Alternative to PROLOGUE? Tricky situation here... - Writers Forum

big_league · 07-05-2006, 11:53 AM

Okay, here's the thing.

My book is divided into several parts. The very first "chapter" of the book is an excerpt of what goes on later in the story, and then a couple paragraphs saying "to understand you have to go back to the start, before bla bla bla".

Now I'm on my final edit, and originally I just had the name of the first chapter (the one with the excerpt of what goes on later on) just as my "PROLOGUE". But this is how the parts work

PROLOGUE
bla bla

PART I

ch1-30

PART 2

ch31-50
etc

The thing is, I don't want to just call it chapter one because it's not really fitting, but PROLOGUE means an introduction/explenation, and just doesn't really work.

Are there any other things I could call it?
SHould I just call it CHAPTER ONE?
Is PROLOGUE okay?

Thanks in advance.

Kane · 07-05-2006, 11:57 AM

You really don't have to call it anything. Break up your story in whatever way makes the most sense, or makes you happy, and label the different parts in whatever way you see fitting.

FrankBlissett · 07-05-2006, 12:08 PM

PROLOGUE sounds okay to me.

Another option would be to have it as an untitled chapter. So, it could go:

chapter " "
chapter "1"
chapter "2"
chapter etc.

-Frank

Mike C · 07-05-2006, 12:43 PM

Or dump the prologue completely and just start at the beginning.

big_league · 07-05-2006, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kane

You really don't have to call it anything. Break up your story in whatever way makes the most sense, or makes you happy, and label the different parts in whatever way you see fitting.

Well I like it how it is, where it's the "prologue" then the part 1, chapters, part 2, etc.

I just need something to call it, and "prologue" doesn't seem fitting.

What I need is just a good thing to call it. Can't call it "The Beginning" because it's an excerpt of the ending, can't call it "Introduction" because that just doesn't flow at all. I could just call it Chapter One, but I want for my Ch 1 to start after Part 1.

If anyone has some suggestions of other names lemme know

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike C

Or dump the prologue completely and just start at the beginning.

Not an option.

mwd · 07-05-2006, 02:55 PM

Make it chapter one. Readers enjoy skipping prologues ... if it's important stuff, best to not have it as a prologue.

(Or you could be quirky and label it chapter 0, lol.)

Straylight · 07-05-2006, 08:02 PM

Chapter 0 is my standby. It's worked well so far ;p.

~SL

Kimba · 07-05-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwd

Make it chapter one. Readers enjoy skipping prologues ... if it's important stuff, best to not have it as a prologue.

(Or you could be quirky and label it chapter 0, lol.)

That depends on how long the prologue is and how relevant it is to following chapter. I, for one, tend to skip any prologue that's more than two pages long.

suzakugaiden · 07-06-2006, 01:53 AM

Chapter 0? Chapter -1?

Talia_Brie · 07-06-2006, 03:22 AM

Occassionally you pick up a book that just starts. There's no title to the start, so it's not a prologue, it's not a chapter, it's just ... stuff. I always like it when that happens because it's a little post-modern, a little edgy (very little).

I think you should just start it, then go to chapter one. Don't label the beginning. It's not really needed, and as you've said, not really appropriate.

Kashaaz · 07-06-2006, 04:43 AM

you could call it "the chapter before chapter one" or "the chapter that wasn't a chapter" or completely ignore me...id go with the latter, and just follow the advice that says to leave it nameless.

the way you described it, just made me think of "the Bards Tale" where the story went zooming back to the beginning...bit off topic but my mind always is.

Slugfly · 07-06-2006, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kane

You really don't have to call it anything. Break up your story in whatever way makes the most sense, or makes you happy, and label the different parts in whatever way you see fitting.

Prologue means "before the story". It's nothing more than convention that authors often put the first introductory chapter as the "prologue." If there were actual reasoning behind this then you'd have to call later chapters "the climax," "the resolution," "the epilogue" and etc. I don't think I've ever seen chapters named that. Call it chapter one... or (something I've not seen before) title it "Chapter Zero."

Kane · 07-06-2006, 04:48 PM

Uhm, your post didn't really fit my quote that you used...but thanks for assuming I don't know what a prologue is.

valeca · 07-06-2006, 05:25 PM

I've read a novel that appears to have a similar opening. The begining was really the ending and the reader travels back to see how the story got to that point. It worked well because it was a very strange ending...er begining, and it made the reader wonder how the characters got there. In any case, long story short--the author used 'Chapter 0' and it worked well. The novel was Aliens, The Other White Meat in case you wanted to check it out.

josephwise · 07-06-2006, 06:29 PM

Personally, I'd call it by whatever chapter # it would be called if everything happened chronologically. For instance, the book would start with Chapter 32, followed by Chapter 1, Chapter 2, ... Chapter 31, Chapter 33, etc.

Not only would that help the readers know where the event in that opening chapter fits with the rest of the book, it would also be a great attention-getter. People would be intrigued by the somewhat fresh approach. Unless they assume the pages had actually been glued out of order.