Great post! I lerve OUTLANDER and that first book is iconic. I agree, this prologue works because it starts with a familiar reality, “people disappear every day,” then shifts to something unsettling. The short, isolated word "Usually” breaks the reader's expectation that every disappearance has an explanation, creates suspense and makes me eager to discover what happened next. Thanks for sharing this.
Fantastic post! Thank you so much. You gave me confidence in where to use (or not use) a prologue. Loved that you referenced Crawdads—it’s why I decided to complete this WIP I’ve been wrestling for nearly five years.
Thanks for using Crawdads as an example. The MAGIC in her word choice is a master class in evocation.
The shift from the marsh paragraph to the swamp paragraph made me gasp, just like it did the first time I read it: light/flow/wander/orb/grace (so poetic!),
and then crawls/clammy/dark/muddy ... we're already there, but then she pins us in place with
decomposition/ decays/ reeks/rotted/death.
And we're IN. Those pages command turning. Is it any wonder this novel sold gazillions of copies? Even a self-proclaimed "non reader" would be lured in by this prologue.
Great post! I lerve OUTLANDER and that first book is iconic. I agree, this prologue works because it starts with a familiar reality, “people disappear every day,” then shifts to something unsettling. The short, isolated word "Usually” breaks the reader's expectation that every disappearance has an explanation, creates suspense and makes me eager to discover what happened next. Thanks for sharing this.
You're welcome! I'm glad it resonated! :)
Fantastic post! Thank you so much. You gave me confidence in where to use (or not use) a prologue. Loved that you referenced Crawdads—it’s why I decided to complete this WIP I’ve been wrestling for nearly five years.
I'm so glad it resonated. ☺️
Great examples! I’ve been going back and forth about prologues.
Such an interesting topic, since my first book was started with it
Thanks for using Crawdads as an example. The MAGIC in her word choice is a master class in evocation.
The shift from the marsh paragraph to the swamp paragraph made me gasp, just like it did the first time I read it: light/flow/wander/orb/grace (so poetic!),
and then crawls/clammy/dark/muddy ... we're already there, but then she pins us in place with
decomposition/ decays/ reeks/rotted/death.
And we're IN. Those pages command turning. Is it any wonder this novel sold gazillions of copies? Even a self-proclaimed "non reader" would be lured in by this prologue.
I 100000% agree with everything you said! To be totally honest, I was hooked by the prose before we even get to the dead body!