I was recently spending a relaxing evening at the bookstore with my son. As I was walking around I was looking at the interesting titles, books with bright covers and the newest editions. Basically, I was acting like I had literary ADD. I was jumping from one book to the next with no clear intent. Then I stopped and had to go back because I saw a book that interested me by the title. It was a book by Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones, Freeing the Writer Within. That was how I felt at that moment exactly.
I had my game plan, I had named my main characters and I even had my editing philosophy. Now, it was time to start putting all the planning and thinking into action and free my inner writer. That was the whole point after all. I have always enjoyed writing and felt an emotional connection when I wrote. Sometimes though we get caught up in the planning for something and then lose interest in the actual action. I did not want to lose my creativity and knew it was time. It was like having the image of a Dr. Seuss clock that was human sized with legs running after me as the hands moved around in funny circles. It was more than time to actually start writing.
Since I had my outline and characters the story had already been forming in my head. I also knew that I wanted to set my novel in two different periods of time, as well as, two different countries. So I thought it would be a great way to introduce this fact with a prologue. Plus, a prologue can be a fun, short, exciting way to introduce an idea or theme or plot of a story and entice the reader. For me a prologue is a bit like sneaking a bite of dessert before the entree arrives.
So I got out my pen and my paper (yes I am a bit old fashioned in my approach) and I started to write the story that has been locked in my mind up to that point. I love taking an empty piece of paper and filling it with possibilities. The hardest part is often just finding those first words to introduce your story. Once you have a beginning though the story often continues almost on its own. Since this was the prologue I knew I wanted to introduce the past and set the scene for my novel and then at the end of the prologue I would use the last lines written to introduce the theme.
"How long do our memories survive us? Can those memories rest after finding peace and resolution or do they start all over again?"
I always knew that was the theme of the story I wanted to write and so I actually had the last sentence before the first sentence. I will admit I am a bit directionally challenged but always end up where I want to be, it just may take me a little longer. This was no different. I had that last sentence of my prologue but now I had to work the story around that idea. And then it hit me! If I am watching the story in my mind on a movie reel how would I really want it to begin...with action of course...with action and horses that is. An action scene set in the past where everyone is on a horse just seems more romantic and exciting to me. That may be why I am such a fan of old movies.
Then I did it. I had the first sentence in my head and before I knew it I had written out my entire prologue and after a few edits to my work was ready to move back into the modern time setting and my main character and begin Chapter One. That is something I will discuss later though as you digest the excitement for now of a finished Prologue.
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