Whew, I'm back

3/16/2011

Sorry about the extended downtime. I had some site issues and the an exciting trip to the emergency room. (Got a good story idea out of it, though)

I have finished my prologue. It's rough and that's ok. I sent it off to one of my critique groups for feedback. I probably should sit on it, then edit the crap out of it and only then send it off for critiquing. But I don't have a lot emotionally wrapped up in the piece. It came out at 5700 words, goes between Jael and Jacob's POV. If I keep it, I should trim it down to 5k (or less...I'm wondering if I should keep the Jacob POV stuff).

I also have a few book reviews on writing I'd like to pass along. Tomorrow, Stephen King's On Writing. For now though, I'm still alive, still writing and I'll still be updating this as close to every weekday as I can manage.

4 Comments

Tiyana link

3/16/2011 12:00:02 am

Hey, welcome back, Mark! Glad you were able to finish your prologue. :)

Jay Noel link

3/16/2011 04:38:44 am

I have a prologue that is about 4000 words. I'm looking at it, wondering if I need to just make it a chapter. Since the first page is so crucial to hook the reader, I'm wondering if prologues are even necessary.

To me, 4000 words is a pretty darn long prologue. It has a beginning middle and end, there's action, and you are introduced to my main character. So I'm now leaning towards making it a chapter, even though the event my prologue occurred four years prior to the rest of my book.

What's your take on prologues?

Mark Andrew Edwards link

3/16/2011 04:51:29 am

Hello and thanks Tiyana.

Jay, my thoughts on prologues is that the book needs to be able to stand alone without one. I feel the proper use of a prologue is to do additional world building or to plant clues for later payoff but the story has to work without the prologue being read. The reason? A lot of readers will skip a prologue. I've also heard a lot of writers say a prologue can throw off the pacing of a novel, since the goal of writing is to enter as 'late' as you can. If that makes sense? (I hope it isn't too 'jargon-y')
Also, you're very right, that first line needs to hook the reader hard. Now, I've got two good first line hooks, in Chapter one and in the Prologue, so whichever they start with, it should work. I don't know if 4k words is too long or not. Do you recall what Eye of the World's prologue's length was like?

Well, I'll see what feedback sounds like. I'm a little worried that Jael is going to come off as rather cold and unsympathetic seeing her slaughter a whole lot of invaders.

In any case, I'm not going to submit Angel Odyssey with the prologue attached. This is more for me to offer to the editor after he's already interested in the book. (Hey, I have this prologue I wrote and cut out. Would you like to look at it? That kind of thing.)

Dan

3/17/2011 01:39:35 pm

I've read "On Writing" and believe it is probably one of the best books on writing that I've ever read. That being said the part about outlining was interesting. I remember reading John Irving saying the opposite. As you said, no two writers are the same.

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Whew, I'm back

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