Which came first?

[Mel L]

Not an April Fool's joke or a late Easter egg but a question for the hive mind: is the first line of your novel considered to be the first line of the prologue or the first chapter? (Assuming you have a prologue - contentious though they are).
Perhaps the answer is obvious but for some reason I'm struggling with it. Thoughts welcome!

 

[Barbara]

In my view, the first line is the very first line of the story (prologue or chapter or whatever). I see the first line as the first handshake with the reader where they meet your writing, so if you have a prologue, that first line would be your first line. But that's just my view.

Some people skip prologues.

And, I treat the first line in every chapter as a "first line", as if it's the start of a new story.

 

[RK Wallis]

For me, it'd be that very first line I read. If I don't skip the prologue, then it's the prologue. If I skip the prologue, it's the first chapter. As @Barbara said, "the first handshake" (love that turn of phrase @Barbara)

 

[Sedayne]

Do people skip prologues?!

If someone's gone to the trouble to write it, I read it.* So for me the prologue is the first line. Logically then, if you don't hook me on the prologue, I won't make it to chapter one.

*exception sometimes in non-fiction for a foreword, which is not part of the deal as far as I'm concerned

 

[Barbara]

Do people skip prologues?!

Yep, I know several people who do. They're not avid readers though, but still. Sacrilege. Someone take their chocolate away. Make 'em sit on the bottom step.

 

[E G Logan]

I see the first line as the first handshake with the reader where they meet your writing, so if you have a prologue, that first line would be your first line.

My view also.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Pardon my romance writer thing, but the first line is like the first glance, maybe at the market, maybe in a battle, but that first moment of recognition begins the story. To me, recognition is primary, the moment of hearts and souls meeting. The author, the people in the story, the readers all need to recognize they are together, and that backing out is no longer an option.

 

[RK Wallis]

They're not avid readers though

I'm an avid reader and I'll skip them if they're not engaging. I have an opposite view. If the author hasn't gone to the trouble to care about their reader, I'm not going to care about their writing. I find the big name authors write engaging prologues - I've read some amazing prologues! It's newer authors who are being indulgent. They're in their writer head and not thinking of the reader. They're thinking, "I need the reader to know this," and not thinking, "I need to engage the reader." But, I'll give them a second chance to engage me and read their first chapter.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

If the author went to the trouble of writing a prologue, I will read it on the assumption that understanding it will make sense as I read the main story.

 

[Mel L]

In my view, the first line is the very first line of the story (prologue or chapter or whatever). I see the first line as the first handshake with the reader where they meet your writing, so if you have a prologue, that first line would be your first line. But that's just my view.

Some people skip prologues.

And, I treat the first line in every chapter as a "first line", as if it's the start of a new story.

Great answer, @Barbara ! Love the concept of the handshake with the reader.

 

[Mel L]

Pardon my romance writer thing, but the first line is like the first glance, maybe at the market, maybe in a battle, but that first moment of recognition begins the story. To me, recognition is primary, the moment of hearts and souls meeting. The author, the people in the story, the readers all need to recognize they are together, and that backing out is no longer an option.

Nice analogy! But wouldn't the cover or the blurb be the first glance? Which would make the first line more like the first kiss...or slap in the face as the case may be! :-D

 

[Mel L]

I'm an avid reader and I'll skip them if they're not engaging. I have an opposite view. If the author hasn't gone to the trouble to care about their reader, I'm not going to care about their writing. I find the big name authors write engaging prologues - I've read some amazing prologues! It's newer authors who are being indulgent. They're in their writer head and not thinking of the reader. They're thinking, "I need the reader to know this," and not thinking, "I need to engage the reader." But, I'll give them a second chance to engage me and read their first chapter.

Agree! I do sometimes skip prologues if it feels they are not part of the story but some boring introduction. In that case I'll skip ahead to the first chapter and see if I like the voice enough to pursue.