Think of your favorite TV series — specifically an episode that began with a heart-pumping scene that led to a cliffhanger. And suddenly, you see a caption with something like “72 Hours Earlier.”
That’s a type of prologue. In books, it draws the reader right into the story, immediately making them wonder what on earth led to the crisis — and how it will end.
Does a book need a prologue? No. But depending on your story, it might draw your readers in more quickly.
But what exactly is a prologue? And should your story have one?