Definition
A prologue is a separate opening section that precedes Chapter One. It typically operates in a different time, place, or point of view from the main narrative, providing crucial context or creating an early hook. Think of it as a doorway into the story that gives the reader something they'll need before the real journey starts. Prologues have ancient roots in Greek drama, where a character would address the audience directly before the play began.
Why It Matters
The prologue is one of the most debated tools in fiction. Done well, it hooks readers, establishes stakes, or plants a mystery that drives them into Chapter One. Done poorly, it delays the actual story with information the reader doesn't care about yet. Before you write a prologue, you need to honestly ask yourself: does this serve the reader, or does it serve me? If the story works without it, you probably don't need it.
Types of Prologue
Famous Examples
The prologue sonnet tells the audience exactly how the story ends - 'star-cross'd lovers take their life' - so the entire play becomes an exercise in dramatic irony.
The prologue introduces the White Walkers through doomed Night's Watch rangers, establishing the supernatural threat before the political drama begins.
Death narrates the prologue, establishing the novel's unique voice and telling us upfront that this is a story about mortality.
Common Mistakes
If your prologue is mostly worldbuilding or backstory exposition, it probably belongs woven into the main narrative instead.
A prologue should be distinctly separate from the main story in time, place, or perspective. If it flows naturally into Chapter One, just make it Chapter One.
A prologue that runs 30 pages tests the reader's patience. Keep it focused and proportionate to the work it needs to do.
No genre requires a prologue. Every prologue should earn its place. If your story opens strong without one, let it.
Try It Yourself
Write two versions of the opening for the same story. Version one: a prologue set twenty years before the main action, showing a pivotal event. Version two: start directly with Chapter One and work the same backstory in through dialogue and memory. Compare them honestly. Which one makes you want to keep reading?
Structure your opening for maximum impact
Novelium's manuscript editor lets you experiment with prologues, chapter order, and opening structure so you can find the arrangement that hooks readers fastest.