Will my one sentence prologue work?
I know most readers don't like prologues, so I've tried to make it as simple as possible.
I write the following knowing fully well how weird it’ll make me look. — A.B.G.
A.B.G. Is the fictional (undisclosed) author of the novel, which is set in 3rd person. She never shows up again, and this is only meant to show the readers that this is the writer of the following story. Will readers understand this? Or is it too short that it's confusing?
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2 answers
It is not uncommon for fictional works to start with quotes from real or fictional personages. Dune, in particular, makes heavy use of this tool, starting every chapter with excerpts from fictional history books, written by one of the main characters, and providing commentary, and "additional sources", and additional perspective, to the narrative.
However, there is an expectation for things to come together, fit together in a story, for all ends to be tied up nicely. If your A.B.G never shows up again, is never mentioned again, never makes any sort of appearance, it's like a broken link, a path that leads nowhere. Readers would find it disappointing and confusing.
If you "quote" a fictional character you've created, they should make an appearance in your story. Moreover, it should be clear why it's them that you're citing at the start of your tale. If a fictional character makes the claim that they are the writer of the story presented to the reader, it must be made clear why it is they who are the writer, what this perspective adds to the story, why it's not just your (the real writer's) novel instead.
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+1 Galastel. This prologue has no purpose, readers don't care who wrote a book, and you say this makes no difference in the book itself. If it were a 1st person book, this is not needed; the MC wrote it. If it is a 3rd person limited book about the MC Mary, then trying to explain who wrote it is likely to break the reading reverie; and it is unimportant.
It looks to me like you, the author, are trying to apologize to the reader or give them a heads up that you are about to tell a weird story. Perhaps asking them to not give up on it, because it is weird.
Don't do it. Just tell a weird story, or if you truly think it is not entertaining as it stands or cannot be followed as it stands, then fix your story so it isn't so weird.
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