Scrapping The Prologue
While travelling down to L.A., I fussed about my novel, A CALL FROM THE DEEP, which I’m hoping to get published in the near future. It’s completed but it has this lengthy prologue, an apparent no-no when it comes to agents and other in-the-know literary types. My prologue tells the story of an event that impacts my protagonist, an underwater photographer, in an unusual way, and I’ve been reluctant to let it go. Perhaps, it’s because I like the way it’s written. But then again, writers know that sometimes you have to kill your darlings, even if it means, scrapping the prologue.
Photo by Michael Stevantoni
Like this photo, my story has a lot of mystery under the surface and I need to keep it juicy for the reader, which might mean scrapping the prologue.
Although there are many published authors who’ve incorporated a prologue in their best sellers, I, as a novice, need to consider whether keeping it is wise. After taking into account the advice I’ve read, for example in Nathan Bransford\’s Blog , advice that says- if you can tell your story without resorting to a prologue, do it–I’ve decided to scrap it. Of course, that means some fancy writing and weaving in details that my prologue contributed to the story. But like many writing teachers would say, writing is re-writing, and I welcome the challenge.
