My novel's first two chapters take place when the lead characters are 10 and 7. These chapters set up their relationship, their situation and explain one of the serious circumstances that impacts their lives for many years to come. Chapter 3 begins nearly ten years later and the story goes on from there. The first two chapters are told from the 10 year old's POV. Unfortunately, this being the case, it reads like a kid's book, and it is NOT a kid's book! So I'm considering either cutting those chapters or making them a prologue. Most of the info in the first two chapters is referred to at one time or another during the rest of the novel, so it's "given" but the flavor, emotion and poignancy that shows in the actual chapters is lost if those chapters aren't there.
I think the information included there is important, artisitically, to the story, but them being chapters 1 and 2 make the book seem to be aimed at kids, which isn't true. So should I make them into a prologue, or just cut them? Thanks.
Lynda
I'm not sure you've read Ender's game but I took the opportunity to also read the novella that won OSC the Campbell to compare.
The novella has nothing of the relationship between peter val and ender that essentially dominates both the books and the Speaker Trilogy.
To set the stage for the rest of series OSC invented family setting and structure but didn't belabor the point.
He got straight to the action of getting the monitor out.
Yet how does this apply to your story?
Quite frankly a 2 chapter prologue is a bit much. Yet if the beginning is crucial to your story then I suggest one of several things. because
1) Structure the book in volumes (though this is probably not in style any more too)
2) Create resolution at 15-20,000 words for this first part that sets the stage for the following words. It sounds like you send your characters through a rough experience to show a tight bond. Thus I'd suggest that you create a mini-climax/resolution as if you were serializing the novel and needed to tie up loose ends for this first issue. Dickens always did this with the novels he wrote specifically for serialization.
Doing this allows the reader to feel an end to the beginning without feeling like they somehow read a "not real" part of the story (my personal feelings about prologues is that they're not really part of the story)
3) Can the beginning at together and try to use dialog between the brother's to illustrate the relationship that exists from said past experience.
I personally don't mind prologue's and have no problem reading them, but since there is a noticeable percentage of readers that do, you might be better off skipping it and finding an alternate method to convey the story elements in other chapters.
I remember the first time I tried to read The Hobbit. I couldn't get through all the stupid prologues, so I gave up. Years later I tried again, and you know, the prologues weren't necessary in any way, shape, or form.
You should figure out how to integrate the information of the prologue into the story. Sure, the information contained there may have happened many years ago. Just call in chapter one. That's what I did with my novel (it was only a year prior to the main events of the story), I just put that necessary bit of information in chapter one. Other stuff that happened in the past I just fit in when necessary.
Otherwise, you're just giving the reader an info dump instead of telling the story. You're telling the reader that they have to remember this stuff because it's important. And often enough, you're treating your reader like an idiot.
So, for me, no prologue.
The first two chapters can't be told by an adult because the adults in those chapters die at the end of the second chapter, leaving only the two boys who know what happened, and the younger one's memories are muddled. Only the older one will remember with any detail, and he's the one whose character and relationship is being built up through the first two chapters. He isn't the kind of person to see himself as heroic, but he IS heroic in all kinds of ways, even as a young boy, which is important to the story. So I need to show it somehow.
I've used dialog between the brothers to show the relationship, as you said, Matt Lust, but some of the details that I and those who've read it so far feel are important simply can't be brought out in a conversation between the brothers - it just wouldn't be in character.
I'm one of those who actually likes to read prologues as long as they start in ACTION (as my first two chapters do) not with a long labored history lesson (those I skip over big-time!!). Perhaps a time stamp kind of thing is the best way to go.
Thanks a lot!
Lynda
As for prologues in general, they seem old fashioned, though I for one love the "lore" in The Lord of the Rings I know many people who have not read the book because the prologue got in the way.
By the bye, you said The Hobbit, but must mean TLOTR. The Hobbit begins, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit," unless they've added a prologue to recent editions.
I think a lot of people forget what it's like to be a child. When I was ten I had thoughts and was put into situations that would be unsuitable for a ten year old to read. I'm pretty sure I'm not an exception. A book with a child as the view point character doesn't have to read like a children's story. I'm sure someone's already mentioned Ender's game as an example. The Ender's shadow books would also fit into this category well (Among many others, I'm sure.)
You shouldn't worry whether the format is acceptable. You should worry instead about whether that very first line, and every one after it will bring the right readers for the rest of the book further in without wanting to stop.
The issue is whether the reader will care at all.
Here's something for you to look at, from an online workshop being led by two veteran writers: http://www.crusiemayer.com/workshop/she-wrote-exposition/jenny/
Look at the other topics, too. Prologues come up a lot, and while the essence of it is in that one post, you might find further persuation.
Sometimes we convince ourselves things are necessary when they aren't. I was revising those first few chapters for a few months, and letting it rest for weeks at a time, before I recognized the only thing to do was remove them. And the information belongs elsewhere. My story will be stronger, once I've tackled that long job.
I may be stuck with the time stamp idea, I dunno. Any more suggestions?
Lynda
Please describe who that is in your writing process for me.
I got the problem solved, YAY! I rewrote the first two chapters as one chapter beginning with the FATHER's POV and going between his and the older son's POV throughout. That's working very well, and it no longer sounds like a kid's book at the beginning. YAY!
Thanks for the ideas, discussion and for letting me vent!!!
Lynda
Lynda, doing the happy dance!
...if you buy a book, and there's a prologue, read it---if there's not one, it's not an option, so forget it.
...if you write a book with a prologue, make damn sure it's (a) necessary to the action, and (b) in some way different from what starts at Chapter One. And don't forget (c) compelling.