How To Write A Prologue – Grammar Check

A reader picks up your book and is ready for the story to begin. However, the reader knows little to nothing about your characters and storyline. This is where a prologue is very useful. A prologue is a short piece of writing that sets the stage for your story. It can introduce your characters, provide background information, or establish the mood for your story. In this article, we’ll teach you how to write an interesting prologue that engages the audience and grabs their interest.

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A prologue is an opening to a story, before the first chapter, that sets the stage for the story to come. It should read just like a short story. A great prologue can accomplish a few different things.

• Provide history & background details.
• Establish the tone and setting of the story
• Introduce a main plot points
• Share points of view from the main character

However, not all stories need a prologue. Certain stories are simple enough and do not need any additional information before the very beginning of the main story. Just use a strong sentence starter and get to writing. It is up to the author to decide whether or not a prologue is actually needed for their story.

Takeaway: A prologue comes before the main story & introduces characters and background details to draw readers in.

The origin of prologues is most often accredited to Euripides. However, there is evidence playwriters were using prologues long before him.

There is evidence of this literary device being used in Ancient Greece, where they were used to introduce both tragedies and comedies. Don’t expect to see prologues in modern formal writing pieces. Today, we see prologues in almost all fantasy novels, nonfiction books, and fiction books.

The length of a prologue should be between one & five pages long. It can vary depending on the author’s intent and the nature of the story. There is no fixed length that a prologue should be, but it is generally advisable to keep it brief and to the point.

It should not be too long or detailed, as it can detract from the story’s momentum. A good prologue should be engaging and pique the reader’s interest, while also providing enough information to make them want to read more.

Follow these four tips to write an amazing prologue.

A prologue introduces the reader to the background details and main characters of the story, setting the stage for what’s to come. In many ways, it’s like a tiny preview of the story, giving just enough information to whet your appetite without spoiling the surprise. Start with some basic prewriting practices to get your thoughts out on paper.

In a good prologue, the main characters often speak directly to the audience. They will:

• Introduce themselves
• Give opinions
• Provide background detail

In an effective prologue, the author drops key clues & hints about future events. An experienced reader will pick up the clues and form their own predictions. Use descriptive adjectives and vivid verbs to paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind.

For example: In a murder mystery novel, the prologue might contain key details about the killer’s identity or the victim’s fate.

Clues don’t mean spoilers! Don’t confuse laying out useful hints for revealing the conclusion of the main story future of the other characters. The prologue begins the story and hooks the reader’s interest.

Tip: If you want to make a prologue stand out, make the reader think!

A good prologue is short & to the point. Do not make the paragraph too long. Knowing how long is a paragraph should be is very important! Give the reader some background on the main characters, time period, setting, and hints for what to expect.

This is NOT the place for an info-dump. The goal is to get the reader thinking and present important questions that are answered in the main story.

The prologue comes at the begging of a literary work, but it should not include all the details that are present in the main story. Many writers make the mistake of putting TOO much information. Focus on the important characters & important details!

Takeaway: As a rule of thumb, keep your prologue under 1,000 words.

Editing & proofreading is a major part of the publishing process. The prologue should always be edited last. You need to have a complete picture of the story from the introduction to the conclusion. Edit your prologue last to ensure key details are not missed.

An introduction is the beginning of a story. An effective introduction:

• Sets the scene
• Introduces the characters
• Provide some background information about the story
• Hooks the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more

A preface is a short introduction to a book, usually written by the author. It gives an overview of the book’s content and describes the author’s motivation for writing it.

Unlike a preface, a forward is not written by the author. The forward is written by someone else & tries to convince people to read the book. The forward is usually in the very front of the book.

The most famous example of a prologue is from Romeo & Juliet written by William Shakespeare. The prologue starts like this:

Two households, both alike in dignity,In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.