What is a prologue and what does it even do? So in today's episode we're gonna
cover a few parts we're gonna talk about what is a prologue, examples of prologues,
and alternative to prologue. do you even need one, is there another way you can
present that information? And finally I'm gonna do a quick reading my prologue not
that long... a quick reading of my story. So this is exciting. Hey there everybody
welcome to another episode of the other epic story, this is the show where I talk
myself through writing this epic three-part dystopian fantasy that I'm
working on. So what is a prologue? well a prologue is additional information you
want your audience to have but it doesn't really fit into the actual plot
of the story and generally it's told in a different perspective
take for example Game of Thrones or the Song of Ice and Fire series
all of them have prologues and each of those prologues give a little detail
about the situation of Westeros but it isn't told from one of the George RR
Martin's POV characters take for example the Lord of the Rings the story is about
the hobbits going to Mordor to destroy the Rings but you need that little bit
of information about the ring first all the war that happened how it was forged
that is a prologue take Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for example sort
first stone the first chapter is about Harry being delivered to the Dursleys by
Hagrid Dumbledore and McGonagall that is unlike all the other chapters to follow
where it's from Harry Potter's perspective and you sort of see and feel
things from Harry whereas the prologue was from an omnipotent like overlooking
perspective so that is how a prologue is usually presented it's usually from a
different time and presented in a different perspective than what the
actual plot chapter 1 to chapter however many is told now that we know what
prologues are and how their use we gotta ask this question is
it necessary for my novel that's a tough one to answer because I don't know your
novel I know mine I know that I'm writing a sci-fi slash fantasy dystopian
novel and when you're writing something like that it always helps to have that
extra bit of information think about Star Wars for example and that opening
intro doesn't really add a lot to the actual story of the plot but it helps
sets the scene could they have done without it absolutely but I think it
adds that a little bit that is iconic so if you're writing a prologue it needs to
be a little bit special as well so if you want to use a prologue make sure
it's necessary and it connects to the rest of the storyline going forward or
it really does set the scene for the story you're about to tell alternatively
you don't need the prologue just allow that information you would have had in
prologue to come out naturally in the story like have a character talk about
it have them visit the setting where the historical thing happened you don't
necessarily need a prologue so that is what prologues are that is how you use
it and that is how you make this decision to or to not use it in my novel
I decided to write a prologue very short it's three paragraphs long feel like if
I wanted to I can pull this information and I could dump it into the rest of the
book odds are I might even have repeated this information in the novel so it
might not be necessary as we discover it but today we'll read it and we'll see
how we feel afterwards probably awful I'll set the scene for you the last
message sent digitally was to let everyone beyond the border know that
there was still hope the slicing of the cyber thread caused all historical
records to vanish everything men once knew was forgotten buried by the erosion
of time nature hit humanity's errors towers that
once pierced the sky were now roubles and broken stones sprouting forces
healed lands that have been scarred by highway concrete dams broken bridge
collapsed and everything else that men had made was surmounted by earth until
all remnants of prior existence were loss millenniums past and their living
without knowledge upon the land their ancestors have forfeited were new
civilizations townships unions and districts built so far apart that
societies were forced into isolation those that lived were simple folks
concerned only with the matters of survival your life was still hidden in a
shroud of darkness and mystery but those who did not understand did not complain
however those that did could only stand terrified as they face the uncertainty
so yeah that is my prologue I think I'm trying to do a few things here I'm both
trying to set the mood of the story this dark mysterious mood and I'm also trying
to introduce the setting this new world this new dystopian world and what our
characters are gonna be living through I do a lot of telling and not showing
there's nothing really to sink your teeth in it's just all exposition
perhaps this information can be snuck into the actual novel itself as opposed
to being a standalone prologue I think that might be what I would do unless I
want to turn this prologue into more of a story with in itself sort of the way
Harry Potter's prologue was or Song of Ice and Fire prologue I could have it be
about a character from the past going through those last days before
technology fell I think that would be an awesome
way to introduce a story but that will require not just rewriting it's just
writing completely this whole new side of the story and I think it will be
worth doing I think that would be a way to connect it either way I think we did
a lot of good stuff today I'm gonna leave you on that note please like and
subscribe if you like what I'm doing here leave a comment I love to hear your
thoughts on my passage that I just read how you think I can improve it if that
is even possible and I'll talk to you next time take care keep writing