Not every book contains a prologue, but at one point in time, my curiosity got the best of me, and I needed to know if prologues are necessary. After reading up on the subject, and this is strictly my opinion, I would say no. I believe it depends on the preference of the author on rather or not it would be a good fit.

For those that do not know, a prologue, sometimes referred to as a preface, is an introduction at the beginning of a novel. This form of introduction is an excellent way to give readers the general idea of your story while at the same time piquing their interest. The bonus being that a reader can get a quick feel of your style of writing.

From firsthand experience, it’s not always easy to write a prologue that is suitable for your story. I included one in my novel Eternal Existence that fits in nicely, where I did not with Trial of Marriage.

Nonetheless, if deciding to go in that direction, there is a good explanatory article called How to Write a Prologue that states some useful tips to follow. Overall, you want your prologue:  to be interesting, be sure the length is appropriate, keep the language/tone consistent within the prologue, and limit the background information. If you follow these straightforward rules you cannot go wrong.

Happy writing,

R. Lynn

Website Information:  www.rlynnarchie.com