Posted by Jen Matera on Jul 8, 2013 in Divas on Writing | 0 comments
Welcome to part two of our series on Writing Pitfalls for First-Time Authors. This week the Divas tackle the issue of prologues and epilogues and talk about when they are appropriate to use and when they are not.
So you want to write a prologue or epilogue. Yeah . . . no. Don’t.
Okay, okay . . . that’s a bit harsh, so let’s back up for a moment. What exactly are prologues and epilogues, and what function do they serve in a manuscript? To understand this, we should start at the beginning—with prologues, of course.
What is a prologue? Merriam-Webster defines a prologue as “the preface or introduction to a discourse, performance, or nondramatic literary work.” Which begs the question: under what circumstances does a manuscript need a preface or introduction?
But are these reasons valid? Many readers openly admit they completely skip over prologues. As an author you have to determine whether a prologue adds to the storyline, moves the story along, and is enough of a draw to risk readers skimming over it in favor of chapter one. Ask yourself a few hard questions before you commit to a prologue: Is this information necessary? Does it move the story along? Is the information important or exciting enough to risk?
There is something additional to keep in mind with regard to prologues: brevity is your friend. As readers have admitted, they skip over prologues completely. They are less likely to skim over a few lines or a short paragraph; however, paragraph after paragraph of prose may turn off even the most interested reader. If your prologue takes on a life of its own, you should reconsider the placement of the information. Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression. Make your words count.
Once you’ve written your story and you’ve reached the end, you’ve got a choice to make. To epilogue or not to epilogue. Checking in with Merriam-Webster once again, an epilogue is “a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work.”
Authors use epilogues for as many reasons as they use prologues:
But are these reasons valid? Not everyone hates loose ends. All too often, readers complain about things being tied up in a neat little bow. Is there always a need to show the perfect happy ending, or should the reader be allowed to attach their own version of a happily ever after to the end of a story? Is that sex scene a gratuitous add-on, or should it be incorporated into the storyline? And buried within the layers of your story can be hints that there will be a sequel without blatantly announcing it in an epilogue.
Therefore, when considering writing an epilogue, authors should ask themselves the same questions they did for the prologue: Is this information necessary? Does it move the story along? Is the information important or exciting enough to include? While it’s true that many purchases probably don’t hinge on the use of an epilogue, those are the last words you leave with the reader. Make them words worth remembering.
Next Article in the Writing Pitfalls Series: Writing Pitfall #3: Flashbacks
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