Get hooked by the Epilogue or Chapter 1?

[Menion]

I have (in my opinion) a rather gripping first chapter, enough to get a reader hooked I belive.
But I have begun to write an epilogue; but I can't find a way to make it as gripping. It is only a short one, about three pages.
So what is more important, the chapter one or the epilogue start?

To me personaly it is the first chapter or two that hook me, I never really think the Epilogue as part of the book... you know what I mean, it isn't as important.

Just looking for some advice and thoughts on the subject.

 

[Mouse]

Do you mean prologue? If someone's got to the epilogue then you're probably ok...

 

[The Judge]

If you don't think it's [as] important, why are you writing a prologue in the first place?!

To me, the prologue should be important, even if it doesn't make sense until half-way through the book. And yes, to my mind it should be something that hooks one in, even if the hook isn't as blatant or as action-packed as chapter 1.

 

[HareBrain]

I've read books where I'm sure the prologue has been there to make up for a first chapter that would otherwise be too weak. But if your first chapter is gripping, and you don't need a prologue for any other reason, why even consider having one?

 

[fitzchivalry]

I've always seen the prologue as, a bit of a scene setter, or history setter, in which a general background is laid out, but isn't expansive enough to stand as a chapter on it's own. I don't necessarily think they are a good, or a bad thing, but something of a introduction to the start of the story.

I guess it's something which you personally need to decide on weather it is entirely necessary. Does it bring anything extra to the story, if so, keep it, if not, delete it. Perhaps even let someone read it and see how it holds up with, or without it.

 

[Parson]

If you really do mean epilogue (the tail of the book as it were), then chapter one is far more important. If you mean prologue, the answer is still the same. I think a prologue should be nothing more than a scene setter, but probably shouldn't be necessary in a well written novel anyway.

Probably the most famous of all prologue in SF is in "Star Wars/A New Hope" movie .... A long time ago in a galaxy far away...

 

[anthorn]

I love prologues, but only as a scene setter and consider them to be part of the book.

I look at it this way.

Prologue- gains my interest.

Chapter one- needs to keep my interest and hook me

 

[alchemist]

Regardless of what it's called, the prologue is the first chapter. It's the first thing the reader meets and first impressions do count. At the least, it should intrigue the reader. If you're not happy with the quality of yours, it might be best to leave it out. If it needs to be somewhere, perhaps it could be an interlude later on.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

If the prologue doesn't hook me, then I always take it as representative of the whole, and I won't read the first chapter.

A first chapter can be any length, so the argument that the prologue is too short to stand as a chapter doesn't hold unless maybe if it's less than a page. And if it is less than a page, is it important enough to include at all?

If the prologue tells a story of events out of sequence with the other events of the story ... or events far removed geographically or chronologically ... and it has all the elements that make up a good chapter, then I will go on reading. If it is just background or scene setting, an info dump tacked on at the beginning, then the writing had better be darn good, because the quality of the writing will have to grab me.

Otherwise, I think such information should be blended into the rest of the story a little bit at a time, or left until readers are already curious and eager to learn all about it.

 

[anthorn]

I always thought Steven Erikson and his prologues were a good example. A millenia apart from the main story yet always with relevance to the main tale

 

[Menion]

I feel like a right plonker now, yes I meant prologue, allways get my logues mixed up.

The way I keep writing it makes it read like an info dump, it has been rewritten about four times now.
My novel is about a civil war in a fantasy world. Chapter one starts with war allready started, but the epil...sorry prologue adds some insight as to why it began.

I will post both in the Crit section once I think there up to it, meaning the slaughter that generaly comes from the residential critiques, soon hopefully.

Thanks for the responces!

 

[Evelinn]

I use both prologues and epilogues in my books. In mine they are relevant to the story, but mostly it is to spark a little extra interest. I’ve always heard you should never judge a book by its cover, but I think we all do anyway, and it goes for a prologue too, if it’s not interesting, I would probably lose interest in the rest of the story. So I agree with Alchemist and Teresa.

Can`t wait to read what you have Menion

 

[Menion]

After another rewrite I have decided to scrap it. It wan't really that important, I can add the information it gave into the book when it's needed.

Can`t wait to read what you have Menion

Thanks! I actually posted a part of it (that no longer exists anymore) in the crit section not long after I signed up to this site, I'm sure there are a few people out there that remember it and still shudder and break out in sweat at the thought of it.
But back then I was a naive little semi-spaniard that didn't know a thing about grammer or punctuation.

 

[chrispenycate]

Thanks! I actually posted a part of it (that no longer exists anymore) in the crit section not long after I signed up to this site, I'm sure there are a few people out there that remember it and still shudder and break out in sweat at the thought of it.

Oh, dear, did I critique you? It's not supposed to put you off writing, you know, just suggest there are regions which could use a little looking into.

 

[Menion]

Oh, dear, did I critique you? It's not supposed to put you off writing, you know, just suggest there are regions which could use a little looking into.

What! No no no You and TheEndIsNigh inspired me to learn how to write properly, is it wasn't for your amazing crits I would still be writting a book that would never have a hope of publication.
I truly thank you and the others that commented on my "insult to fantasy".

 

[Evelinn]

It’s much better having someone who knows what their talking about critique your work. I’ve relied on my friends, but their not English, not that it necessarily has to be a problem, but most ask me for the meaning of quite common words. I took that as a sign I best find an agent. And then I found this site, wonderful

 

[Toby Frost]

I can't see why you shouldn't have both, but they will both have to be gripping. I also wonder whether these days it's considered ok in fantasy to have one of those prologues of throat-clearing that explain the history/myths of the world without any characters doing anything much. I suspect a prologue should involve individuals doing something, rather than the mock-epic style used in the past. But I'm no expert here, and I'm sure other people know better on this than me.

 

[Menion]

But I'm no expert here

No expert? you're Toby freaking Frost! Your books are amazing.

Thanks all for the feedback, but I have decided to scrap the Prologue, the information it added is being slipped in here and there in the first few chapters.

 

[IainRichmond]

I have (in my opinion) a rather gripping first chapter, enough to get a reader hooked I belive.

To me personaly it is the first chapter or two that hook me, I never really think the Epilogue as part of the book... you know what I mean, it isn't as important.

Just looking for some advice and thoughts on the subject.

I may be alone on this point, but most times I will skip the prologue. Very few have caught my attention and many have turned me away from books that had the potential to be good reads.

As a reader, Chapter One is where I begin and at times, end my books.

 

[HareBrain]

I'll always try reading a prologue. If it doesn't grab me, I'll usually give chapter one a chance, and if that's better, sometimes I'll go back to the prologue when I'm well into the book, when the events and characters in it have become more relevant.

I must admit, though I've done similar in my own WIP, it can be a bit draining on the spirits to start a prologue and know that the POV character you're about to invest in will probably only be around for a few pages before you have to restart with another one.