The Advantages and Disadvantages of Prologs

Prologs can take many forms. Sometimes they might be a flash forward to show an event from later in the story. Other times they are used as an atmospheric hook to set the tone and plant a quick bit of foreshadowing that is paid off later on. Most often, however, they are used for their own right to show a glimpse into an important moment in the characters backstory before the audience flips ahead to the main plot. Prologs never need to be foreshadowed or set up as do flashbacks. They are the set up. If the prologue is effective, that is, if it's more than just an info dump, it can frame the entire story by hint