From my article for Avalon Authors, on August 23, 2011
I picked up a few books this summer to read on flights, hotel rooms and just to take my mind off hassles at the end of a work day. Four of the five had prologues. I learned my lesson with this particular writing convenience a few years ago when the prologue of a potentially interesting Regency novel by a well known New York Times best-selling author ruined my enjoyment by giving away the only intriguing element of the plot.
Since then, I have stirred clear of reading prologues and I have ceased to write them.
What is the attraction for writers? It is a handy way to present information that the reader needs to discover without having to weave backstory into the plot.
