Writers are often told that agents and editors hate prologuesâbut thumb through the opening pages of published books and youâre reasonably likely to see one. How do so many make it past that alleged taboo?
Prologues arenât anathema to a storyâin fact a well-used, well-executed prologue can set up an entire story; whet readersâ appetites; and add impact and resonance to everything that follows.
But an ineffective prologue can stop readers at the starting line, keeping them (and agents and editors) from ever reading past page one.
In this 90-minute live webinar, youâll learn how to decide whether a prologue serves your story, and how to write one that feels essential, effective, and enhances the readerâs experience of the story.
Weâll also examine the most common prologue pitfalls and how to avoid them, and use examples from published works to analyze prologues that work wellâand those that may not.
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Meet the instructor
Tiffany Yates Martin
Tiffany Yates Martin has spent her entire career as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors as well as indie and newer writers. She is the founder of FoxPrint Editorial (named one of Writerâs Digestâs Best Websites for Authors) and author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing and her latest, The Intuitive Author: How to Grow & Sustain a Happier Writing Career. She is a regular contributor to writersâ outlets like Writerâs Digest, Jane Friedman, and Writer Unboxed, and a frequent presenter and keynote speaker for writersâ organizations around the country. Under her pen name, Phoebe Fox, she is the author of six novels.
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