important to the main storyline."

AJ Humpage "In simple terms, for the prologue to be effective, it must contribute to the main plot in some way, it must provide facts and information which is relevant, otherwise it will lose impact and ultimately fail." 

Good luck with your prologues, everyone!