Editing your Prologue

The Editor

BLOG SESSION

July 2017

Editing your Prologue

Good Morning Writers, Authors, Novelists, Journalists, Poets & Creative Writers of every genre!

We are here today to continue where we left off.  In our last Blog Session we discussed writing our Prologues for our Novels.  Now we are going to go a step further and dive into the topic of Editing your Prologue.

Grab your Journal ~ Here is what you need to know and jot down in your Notes . . .

Journal Notes

First item for your Journal:  Keep your Prologue short and to the point.

A good prologue is usually no more than three to four pages total.  Do read over your draft and trim it down.  Remove any details that are not necessary to the overall story or that lead your story in a direction that you do not care to go.  Keeping your prologue short and to the point will make it more effective and trimming will also ensure that your readers stay engaged enough to move on to Chapter One.

Second item for your Journal:  Keep your pace in your Prologue fast and engaging.

The pace of your prologue should be quick and brisk.  Avoid over explaining anything or giving away too much information to your readers.  You will have your entire Novel to explain.  There is no reason to cram the prologue with information that may fit somewhere else in your Novel.  Keep only the essential details that are needed.

The best way to check the pace of your prologue is to read it out loud to yourself or to your friends and family members.  Mark any run~on sentences or awkward moments in the draft of your prologue, and be sure to work them over until they sound smooth and to the point.

Third item for your Journal:  Take a look at how your prologue fits with the rest of your Novel.

Once you have edited your prologue, you should place it in front of your Chapter One and look at how it fits.  Does it feel like an engaging start?  Does your prologue contain any information that is also in Chapter One?  Does the prologue strengthen your Novel overall? 

Your prologue should be strong enough to stand on its own, separate from your Novel.  Your prologue should almost read like a short story, and it should have a contained story line and a conflict.  However, unlike a short story, the ending of your prologue should remain open.  Your prologue can introduce a conflict that will be resolved or addressed later in your Novel.  You must remember to leave the readers wanting more, thus your prologue should remain open.

Editing your Prologue 

FURTHER PROLOGUE EDITING TIPS:

A prologue is typically only one section.  If you have too much material for your prologue, then insert some of it into the first chapter.

A prologue that is written as a hook can work well if it has just four lines as long as it draws the readers in.  Four lines written well can definitely make for an effective prologue.

Your plot itself should not be a part of your prologue.  Remember, y0ur prologue is a teaser.  Your prologue can reference a major point in your Novel (although it will not be a major plot point yet).  Your prologue can also hint at a character or characters who will eventually shake things up.  In any case, your prologue should not explain a lot of information, and it should not include the main character.

Your prologue can contain two character's points of view as long as it is not too long or too confusing.  You may use headlines with characters' names, or find some other way to differentiate whose point of view (POV) is being given so the readers are not confused.

Enjoy writing and editing your Prologue!

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Until our next Blog Session dear Friends ~

Peace, Love & Light,

René

© Copyright - René Allen - JULY 2017 - All Rights Reserved