What is a prologue — and does my book need one?

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Quick answer. A prologue is a short opening section that comes before chapter one. It is not chapter one under another name and not a place to warm up: it sets something up — a hook, a backstory, a voice, a moment outside the main timeline — that the story pays off later. Done well it pulls the reader in; done badly it reads as a false start they have to get through before the book begins.

Key takeaways

• A prologue comes before chapter one. It sits outside the main body of the story, not as its first instalment.
• It is short. Usually a few pages, rarely more than one chapter.
• It is optional. Plenty of strong books open straight into chapter one, with no prologue at all.
• Its job is to set up, not to start. A prologue raises a question or plants something; chapter one begins the story proper.
• It often sits outside the main timeline — earlier, later, or somewhere else entirely — and the gap is a choice that changes what the reader feels.

Prologue vs chapter one vs epilogue: the difference

These three get mixed up constantly. The clearest way to tell them apart is where they sit and what they do:

Section	Position	Its job
Prologue	Before chapter one	Sets something up — a hook, a backstory, a voice — that the story pays off later.
Chapter one	Where the story proper begins	Starts the main plot and usually introduces the protagonist in their ordinary world.
Chapter	The body of the book	Advances the plot. The main story happens here.
Epilogue	After the final chapter	Shows the aftermath. The plot is already resolved.

So a prologue opens a door and chapter one walks the reader through it. If your "prologue" actually starts the story — with the protagonist doing what the rest of the book continues — it is chapter one, and calling it a prologue only confuses the reader.

Is a prologue the same as a foreword or a preface?

No. These are often confused because all three sit at the front of the book:

• A prologue is part of the fiction. It continues the story in the author's invented world.
• A preface is outside the fiction — the author speaking directly to the reader about the book: how it came to be, why they wrote it, what it covers.
• A foreword is outside the fiction and outside the author — written by someone else (a mentor, an expert, a well-known name) recommending the book to the reader.

A novel has a prologue. A memoir or a scholarly book often has a preface or a foreword. A book can have all three, but they are doing three different jobs, and only the prologue is fiction.

Why writers use one

A prologue exists to answer a question before the reader has thought to ask it. It is a chance to plant something the main story cannot open with — because the main story has to start with the protagonist in their everyday world.

Writers reach for one for a few honest reasons:

1. To open with a shock that cannot wait. A death, a disaster, a discovery — something that would not fit the story's timeline but sets its stakes.
2. To establish a villain or an antagonist early. A beat from the antagonist's point of view can raise tension long before they meet the protagonist.
3. To plant a framing device. If the book is told by a narrator looking back, the prologue is where that frame begins.
4. To deliver a piece of the past. An origin, a legend, a historical moment that the main story depends on but starts too late to show.

When a prologue hurts the book

A prologue is not free. It delays the story the reader came for, and a weak one costs you the reader before they reach chapter one. Watch for these failure modes:

• It is chapter one in disguise. If it introduces the protagonist and the first plot beat, it is chapter one. Rename it and start there.
• It is pure worldbuilding. Pages of history, geography or magic-system explanation that the story could reveal later are an info dump, not a hook.
• It spoils its own book. A prologue that reveals the ending or the twist trades surprise for a mystery the reader no longer has a reason to solve.
• It is a false start. A scene that only exists to grab attention, then has nothing to do with the rest, teaches the reader to distrust the opening.
• It is there out of habit. "Novels have prologues" is not a reason. If the book is clearer without it, cut it.

The test is simple: does the book lose something if the prologue is removed? If it works just as well starting at chapter one, the prologue is a warm-up — and warm-ups belong in your drafts folder, not the reader's hands.

How to write one that lands

If you have decided your book wants a prologue, these rules keep it tight:

• Hook on the first page. A prologue has to earn the reader's attention faster than a chapter, because it is the first thing they read.
• Give it a clear relationship to the story. The reader should be able to feel, even if they cannot name it, why this scene matters to what follows.
• Pick one clear time gap. Earlier, later, or elsewhere — choose one and stay in it. A drifting timeline muddles the setup.
• Keep it short. A few pages is plenty. A prologue should feel like a held door, not a first room.
• Match the book's voice. A prologue that reads nothing like the rest of the novel breaks the spell before it is cast.
• Deliver a promise you keep. Whatever it sets up must be paid off. A prologue that never connects to the plot is a loose thread, not an opening.

The one-sentence test

Before you keep a prologue, finish this sentence: "This prologue is here to show the reader ___ that chapter one cannot." If you cannot fill the blank with something the story genuinely needs up front, the book is probably stronger starting at chapter one.

Frequently asked questions

Does every book need a prologue?

No. Most books do not have one, and many are stronger for it. A prologue is a tool for a specific job, not a required part of a novel.

Can a book have both a prologue and an epilogue?

Yes, and they often pair naturally — a prologue that opens a frame and an epilogue that closes it. Just make sure each one earns its place on its own.

How long should a prologue be?

Short. A few pages, or one modest chapter at most. If it is running long, it is usually trying to be chapter one or a first chapter's worth of setup.

Should a prologue be in a different point of view?

It can be — a shift to another character's voice is a common and effective move — but the change should be deliberate and clearly signalled, not accidental.

Can a prologue be set in the past?

Yes, and it often is. A prologue set years before chapter one can plant history or a legend the main story later depends on. The key is that the gap is deliberate and the story pays it off.

Is it okay to skip the prologue when reading?

Many readers do, which is exactly why a prologue should never carry anything the book cannot survive without. If a reader can skip it and lose nothing, ask whether it needs to be there at all.

What is a prologue in a play or film?

The same idea — a short scene before the main action begins. In older drama it was often a direct address to the audience; today it is rarer and usually quieter.

Where this goes next

A prologue only works if it hands the reader cleanly into chapter one. If you are unsure whether your opening lands — or whether the prologue is helping or hurting — see our editing service.

Related guides

Keep going: how to write a book, the types of book editing, book editing services and proofreading services. For a dictionary definition, see prologue (Cambridge Dictionary).

Disclosure: Harmony Publishing is a self-publishing company and links to its own services where they match a step. The language guidance here is practical, not a rule for every style guide.