Prologues. In books.
Apparently, some people don’t read them.
The argument against seems to be that prologues can be a bit info-dumpy, or that they’re filled with stuff that’s unimportant or unnecessary to the main plot.
After all, if it was important, the author would be weaving it into the main story, or at least calling it chapter one.
Because Chapter One is where it’s really at.
Honestly though… it’s a bit weird, innit?
Even when a prologue is a bit info dumpy (and those ones can be bad), it’s usually done to provide some context and awareness of the world you’re about to explore.
Think about The Lord of the Rings movies.
You don’t necessarily need Galadriel’s history lesson before you set off into Middle Earth, but it helps if you, like Frodo, understand the power of the ring and the terror it inspires.
And what about prologues that are less about the history and more about planting seeds?
When you first land in Westeros, in both the Game of Thrones TV show and books, you join three of the Nights Watch as they journey beyond the wall into the frozen north. And it’s with them that you first meet the White Walkers, the story’s true bad guys. Not that it does much good…
The truth dies with that execution. Not for us, in the audience, because we saw it too and we know he’s telling the truth. But for Ned, and everyone else in Westeros, the White Walkers remain buried in the sands… well, the snows, of time. Without the prologue, you’d be as oblivious as they are.
And for me, that’s the power of the prologue. Whether it’s delving into the past or hinting at the future, it’s a chance for the author to provide context, insight, and foreshadowing for the story that follows.
As someone who definitely doesn’t have a dog in this fight… 🤭
…it strikes me as strange that people would risk missing out on the full experience delivered by a piece of work because of presumptions made over the value of a certain section of the text.
Give every word a chance, is what I say. All of them. All of the time.
Unless you’re really not enjoying it. It’s ok to DNF books. Life’s too short.
And on that bombshell, we come to the purpose of this prologue!
Context
This is my first chance to say “Welcome to the Käda!”
My name is Anthony Mitchell, and From the Käda is my first stab at a YouTube channel.
For those who don’t know me, I’m a best-selling fantasy author with several published works set in the gritty, low-fantasy world of Domanska.
Most recently this includes Wolfeater and it’s two prequel novellas, The Scars of Jorn Redclaw and Glories Gone.
As Father Ted would say, they’re pretty fecking good and well worth checking out… but this is about the channel.
The reason I’ve decided to create this channel is because I couldn’t find an author’s channel delivering the kind of content I’m interested in. I’m not really looking for the top 10 things to do and not do, and more interested in what drives, inspires, and motivates my fellow writers. I’d like to see how people work, and whether they do anything I could use to help my own techniques.
And if no one else is going to do that, I figured I’d give it a shot myself and share my approach with the masses.
So if you’re interested in my writing, or just writing in general, this is a chance to join me on the journey from having an idea and seeing it through to publication. Maybe it will inspire you to try something similar yourself, or provide a valuable lesson in what-not to do. It will probably be more of the latter than the former, but, you know…
If you’re not so interested in the process, maybe you’ll stick around for the writing itself. If you enjoy character driver, gritty fantasy in the vein of David Gemmell and Joe Abercrombie, hopefully you’ll find a little of what you’re looking for in the world of Domanska. On the channel, I’ll present exclusive readings from some of my books and stories, and I’ve even got ambitious plans for some audio drama along the way.
Beyond all that, I also hope to share my thoughts on the books, TV shows, movies, and video games that help inspire my own storytelling, mostly focused on fantasy and historical fiction.
So if any of that sounds like your kind of thing, then please hit the like button and click subscribe.
I’d really like to make this channel something real, but that only happens if people engage. So leave a like, leave a comment, and I’ll respond to as much as I can.
Insight
That’s all well and good, I hear you say, but what the hell is the Kada?
Well, I’m glad you asked. To give you an idea, here is a taste of Nyana’s first visit from the story of the Wolfeater.
In short, the Käda is a lone mountain standing deep in the wilderness of Domanska, far to the frozen north. It is said to be a sacred place, where the gods hold council and their ideas flow out into the mortal world.
Inspired by this, and despite being 100% less godly and significantly less… wisdomly, I decided to give the name of the Käda to my own writing space. Being that it’s from here that the ideas of this mortal simpleton flow out into our much more familiar world, it seemed only right to name the channel From the Käda.
Foreshadowing
I’ll drop videos as thick and fast as I can make them, with the aim being to land at least one a week. However…
I’ve got all of the above, plus a wife, two kids, and a full-time job. As such, it can be difficult to find the time for anything else.
So on those days, when your so desperate for the next video you can barely contain yourself, I’d just ask that you stick with me. Keep the faith, and the good times will flow again.
And there it is. Context, insight, and foreshadowing. Everything a growing prologue needs!
Don’t forget to hit like and subscribe if you enjoyed this or any of my videos.
Or even if you didn’t, I’m not that fussy.
Until I see you again, keep your sword sharp and your wits keen.
Tony
29th April 2024