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Q&A Elmore Leonard said Avoid Prologues... Why?

I don't know about your prologue, but as a reader I seriously despise prologues that don't feature the protagonists, for two reasons: I read novels, because I am interested what happens to the pro...

posted 10y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

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#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T03:13:23Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/9575
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T03:13:23Z (over 4 years ago)
I don't know about your prologue, but as a reader I seriously despise prologues that don't feature the protagonists, for two reasons:

I read novels, because I am interested what happens to the protagnonists that I identify with and care about. When I alread know what and who the novel is about, I don't care about "what went before" but befell someone else. I always skip the prologue and start right at the first chapter.

If I don't know what will happen in the novel and start with the prologue, beginning to care about the characters in it, I will feel cheated when they are replaced by the true protagonists in the first chapter. I have often found it difficult to get into the characters after a captivating prologue. There is some resistance in me, like the hesitation I feel at the end of a great book that keeps me from immediately starting in on the next book. I want to remain with the people I love.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2013-11-30T14:29:49Z (over 10 years ago)
Original score: 1