To prologue or not to prologue
William Goldman, Academy Award winning screenwriter, famously said “Nobody knows Anything” when he referenced Hollywood and how random success can be in the movie industry despite projects with bankable writers, A-list stars and inflated marketing budgets.
In other words, it’s impossible to pinpoint a specific “it” formula that guarantees success.
Part of this has to do with the volume of content available today. Lots of choice, little time. Part of it has to do with market niches, some so small, years ago they had no impact. Now, a small group can adopt any piece of content, call it their own and virally spread the word, turning a sleeper into a hit. The least predictable part: stickiness, contagiousness – something alchemic that captures the zeitgeist of it’s moment.
The 2016 US presidential election is a prime example of this latter phenomenon. Pundits, the media and pollsters all predicted a Clinton win, overlooking a disenfranchised, mostly white, and rural population base that tipped the scales in Trump’s favour. ‘Nobody knows Anything’ isn’t just for Hollywood; it applies to every industry, publishing included.
IF AN EXPERT SAYS IT, IS IT TRUE?
In the past two years as I’ve transitioned into writing full time, I’ve read over a hundred books or articles on fiction writing and attended one of the biggest writer conferences in North America: Writer’s Digest Annual conference in New York City. If I believed everything I’ve read or been told from these outside sources, any book pitched with something remotely resembling a prologue, will have you banished faster than you can say, “but I’m the next Stephen King.”
Hmmm.
I just came back from a weekly visit to a big box book retailer. These visits are my research. I look at covers, titles, what books attract customers to pick them up. I eavesdrop on conversations. I read the opening pages of about twenty different novels. On this last visit, 50% of the books I picked up started with prologue. These were all new releases. Some of these books are debut novels. Some of these are from established writers. Something’s not adding up.
TRUST YOUR GUT
Like the election, everyone slammed Donald Trump but SOMEBODY (lots of somebodies) voted for him. Agents and publishers say they hate prologues yet a disturbing number of books contain them. Personally, I’m neutral on prologues. If used properly, they’re effective. They set the tone, provide a framework for upcoming events or tease at elements that come full circle later in the book. Why the uproar, I have no idea.
Bottom line: if you feel your story is best served with a prologue, use one. Your editor may convince you otherwise. You might change your mind. Whatever the case, don’t believe it when you read, or hear, prologues suck.
Remember: Nobody knows anything.
