1. GrittyWriter

    GrittyWriter Banned

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    Short Story A Prologue in a Short Story?

    Discussion in 'Genre Discussions' started by GrittyWriter, Apr 21, 2021.

    Is it possible to have a prologue in a short story? I need it for my piece and I also have to make it connect with the rest of the work.
     
  2. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Why not? I wouldn't label it as such, but so long as you have some kind of chapter/break delineation, I don't see why you can't open with a little something that fits the function of a prologue.
     
  3. GrittyWriter

    GrittyWriter Banned

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    Ah ok! Thanks! That is so helpful. Though would an editor remove that prologue cause I noticed some short stories don't have them, I know there are one of those asterisks/hashtags as a way to say that time has passed. But I have never added a prologue in my short story before so I was wondering this.
     
  4. Homer Potvin

    Homer Potvin A tombstone hand and a graveyard mind Staff Supporter Contributor

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    Most stories in general don't have prologues. The absence of one shouldn't be noteworthy. And unless you actually label it a "prologue," it's just another chapter. How long is your story? A delineated prologue might look stupid if it's only a few thousand words.
     
  5. GrittyWriter

    GrittyWriter Banned

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    The story is about 5325 words, 25 pages, I do wonder though if I can salvage it because I haven't polished it in a long time, until recently. Perhaps I will show it here.
     

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