Christine - Lesson 1 (Prologue)

The Prologue in Christine: In my post on the "Epilogue" in Carrie, I stated my distaste in Epilogues and I guess that goes for Prologues as well. A story is strongest when it starts with the Story, but I'll make a few concessions, and Christine has a pretty strong Prologue.

A prologue should serve as: (1) Background - It is pretty much a character study of Arnie - as the high school loner, he has a lot in common with Carrie White. (2) Setting the Tone - Christine's Prologue does this as well. The last three paragraphs sum it up: Then, near the end of that summer vacation, Arnie saw Christine for the first time and fell in love with her. [ . . . ] How bad was it? It was bad from the start. And it got worse in a hurry. Man, I want to read on and see what happens.

First Line of Christine: This is the story of a lover's triangle, I suppose you'd say - Arnie Cunningham, Leigh Cabot, and, of course, Christine. Much better than the first line of Carrie. It kind of serves a microcosm of the whole book, and it's a great hook. Who can resist a lover's triangle.

I'm hooked by the prologue and first line, but the most interesting element of all: King doesn't tell us that Christine is a car.

Exercise: If your story has a prologue, examine its purpose. Does it serve as background? Does it set the tone?