Prologues/ Epilogues

[deadstar4188.livejournal.com]

Hi,

just a quick question, when you read a book do you read the prologues/epilogues?

I know a few people who don't (but they also read the last chapter first) and i have both in my story, but i feel as though the prologue might give one of the twists away.

I'm probably thinking about it too much (i do that a lot)but your opinions will be a great help.

Thanks

Comments

[svenjaliv.livejournal.com]

I read them. But prologues do sometimes bore me. Sometimes they feature characters or events which won't feature in the actual story, and in those cases it often feels like the author doesn't know or care about the character, and so I end up not caring about him/her either, if that makes sense. Sometimes they're just plain boring, because it's a lot of mystery and vagueness at a point where I don't have any idea what it's about, which annoys me as well. But, there are also cases where prologues work really well. As for epilogues, I don't much get the difference between an epilogue and a last chapter a lot of the time, but they do usually work for me. To wrap up the book, solve the last bit of tension, whatever.

Basically, I'd use them if they fit the story. If the prologue gives something away that you don't want to give away, don't use it. If it helps to set things up for later in the book, well, use it. You know? It always depends on what you want to do. If you don't want people guessing the twist and the prologue will help them do it, cut it out; if it sets it up or just hands them another clue, leave it in.