Every Prologue Tells A Story

I know prologues have fallen out of favor with a lot of people, and there's a good reason for that.  Too often they are used to create a (false) sense of interest or urgency, or to throw in information that is meant to be important later on in the story, but can't really be shown anywhere else.  Even worse is when you read a prologue, get caught up in it, and then get snatched away into what seems a completely different story.

However, there are some prologues that are done in a way that. . .well, I hate to say, "correctly" or "properly", because those smell a little too much like RULES, and we're all aware how one sniff of that makes my inner contrarian rear up and start to screech like a banshee.

So let's just say there are some prologues that accomplish what any good opening does: it draws you into the story.  It's not just tacked on as an afterthought.  Or as a pre-thought.

Maybe this will work better if I "show" rather than "tell".

In Linda Lael Miller's historical romance High Country Bride, there are three rowdy cowboy brothers, and their father Angus decides they need to settle down.  So he tells them the first one who gets a bride and fathers a child will inherit his huge ranch, AND the winner will essentially get to boss the other two brothers around.

While this is a great setup for a series, it seems like Angus is being a bit high-handed trying to run his sons' lives.

Until you read the prologue.

It starts with Angus at his wife's grave, updating her with details about their wild sons in order to justify his decision.  It creates sympathy for this man, who is aging, and desperately missing his wife.  But it also cleverly gives information about each son's personality and conflicts, and again, increases sympathy for Angus because he blames himself for their wayward lifestyles, and he wants them to settle down and be happy.

After a couple pages, I'm thinking, "Dagnabbit, they ARE a bunch of wild-mannered ruffians!"  At the same time I'm mentally patting Angus on the shoulder, reassuring him that he did the best he could, raising three young boys while grieving the loss of his beloved wife.

This prologue is also a great example of giving description that is integral to the POV character, while showing who that character is.  Here's the first sentence:

"Angus McKettrick hated every thorn and cactus, every sprig of sagebrush, every juniper tree and jackrabbit and hunk of red rock for fifty miles in all directions, and if he could have scorched the land bare as a pig's hide at rendering time, he'd have done it, yes, sir."

Another memorable prologue is from Suzanne Brockmann's Gone Too Far, which is Book 6 in her Navy SEAL Troubleshooter series.  Sam is the hero of this book, although he's been an important character in each of the previous books (and Sam is a nickname he goes by, but his real name is Roger—it's information you need to know in just a minute). 

In the previous books he's fallen in love with Alyssa, one of the other recurring characters, but she thinks he has dickish tendencies, and she won't get permanently involved with him because of that, and for her own emotional reasons. 

Of course, Sam's dickish tendencies blossom when he is spurned by this woman he loves.  However, at his core he is also heroic, which means he does wonderful things, and we know the dickish things are a result of emotional wounds he carries around.

The prologue of Gone Too Far starts with these words:

His lunchpail was empty.

Again.

Roger Starrett quickly closed it and latched it back up, looking around the middle school cafeteria, praying no one had seen.

Now who wouldn't feel sympathy for him after reading that?

In the next paragraph you find out that his mother is ill, and you can see his tough-guy façade as he informs the lunch lady that yes, he's eaten his lunch because look, his lunchbox is empty.  These things would naturally create sympathy for any young boy, but they're doubly effective because readers have gotten to know Sam as an adult in previous books, and now there's a little more insight into the reasons for his behavior.

The prologue continues with the POV of Noah, a young boy who is being harassed by bullies.  Sam comes to Noah's defense, and when one of the bullies ends up getting hurt, Sam does the heroic thing and provides first aid, even comforting the bully who is now really afraid and crying.  As the prologue continues, you learn about Sam being bullied by his own father, and how Noah's parent informally "adopts" Sam, providing him the male role model that will steer him the right direction into manhood.

You can read the entire prologue on Amazon, and I suggest you do.  There's a lot to be absorbed about deep POV, and how to show a character via another character's thoughts and actions.  It's actually a wonderful story on its own merits.  Even better, it makes you eager to turn the page and read more of this character's life.

Which is exactly what you want a prologue to do.

Comments

[Melissa]

Wonderful post and great examples! I do love prologues and spend much of my story writing time in "pre-thought." In my first novel I went back, back, back (like I was falling in a time tunnel) with various prologues that I believed gave "need to know" info for the story. Maybe it did, but didn't necessarily deliver much info directly important to the main character. Yep, I snatched the reader away to a seemingly different story and expected a lot of patience for revealing the link. Finally I cut the prologue and tried to incorporate info in later.

I might revisit my prologue ideas though with this clarification of what a prologue can do most effectively -- show a character (the main character) via another character's thoughts and actions. In the examples you gave I could still identify whose story it was. Thanks for the tips!

[Liz Fichera]

I agree with you on prologues--they have to work for the story. The reader will know if it's merely filler or not. I also like the idea of using them to further explain character motivation. Excellent post! :-)

[Donna Cummings]

Melissa, I'm glad you liked the examples. I've always been a fan of the one in Gone Too Far, but I had just picked up High Country Bride the other day and it really made me realize why prologues can be so wonderful.

I've definitely tried to use prologues, but then discovered the info could be fed into the story later. It's a little more work, but definitely worth the effort!

And showing a character via another character's thoughts/actions -- I'm trying to do that now when I write. It's such an amazing tool to have in the writer's toolbox. :)

[Donna Cummings]

Liz, you're right about the reader knowing that writers are just using the prologue as filler. It's such a tempting thing to do! LOL

Thankfully there's always so much to learn from those who do it well. :)

[Nicki Elson]

Hi Donna, I saw your comment at Liz's blog that you'd also written about prologues and came on over. What you say in one of your response comments here expresses something I was thinking as I read through your post -- when a writer has a prologue, it's a good practice to see what information can be worked into the body of the story, leaving behind what can only be told via prologue...or nothing, in which case you know a prologue isn't warranted.

Your two examples sound like excellent use of prologue! :) Thanks for the post.

[Terri Osburn]

You are not going to get me to pick up another extensive backlist. LOL! I don't have time! I know these two authors are excellent, and maybe when I retire, I'll read all of their stuff.

How do you feel about the prologue that is actually a scene closer to the end of the story? One that is maybe the start of the black moment? That's how Castle started last week and how Hellie started one of her older MSs. I kind of like that idea, though I've no idea if I'll ever get to use it.

[Donna Cummings]

Nicki, thanks for coming over! I completely agree with you about putting the info into the main portion of the story instead of the prologue. It really reduces the need for a prologue, in most instances.

In the first example here, I think the prologue is necessary to keep the father sympathetic. Plus, since it's not his book, it would be harder to get this info into the story appropriately.

And with the second one, it's the hero's book, but we've gotten to know him through the previous books. I don't know that his backstory would come thru as sympathetically if he's relating it as an adult in the current story.

I'm learning a lot on this topic! Thanks for adding to the discussion. :)

[Donna Cummings]

Terri, you can learn so much about writing from reading Suzanne Brockmann's books. Seriously. AND it's thoroughly enjoyable learning. :) These characters feel so real. Just try one book. That's all -- just one. *diabolical laugh*

Mmm, I'm kinda of intrigued about that kind of prologue. It's kind of a foreshadowing thing? Meant to pique the reader's interest?

[Terri Osburn]

Yes, it's the perfect hook. Though I think it works better in a story that includes a mystery or at least someone potentially getting shot.

In the beginning of Castle's season premiere, the first thing they showed was Kate (the heroine for those who don't watch) and Castle facing off, each holding a gun on the other. Since these two are partners, basically, you had to keep watching to get to that scene. You couldn't NOT watch at that point.

The same would apply for a book. You start the book with the heroine about to fall off a cliff, and then you jump to three weeks earlier or whatever, and the reader HAS to keep reading to find out if she really falls off the cliff.

Sort of a pre-cliffhanger?

[Donna Cummings]

Terri, I couldn't remember the scene at first, so thanks for refreshing my brain cells!

This "pre-cliffhanger" method works really well to get people to ask, "What the hell is going on?"

But this one is particularly great because the previous season ended with a missed-romance opportunity between these characters, which was rather poignant. So now people are going to think, "How the hell did things deteriorate so much that now they're pulling guns on each other?" LOL So definitely a great technique here.

[Liz Lipperman]

I agree that you have to careful with prologues. LLM and SB are masters at it. I use the general rule - if I can get away without one, I don't use it. I judge a lot of contests and have to remind the writer that a prologue is not a place to dump backstory. It has to be relevant to the opening sentence of the first chapter.

IMO, most prologues can be deleted, though. Of course, I write mysteries and don't want to give away too much in the beginning!! LOL

Great post.

[Donna Cummings]

Liz, you're about about the temptation to use prologues as a backstory dump. It's not going to intrigue the reader as much as feeding that info in through the rest of the story.

When I read these two prologues, it made me realize how rarely prologues actually ADD to a story in a meaningful way.

LOL about you not wanting to give away too much in the beginning of a mystery! So true!

[Maureen]

Great blog, Donna. Gives me some real food for thought... And reason to open up the LLM book I downloaded to my Sony Book but haven't read yet!

[Donna Cummings]

I'm glad it's feeding your brain, Chance. :) I haven't finished the LLM book yet, because I was so caught up in the prologue! Maybe I should do that now. . .for research purposes. Yeah, that's the ticket!

[Tracey]

Great examples. The poor prologue gets a bad rep only because so many people don't use them properly. Like any writing tool, used well, they work well.

[Donna Cummings]

Tracey -- I completely agree! I think that's how these darn "rules" come into play sometimes -- because somebody didn't know how to use a certain tool and it was easier to just say, "Okay, NOBODY gets to use it now!" LOL

[Clarissa Southwick]

Great blog, Donna. I recently wrote my first prologue and I've been tied up in knots over whether to include it. You've given me some things to think about. Thanks.

[Donna Cummings]

Thanks, Clarissa. I'm glad it's sparked some ideas for you. It's really hard to know whether a prologue should be included or not.

Another benefit to prologues is you get to SHOW something happening, rather than TELLING about it later. This would give it more impact, as an active scene rather than a memory. So hard to decide!

[Laura Pauling]

It's pretty obvious when the prologues are done the right way and not just to grab attention. Just like every other aspect of writing - they're hard to get right! Thanks for commenting!

[Donna Cummings]

Laura, thanks for stopping by. I really enjoyed your blog, and I'll definitely be back. :)

You're right -- every aspect of writing is tough to get the way we want it, but boy isn't it great when we do!

[Jan O'Hara]

Awesome post, Donna, as usual. One of the most effective prologues for me was in Loretta Chase's LORD OF SCOUNDRELS. Without that peek into the hero's childhood, we wouldn't have yearned for him to find happiness so much as wanted him to receive a strategic kick to his snug-fitting breeches.

FYI, Kristen Lamb did a great post on prologues this week. I think it would be a nice compliment to this one. If you are interested: http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/7-deadly-sins-of-prologues-great-novel-beginnings-part-2/

[Donna Cummings]

Jan, LORD OF SCOUNDRELS is another great prologue. I have that book packed away somewhere, from when it was first published, but I think I may just buy it again--it'll be easier that way!

And I read and commented on Kristen's post on Monday! Apparently that was "prologue post" day because Liz Fichera also had a post on that topic! I love how we all tapped into the collective wisdom that day, and we all had different takes on the same subject. :)