I’ve been told that prologues are too much in this day and age. They’ve lost their popularity and people simply don’t like them. Readers want to get straight to the meat and potatoes of a story.
When I heard no prologues, I was a bit disappointed, but I said “All right.” I can deal with the idea of getting right to the story without introductions or delays. I’m an adult; there were very few tears. Yet now people are saying they don’t want epilogues either? Well gee thanks, Harry Potter, yet another thing old scar head has ruined for the rest of us.
I suppose that I’ve been abusing the privilege of epilogues somewhat by using them to foreshadow the next story, but what else am I supposed to do? When you get rid of my precious prologues, there has to be somewhere where I can stick all that great pre-story, not really part of the story, story stuff. Yet reviewers have said they would prefer no epilogue at all.
Take Heroes & Villains for example. The epilogue is the beginning of Allies & Enemies. There’s a glimpse of their life in the future, the introduction of one of the main characters of Allies & Enemies, and a general idea of where things are going to go. It’s an intrinsic tie-in to Allies & Enemies, but would have made a terrible prologue.
Which leaves me wondering what I should do with the epilogue I wrote for Allies & Enemies. Leave it in? Dump it? I have no idea.
These are the hardest parts of writing for me. Wanting to please the reader, but not wanting to displease myself. I mean, without the epilogue, the story seems incomplete to me, yet it’s not part of the story itself. It’s the afterward, the introduction, the wrap up of one part and the opening of the next.
To epilogue or not to epilogue, that is the question.
* * *
Catch some of my free stories at Kimichee: Read Something.
I say if you want an epilogue, leave it in. It’s your book, your story being told. Do whatever the heck you want. ^_^ People like to bitch about the things they don’t like, but there are probably as many, if not more, people who loved the epilogue, they just don’t go raving on about it. ^_^
I use both prologues and epilogues if I feel it fits the story. In the end, it is my story being told, and I will do it my own way. If my editors have something to say about then, then we’ll discuss it, but I say don’t listen too much to the reviewers. If all they have to bitch about is the epilogue, then they clearly don’t have much better to do. ^_^
(I hope this don’t sound offensive. I’m just against authors doing something because a review tells them too. Do what’s right for your story! ^_^ And with that I will shut up).
I used to include prologues all the time, until I read some writing advice blogs and they were all like “No prologues for you!” Now I’m more careful with my prologues and I’m always asking myself, “Would this be better without the prologue?”
Writing blogs have made me neurotic, lol.
“If all they have to bitch about is the epilogue, then they clearly don’t have much better to do.” – You’re right. If that’s their biggest complaint … I must not be doing too badly.
You made me feel better. Thanks 🙂
Yeah, I ask myself that too, and it all depends on the story. I don’t do prologues often, but when I do they usually sets of the action of the story.
I do epilogues more often, because it is a nice way to round off the story without it ending to “abruptly”, and if it’s a series, it’s a nice way to introduce something about the next book, if it involves the same characters or new ones.
I’m happy to hear that. ^_^
Personally I like epilogs. I feel like too many stories end abruptly without them.
That’s a good point. I like knowing what happens to the characters later ^_^
any bloggers interested in reviewing our shop for the holiday seasons? please let me know. attarmad@gmail.com
https://www.etsy.com/shop/LaylasFashion?section_id=14590623