: Can prologues and epilogues change POV from the main text? I have completed my book. But I'm stuck writing the prologue. I've written the story with narration by the writer (not from the point

I have completed my book. But I'm stuck writing the prologue. I've written the story with narration by the writer (not from the point of view of any of the characters).

But I don't feel like that works for the prologue. I thought I could have one of the characters narrate the prologue, as though telling the story to somebody else, but I don't want to go and change the entire book to that character's point-of-view.

How should I write the prologue so that it works with my main story?

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@Holmes449

Prologues are prologues because they break from some element of the book proper--different time, different place, different narrator POV, different something.

It sounds like your best choice might to be write your prologue from a more distant third person POV, maybe even an omniscient POV.

(This is assuming that you need a prologue.)

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@Phylliss352

Yes, of course you can, and you don't even have to make it clear who the narrator is.

You're the author: decisions like this are yours to make.

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@Debbie451

You are allowed to have the prologue narrated by a different character as long as it is absolutely clear who the narrator is. You do not have to change the whole book. In fact, every chapter can be a different viewpoint narrator; George R.R. Martin does this throughout his Song of Ice and Fire books.

You can also have the prologue written in third person omniscent even if the rest of the book isn't. Prologues and epilogues, being set off from the main text, have a little more leeway.

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: Can prologues and epilogues change POV from the main text? I have completed my book. But I'm stuck writing the prologue. I've written the story with narration by the writer (not from the point

More posts by @Karen856

: How to handle multiple notebooks? For the last 15 years I'm keeping some kind of writer's notebook. Everything I come across, and is seemingly important, goes into the notebook: Ideas Conversations

: Are headlines about lists superior in print as they are in web content? A common tactic for capturing attention is using a headline N something for something For example on Copyblogger

: In my opinion it's jarring when the narrator uses different names for the same character. It has to be done for a reason. Possible reasons why you'd want to do it: If a particular passage

: Quoting Song Lyrics or Naming a Song, Or Possibly Group/Singer Can you quote music lyrics in a book? Like this: Stuck in traffic, main character is blasting Rage Against the Machine, Testify

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