tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post4687037848617899936..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: Does my book need a prologue?Stephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-10800806082324094522017-05-26T12:43:26.563-05:002017-05-26T12:43:26.563-05:00I am making a graphic novel, and i have a prologue...I am making a graphic novel, and i have a prologue, but i am wondering if it should instead be an intro to part one of the story. Its pretty long, i have storyboarded it and it reaches to at least 20 pages. I was wondering if that is way too many pages for a prologue in a graphic novel, since its just explaining some things that happen that are important and why the story happens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-34754010634482028212016-01-26T13:52:04.485-06:002016-01-26T13:52:04.485-06:00I don't think so. If it is a relatively short ...I don't think so. If it is a relatively short dream, you could have her wake up and start her routine in the same chapter.Lexinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-17449237315842285552015-11-13T16:32:29.576-06:002015-11-13T16:32:29.576-06:00I'm a bit stuck. My first scene is a dream but...I'm a bit stuck. My first scene is a dream but I don't want it to be a prologue. Should it be???Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-72403925488724330542014-12-29T09:09:04.591-06:002014-12-29T09:09:04.591-06:00I have written out a prologue for my book, but I m...I have written out a prologue for my book, but I may or may not cut it in editing. My prologue would be more of the information dump sort, but since the book is narrated by one of my main characters, I think it makes sense with his personality that it would be there...not so much because it's necessary, but because it's something he would write and include. I think it helps tell the reader who this person is they'll be dealing with. I still am not sure if it will stay, though. :)Gemnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-75853499851603391502014-11-06T23:54:13.541-06:002014-11-06T23:54:13.541-06:00Thanks for the advice :)Thanks for the advice :)Autumn Gracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03409474077209387004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-40716939037607624632014-10-24T23:06:17.319-05:002014-10-24T23:06:17.319-05:00From what you said, I think that using the flashba...From what you said, I think that using the flashback later might be better. Unless you feel like things really don't get interesting for a while. In that case, though, you'd still want to make the in-between area a bit more intriguing, regardless of whether or not you keep the prologue.<br /><br /><br />Alexa S. Winters<br />thessalexa.blogspot.comAlexa Mintahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865586987033390255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-46788057904581593932014-10-24T19:47:43.288-05:002014-10-24T19:47:43.288-05:00I love reading prologues, but don't usually wr...I love reading prologues, but don't usually write them. The book I'm working on now will probably have a prologue set several hundred years before the book starts.Keturah Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05041749245034077912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-91283752434312784662014-10-23T09:30:32.203-05:002014-10-23T09:30:32.203-05:00I thought you call it the same in English, but wha...I thought you call it the same in English, but whatever ;-) It's a quote or a poem or something like that in the beginning of the book. For example: I read a book that had a piece of Shakespeare as a 'motto'. Don't you have something like that? What's the 'official' English name?Arende de Withttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08143950359368928929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-87845654298215899382014-10-22T22:04:27.861-05:002014-10-22T22:04:27.861-05:00I keep going back and forth on whether or not to h...I keep going back and forth on whether or not to have a prologue for mine. The prologue is a betrayal/murder scene that leaves the reader guessing what the intentions of the murderer were. Later in the book we find out the victim's soul was trapped in a book. However, more than a thousand years have passed between the murder and when the victim's soul is first "freed", so there's a huge time jump between the prologue and the first chapter. What's nice about the prologue is that when the protagonist finds the book and meets the ghost for the first time we have dramatic irony, and a build of of anticipatory excitement for the reader since they know what's coming. However, not putting the prologue in, and instead having it as a flashback later on allows the reader to step into the protagonist's shoes and feel the curiosity and intrigue he feels when strange things begin happening. I can't tell which route I like better for the effect, but I've always liked throwing the reader into the action first off as opposed to them following this kid around for awhile before things get interesting. Thoughts?Autumn Gracyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03409474077209387004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-33667694896618852182014-10-22T06:26:29.206-05:002014-10-22T06:26:29.206-05:00I loved to focus a little on the villain upforehan...I loved to focus a little on the villain upforehand. Good luck Sarah!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15317792300616098592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-85616604859896934462014-10-21T18:24:58.573-05:002014-10-21T18:24:58.573-05:00I read a really good prologue that was a journal e...I read a really good prologue that was a journal entry from one of the characters talking about how he was dying. It didn't give any details it was really just more a hook.pgacnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01868397677690901418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-26554571805945610972014-10-21T14:56:48.248-05:002014-10-21T14:56:48.248-05:00You just gave me an amazing idea! Focusing my prol...You just gave me an amazing idea! Focusing my prologue on my villain! OOoooh!Sarah Shermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-15312448033053187142014-10-21T14:51:40.277-05:002014-10-21T14:51:40.277-05:00I love this article. Everywhere online people are ...I love this article. Everywhere online people are saying don't use a prologue, but I have a lot that I like that can be perfect when used correctly and for the right story. Thank you so much!Sarah Shermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-26517144845326103382014-10-21T09:47:05.250-05:002014-10-21T09:47:05.250-05:00That is a really great idea...getting that motivat...That is a really great idea...getting that motivation set up right away to make us care about the character's journey. Thanks so much! I didn't know my character's motivation myself, but now I have a starting place. :)Amanda Fischernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-73117151328007256222014-10-20T20:56:05.950-05:002014-10-20T20:56:05.950-05:00Sounds like you're being very intentional, Ale...Sounds like you're being very intentional, Alexa!Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-30979088452403562712014-10-20T20:55:28.067-05:002014-10-20T20:55:28.067-05:00A prologue could certainly work for a story like t...A prologue could certainly work for a story like that. For whatever reason, my writer's brain imagined the prologue being a scene that shows us why singing matters so deeply to her. Was it the one thing she did that actually made her mother proud? Or maybe on her grandmother's death bed, she sang her a hymn and her grandmother had a resurgence and lived another decade? Causing your main character to rise to some sort of local legend? <br /><br />None of these may fit what you want to do with the story, but I think a prologue for a story like that should draw us deeper into the main character's motivation.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-84520907281608986272014-10-20T20:51:19.563-05:002014-10-20T20:51:19.563-05:00Yes, they can definitely help create intrigue.Yes, they can definitely help create intrigue.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-281231384460469462014-10-20T20:50:24.813-05:002014-10-20T20:50:24.813-05:00How interesting, Catsi! And I love that your books...How interesting, Catsi! And I love that your books go through a sister test :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-69425082969531338992014-10-20T20:49:26.430-05:002014-10-20T20:49:26.430-05:00Agreed. I think that's when they're most e...Agreed. I think that's when they're most effective!Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-18130915914627917742014-10-20T20:47:11.247-05:002014-10-20T20:47:11.247-05:00Mental pet store - ha! You could always try both w...Mental pet store - ha! You could always try both ways and see what beta readers think? I don't know that there's a right or wrong answer.<br /><br />And Shannon is also usually very hesitant about angel stories for that same reason. I think you might get along very well :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-68269744526400936172014-10-20T20:43:46.552-05:002014-10-20T20:43:46.552-05:00Sounds like it could be a good use of a prologue t...Sounds like it could be a good use of a prologue then, Ashley!Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-80707904022389472952014-10-20T20:32:36.981-05:002014-10-20T20:32:36.981-05:00Great post!
I did use a prologue in my story, but ...Great post!<br />I did use a prologue in my story, but I debated long and hard about it, rewriting about two billion times before I came up with something I liked. It's now a scene a few weeks before the actual beginning of the story, and I decided to go with it because it explained some important information about the MC and his world that I didn't think would work anywhere else.<br /><br /><br />Alexa S. Winters<br />thessalexa.blogspot.comAlexa Mintahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13865586987033390255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-63545780353181287982014-10-20T20:06:25.668-05:002014-10-20T20:06:25.668-05:00I've definitely heard this about prologues, th...I've definitely heard this about prologues, though actually I haven't had much need to consider them up until recently. I tend to go for more of the "automatic epilogue" thing, which is probably bad, but I'm not sure...so yeah, a post on epilogue do's and don't's would be nice. :)<br /><br />However, with the story I'm attempting to plot for NaNo, I'm actually waffling back and forth about the prologue thing. Basically the premise of the story is a singer who injures her vocal cords and has to spend months with first total silence, then as little speaking as possible. The reason I was considering a prologue is because I don't really want to start the story with her injuring her vocal cords or something, I kind of want to jump right into the conflict, you know? So I wasn't sure if I should have a prologue scene for that or just refer back to it later on in the story. Any input here? :)Amanda Fischernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-51670020826760693522014-10-20T19:52:36.377-05:002014-10-20T19:52:36.377-05:00It was a gorgeous prologue! I loved it. Gave me sh...It was a gorgeous prologue! I loved it. Gave me shivers. ;)Amanda Fischernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-17337763133298867682014-10-20T19:46:24.921-05:002014-10-20T19:46:24.921-05:00I don't use prologues in most of my stories, a...I don't use prologues in most of my stories, at least not in the first draft. But I think I might use them in my faerie tale remakes, both for a touch of background and for added interest.Sarah Penningtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06377945004067760298noreply@blogger.com