I've often wondered if readers enjoy reading prologues
and epilogues in romance books. As a reader, I like reading a prologue,
especially if it sets up the story. Reading epilogues gives a future
"look" into the hero and heroine's tale and takes me beyond the
"Happily-Ever-After" ending so I can witness for myself just
how their future unfolded.
In Streets of Dreams I used a prologue popped into my head as the best way to gain reader attention right away. The prologue is in the killer's point of view, and I hoped it would capture a reader's immediate attention.
Epilogues. I've written one in a nonfiction book (Luke: the Miracle Dog). After I finished my last chapter, I sensed a "need" to tell a little more about what happened in the future.
In Streets of Dreams I used a prologue popped into my head as the best way to gain reader attention right away. The prologue is in the killer's point of view, and I hoped it would capture a reader's immediate attention.
Epilogues. I've written one in a nonfiction book (Luke: the Miracle Dog). After I finished my last chapter, I sensed a "need" to tell a little more about what happened in the future.
As I mentioned above, I like reading both prologues and epilogues. I like that glimpse into the past and future. A prologue can eliminate some "backstory" insertions in the book so can be helpful to the writer. Epilogues can be helpful for those writing a series...an author can use this technique to hint at the next series book and inspire curiosity and interest. Or, for single titles, it can just give the reader a "little something extra" about what happens after that final chapter.
What do you prefer? Do you enjoy reading/writing Prologues? Epilogues? Both? Neither?
Marianne Stephens
Photos: Flickr: Tiago Ribeiro and Ryan Kendrick Smith's photostreams.
3 comments:
I don't write prologues (and don't like reading them) but I will throw in an epilogue, so the reader, like you said, gets a little more and finds out what happens after.
Janice~
I read both:) Like you, a P can 'set the stage' without a lot of back story, and an E can jump ahead in time to give you that 'closure', if you're not planning a sequel.
I like them--prologue can be a hook or backstory. Epilogue can give a sense of closure. However, editors don't seem to like them. My second novel she made me delete the whole prologue (which has the heroine see a murder without knowing she's seeing one) and stick it into the main story. I never thought it worked as well. The prologue set an immediate tone of tension and mystery without actually giving anything away.
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