Prologue
A prologue is a short opening scene before chapter one whose job is to show the story's promise (genre, mood, central question); it is not for exposition.
Also written as: prologue chapter
Meaning
A prologue is a short scene placed before the main story begins. It often differs from the main story in time, place or viewpoint: a glimpse of a scene just before the ending, an event before the protagonist's birth, a threat foreshadowed from the villain's point of view. On web novel platforms it appears as "episode 0" or "Prologue", sometimes merged with chapter one as the first free installment. If an epilogue is the afterglow following the ending, a prologue is the promise before the start.
Why it matters
The prologue is the first sentence a reader meets, and web novel readers decide within thirty seconds. Its job is promise, not explanation. In one event it shows what genre this is, what temperature it runs at and what is at stake. That is why a regression story's prologue is the death before the return: one scene fixes the weight of revenge and the point to return to. Many works need no prologue at all. If chapter one is strong enough, a prologue is only a barrier. The test for whether to write one is whether a stronger scene than chapter one's opening exists somewhere else in time.
Example
Prologue
An execution ground in the snow. On her knees, Erna searched the crowd for him. There. Front row. Black coat. When their eyes met he dipped his head slightly. Like a greeting. Like an apology.
The axe rose. Erna counted. This was the third.
Chapter 1
When she opened her eyes a maid stood by the bed. "My lady, the envoy from House Kyle arrives today."
The prologue delivers a death scene (promise: regression, revenge), "the third" (hook: she has already returned twice) and the man's nod (hook: he apologized). Not one line of explanation. Chapter one is the main story at once.
Common mistakes
- Filling it with worldbuilding. Open with "A thousand years ago, three kingdoms..." and readers never open chapter one.
- Disconnected from the main story. A prologue written only for atmosphere feels like a bait-and-switch. Its event must return in the main story.
- Too long. Under half the length of a regular episode; 1,500 to 2,500 Korean characters is enough.