How to Avoid the Biggest Prologue Mistakes

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re diving into the brutal art of the prologue—how to do it right, how to do it wrong, and why so many fantasy authors start their books in the worst possible place. We’re putting a fellow author's submitted prologue under the microscope, dissecting its opening scene with the precision of a literary agent on their third cup of coffee. What works? What flops? And most importantly, does this prologue actually serve the story, or is it just an excuse to dump lore?

Email your own advice prompt to [email protected] or join our Discord and let us know what's on your mind. You can find the discussion prompt we referenced on the show right here.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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