So, I've been writing a story in a fantasy setting where humans aren't a thing. I've got a prologue that sets up the need-to-knows about the main character's species and culture and hints at something deeper going on than just what the main character is aware of (the prologue follows a different character). My problem is: I worry that I might be giving too many hints about the twists later on, but I can't think of a good way to show off the main character's culture (and upbringing) otherwise -- she's leaving her home country as soon as the focus shifts to her and won't return until two-thirds through the story
You could start in media res at a point two-thirds into the story, where your character has returned home and then pedal back. But will you really be giving too much of the story away? I'll have probably forgotten to be honest. For example, I was just reading the prologue of one novel that started out interesting enough with the main character being pursued across the country. He eventually makes it to safety from his pursuers. This is all fine so far. And then he starts spouting all this random nebulous trash that I suppose is meant to be ominous foreshadowing but I've already forgotten. So I'd consider what is going into this prologue and whether it is really necessary. It shouldn't really be for dumping plot points.
One alternative is to not have a prologue. I'm not a rabid "no prologue!" person by any means. I frankly don't care about them either way. I wonder, though, if "showing off" the character's culture is really prologue material. You could easily weave those bits into the narrative, and it might even feel a little more natural that way. But, I can't really know for sure without seeing the work in question! I don't write fantasy, so I can't begin to pretend like an expert, but I often find that in my short fiction dealing with strange concepts, I have the tendency to explain it a bit in the first paragraph. 9.7/10 times, those paragraphs wind up being cut because they aren't necessary to the story. I think it's also important to note that I find, as a reader, novels more interesting when I'm just thrown into a world. Just give me the story and trust that I'll put together some clues along the way, right?
Are you sure that the reader really needs to know the need-to-knows? Can you give any examples of what he needs to know? If you don't want to discuss any of the details of your book, maybe you could use details of others as analogies.
I've really never been a fan of starting a story in the middle and then going back. To me it usually takes away from any suspense that might be had otherwise. As for the plot point issue, I agree that I shouldn't be using the prologue just to insert them. I just feel like the reader should be made somewhat aware of the life that the main character leaves behind at the start of the journey. I know I can always have the protagonist talk about it later on, and I'm leaning towards that solution, but I'm worried that may come off as telling rather than showing (which is something I know I already struggle with). The only other alternative I can think of is to have a prologue where nothing happens, as the focal character there is the only one anything interesting would happen to at that point. I definitely don't want that. The thing is, the interesting things hint at major plot points. Not having a prologue is sounding like it might the best option. Most of what I want to show can probably be shown later on. There's a character who won't be relevant until later introduced there, but as Dracon said above, reader's will probably forget anything like a briefly mentioned character by the time they show again.
I suppose aside from the physical characteristics of the protagonist's species, the need-to-knows might not be that needed. I have a bad habit of wanting to explain the details of how things work and are right away. I know there are places in my story already where I go into too much detail of the mechanisms behind magic usage, but those are at slower parts of the story and I hope I don't have to cut them unless I get feedback from betas telling me I should. Anyway, if I shift the information about the species's physiology to the first chapter, I don't want it to slow down the pace of the first scene. That being said, some characteristics are less important than others. I could try mentioning the important details as they're needed and hold off on the rest until the pace slows down a bit. Also, I don't know if this is relevant, but I have no intention of putting the main characters on the cover art, so readers won't have any idea of what the species looks like until they start reading.
What part of the physiology do you need in the first scene? And does it have to be explained? Can it just be referred to in an offhanded way? Example: Explanation: Whiffles had two heads, with two different brains. One brain handled bodily and sensory functions; the other handled intellectual and creative tasks. Offhand: John tucked his keys into his pocket, and grabbed his hats. He put them on just so, the left-head hat tilting a bit right, the right-head tilting a bit left. He considered himself in the mirror, smiling with one mouth and arranging the other in a sad expression. Then he laughed (in stereo) and swept out the door.
The part that needs to be mentioned is how they have two stones as part of their biology that allow them to store and use magical elements. It can definitely be mentioned in passing. She only needs to use one for the scene, so the other can be mentioned to exist when the rest of her physiology is described later.
No, you're right. It had a good hook IMO with the focus character's introduction, but while it's as much her story as the MC's (at least in one sense), the book mostly follows the latter. I'll drop the prologue and stick to the main story. Thanks to all for the input on this!
If your writing a novel that isn’t part of a series I would shy away from a prolog. My story doesn’t have one, and I don’t think it needs it. I think prolongs are mostly for exposition and info dumping, and most of that happens at the end of chapter 1. Once you finish the first draft, take a break and then read it cover to cover and see if there is any important info that the reader might have missed. I personally think stories without prologs are stronger. If I pick up a book at a store do I really want to read two-three pages of info dumping. Unless it’s Tolkien, probably not.
For that type of story i'd just express it through dialogue. If you want to show it off, just have the MC meet an outsider whom is asking about their race and his city (this could be an intruder or just a tourist/child of a merchant however you want to spin it). You could have the outsider be of another race and actually contrast it. Children are more blunt and would be more likely to ask, "Why are you different?" than the average adult, unless you're me asking the goth girl in the library forcing an awkward conversation. Actually, you could have the main character be a nationalist or maybe have been away for home for so long and he is playing up how much he loves his home and city in dialogue.
I hadn't thought of that. I'll have to wait until chapter 6 for the opportunity to come up, but it would definitely serve as a good place to give a clearer description of her biology. That would actually work really well with the world and her personality. Every nation in this world is very isolationist and most races don't exactly get along. The MC is also a bit full of herself so it's the kid of thing she would do.
Write the story then come back later to see if you need the prologue. That whole background in your head quite often doesn't need to be 'explained' to the reader.
