by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner
I continue to read a lot about the mechanics of novel writing and there doesn’t seem to be any consensus as to having a prologue. Pretty much, the closest I can find is the idea that you can write one, but be prepared for a sizable chunk of the audience to ignore it.
The only reason why I feel I may need one is the issue of tone. The thing I’ve noticed about Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Played With Fire is he has a dark, gritty prologue in that book and that frees him up to be rather matter-of-fact about the rest of the story. That prologue gives him some leeway because it establishes the intended mood of the novel.
I’m just about to reach the portion of my first draft outline where I have a big empty hole, so that would be a great time to sort of reflect and maybe write a prologue that I may, or may not, actually use. I do have a very specific reason for having a prologue, enough of one to warrant at least writing one.
I continue to vacillate on this issue, however.
