General answer: The best stories start off with a “grabber” and don’t let up until the end. Some can get by with “breather” scenes, but even those must contribute to the plot.

A slow scene can be used to set up a later crisis, for instance. Some innocuous slight to another character may result in the slighted person going over to the other side and becoming a major problem during the story’s “big moment”. Some explanation of what’s going on may be necessary, but the best way to “explain” something is “on the run” with small “asides” or references that don’t interrupt the journey or action.

Now, I’m not suggesting that every novel is an action yarn, but every story must move along and keep the reader interested. Long sections of expository writing is a huge turn-off unless you’re writing a history text. For fiction, you have to keep it going.

My two-cents.

1) Does the prologue in Hologram have POV confusion?

2) Am I “cheating” to have a grabber scene in the prologue followed by a much calmer chapter one?

I’d be interested in your thoughts.

Remember, the first chapter (or prologue) has to be a part of the overall problem that drives the plot. At least the “irritant” that drives the characters to the main problem. A prologue that’s written just to meet the requirement for a “grabber” start is “cheating”.

Watch for Mr. Bell’s next article. It has some great information on how to write that first chapter. We’ll post it within a week or two.