How to Write a Prologue (That Doesn’t Suck)

One of the most argued-over matters I see in the writing community is whether or not people should write prologues. Some claim that prologues are a waste of space and paper, and that they should never be written. Others (myself included) argue that prologues can be used to excellent effect, and a good prologue can elevate a work of fiction.

But regardless of what side of the argument you may be on, you can’t deny that there are both good ways and bad ways to do prologues. And, where a good prologue can elevate a book, a bad prologue can drag it down.

However, if you’re including a prologue in your book, how do you make sure that it lands on the “good” side of the spectrum? How do you write a prologue that doesn’t suck?

Let’s get into it.

What is the purpose of a prologue?

A prologue is, basically, chapter zero. It’s a part of the story that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the book (for instance, taking place in the far past or from a one-off character’s perspective), but has information that helps establish atmosphere, plot, themes, or mystery.

Some of the best examples of prologues actually come from the film industry, with two of my favourites being Raiders of the Lost Ark and Pixar’s Up.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the entire opening sequence of Indiana Jones in a temple is actually the prologue. The main plot (or, rather, “Chapter One”) doesn’t technically start until he is approached about the Ark of the Covenant in the university he works at. However, if the story started with him as the meek professor instead of the whip-cracking adventurer, the film would lack a strong opening and wouldn’t establish his true character until much further on. Showing him in action, even though the temple scene has no bearing on the main plot, strengthens the story as a whole.

In Up, the entire infamous “married life” opening with Carl and his wife, Ellie, could be cut without any bearing on the plot as well. Sure, it’s one of the most tear-jerking scenes in any Pixar movie, but it doesn’t affect the adventure plot-wise. Even Carl’s arc (going from grumpy old man to a man who has regained his sense of adventure) would be largely unaffected. However, without the “married life” prologue, Carl’s character–and, therefore, the story–loses the power of its themes. “Married life” could, technically, just have its events told through flashbacks or elsewhere in the narrative, but having it shown to the audience as a prologue is what gives it power.

Another great example of prologues is in television series, particularly crime/mystery series like CSI, Criminal Minds, or NCIS. The section of the episode that comes before the title sequence, usually involving the discovery of a body, often serves as a prologue to the rest of the episode rather than a “chapter one.” Even though it’s a part of the episode that affects the plotline, it’s more about setting up the mood and atmosphere than acting as part of the solution.

That’s what a prologue is all about–setting up parts of the story that don’t technically affect the main plotline, but enhance the story as a whole by adding context and intrigue.

What makes a good prologue?

So we know what a prologue and what its purpose is now, but what makes a good prologue?

Well, there are two things that I find make a prologue good:

• A prologue, though it doesn’t need to have a direct impact on the plot, needs to have a direct impact somewhere in the story, be it through themes, character, or even foreshadowing a future element (or, rather, promising an element that won’t be evident in the main book itself for some time).
• A prologue should give a sense of mystery and intrigue, raising questions that encourage the reader to keep going and making them want to know more about what will happen in the story.

Think of a prologue as a teaser for the story to come. Since it isn’t bound by the rest of the story’s pacing, prologues give an opportunity to show off parts of your story that may not otherwise be able to be shown without breaking pace or plot.

Also, since prologues aren’t bound by the rules of the rest of the story, they can used as a way to play around with your writing, as well–for example, by focusing on a character who otherwise wouldn’t be given a perspective, or writing in a different style altogether, such as having a third-person prologue in a first-person story.

Good Prologue Examples:

The best place to learn how a good prologue enhances a story is through looking at examples, so here’s a list of some excellent prologues:

In Film:

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (Shows off Indiana Jones as an adventurer before the plot would allow him to be one)
• Up (Gives context to themes and the arc of the lead character, Carl)
• The Fellowship of the Ring (Introduces the ancient conflict the entire trilogy is based around)
• Mission Impossible: Fallout (Introduces the central characters and what their organization does by showing a mission in miniature)
• The Batman (Shows the first murder of the movie from the Riddler’s perspective before introducing Batman as the lead character. Riddler is not a perspective character again until the epilogue of the movie)

In Books:

Prologues are most often found in fantasy novels. As such, there are many awesome prologues to reference:

• The Eye of the World; by Robert Jordan (I’d like to note that the prologue of The Eye of the World is probably the best prologue in the Wheel of Time series, not only serving as a haunting piece of writing but also introducing stakes for one of main characters via showing the fate of his predecessor.)
• The Name of the Wind; by Patrick Rothfuss (The prologue, “A Silence of Three Parts,” is written as a single page of poetic writing, setting up the incredible atmosphere and mood that is to come in the rest of the series, and really managing to capture the theme of the central character, Kvothe. The prologue is also echoed in the epilogue, as well as the prologue and epilogue of book two, with all of them having the same structure and slight changes to show the shifts in character and mood. To this day it’s one of my favourite pieces of writing, and it’s a truly masterful prologue.)
• An Echo of Things to Come/The Light of All That Falls; by James Islington (Both prologues showcase and help emphasize the motivations and personality of one of the central characters.)
• The Cruel Prince; by Holly Black (The prologue shows the moment that changes the main character’s life, and is told in third person rather than first person to set it apart as taking place several years before the main storyline.)

What makes a bad prologue?

So we’ve looked at what makes a good prologue and listed some examples of good prologues, but what about bad prologues? What makes a prologue bad?

There are three things that I’ve found to usually be the problem when a prologue doesn’t work:

• It’s too long. The prologue just drags on and on, destroying any momentum that the beginning of the story would normally have, and killing reader interest before it can even be built.
• Infodumping. The prologue is being used as a way to tell the entire history of the worldbuilding rather than being used as a teaser for the rest of the story to come, and is both overwhelming and boring to read.
• Irrelevance. The prologue has nothing to do with the rest of the story’s plot, characters, or theme, making it feel like a waste of time.

These are the issues that tend to be plaguing bad prologues I’ve read, making them hard to get through and killing intrigue rather than building it.

Tips for writing a good prologue

So how do you write a good prologue, then? How do you avoid writing a prologue that kills interest, and instead write one that will invest the reader even deeper into the story?

Here are some tips:

• Ask yourself if the prologue is actually necessary for your story. Yes, I did just write a whole post about how good a prologue can be and how it works, but not all stories need prologues. Before writing a prologue, ask yourself if the storytelling in the prologue can be conveyed with as much impact through the narrative itself. Sometimes the information in a prologue can be better shown through character interactions or flashbacks.
• Keep is short and snappy. Prologues are best when they are the length of an average chapter or shorter. The prologue is meant to be a teaser for things to come, and a teaser’s job is to propel the audience into the story. This is meant to excite the reader for the rest of the story, not exhaust them before they hit chapter one.
• Focus on the scene, not on the information. This is not the place to show off all your worldbuilding. Your worldbuilding should be sprinkled naturally through the narrative, not dumped at the beginning. Don’t overwhelm the audience with terms they don’t care about. Create a scene that brings about the mood and promises of your story. Again, excite the reader for things to come by enticing them with mystery–don’t bog them down with an encyclopedia entry.
• Make your prologue relevant to the rest of the story. I cannot stress this enough. You can have the best written prologue in the world, but if it has no bearing on the story that it leads into, it is a bad prologue. If characters or concepts are introduced in the prologue, either bring them back or reference them in the main narrative. Preferably, the impact of the prologue should be felt throughout the entire book. Readers don’t like to feel like their time is being wasted, so make sure they feel the impact of the prologue.

Conclusion

Prologues are a controversial and tricky part of a book to write. Some people write them off as being pointless and bad, but it’s an argument that refuses to acknowledge that prologues not only are usually inoffensive at worst, but when well-written a prologue can enhance and elevate the story it precedes.

When it comes to writing prologues, remember to keep it snappy, use it to act as a teaser for what it to come, and keep it relevant to the story itself.

Prologues can be an excellent way to elevate and deepen a story, and a well-written prologue can stand out as a great and memorable piece of literature.