Enter the Interlogue



I'm bringing something "new" to the table with my book series. What I'm calling the "interlogue". Let me explain.





Novels on occasion have a prologue, which happens at the beginning of the book. There's also the epilogue, which happens at the very end. This is known, but I'm telling you this to put things into perspective.

The interlogue is something similar, except that it happens about in the MIDDLE of the book. To be worked out if it will be in the exact middle of the BOOK or the STORY, however, but you get the idea.

This will be a random, one-off chapter which has nothing to do with the book you're presently reading...but has significance to the SERIES and most likely the final volume. It'll serve as an intermission and provide clues, make you think about what's to come; as well as the significance of other events that are happening 'behind the scenes'.


Comments

Anonymous said…
Two great minds...

I just googled 'interlogue' -- wondering if I was coining a new word. (I was going to use it anyway.)

In my case, I am writing a complex novel that interweaves 3 generations in Parts 1 to 4. So I am using it/them more to kind of set up the next Part, to remind the reader that I am switching gears, so to speak.

Cheers!
Unknown said…
Three great minds.

I am, right now, writing a book. And I have arrived at a chapter. Which is actually chapter five but it only has one page. So I wondered if there is something like 'prologue' and 'epilogue' for a part of the story -in- the book itself. I kind a came up with 'interlogue myself. And then googled if that actually exists.
Anonymous said…
Four great minds!
Anonymous said…
No such thing as an original thought! But just like the others, I had need of a heading for a few interludes in my latest novel, and kind of made the word up from the Greek ... albeit more than a year after the rest of you!

Christopher Thomason
Jeffrey Russell said…
Make that 5 great minds. This will become a very useful literary tool in the future of writing!
Anonymous said…
How weird?!?! I'm writing a sequel and thought of an interlogue. Thought I should go to my good pal google and came across this. Cool
Anonymous said…
I've written the occasional interlogue in my journal since 1996. Originally, I used it when I was turning the remaining pages of a notebook into a continuation of my journal, or using the same notebook for a different class.

Currently, I am keeping it as a potential tool for my novel in the event I need to step outside of the first-person perspective.
Unknown said…
Lo! I too googled interlogue thinking I coined the term. It's so catchy!
Anonymous said…
Now I don't feel stupid for writing a novel with an interlogue, but I don't feel clever either. My storytelling also relies on character perspective and an interlogue was necessary for literary housekeeping since there are quite a few characters and moving parts.
Rob said…
I had a dream last night and woke up with a book title in my head. It was 'The Dandea and Interdenum Interlogue'. I'm not even an author. No idea why I had the dream. Not even real words but at least I now know what Interlogue means after finding this blog.
Joel Schroeder said…
It's a meme. Or maybe it's just sound logic. If we are using prologue and epilogue. Then interlogue would simply be the correct term.
Autumn said…
The problem with interlogue is that it's combining a latin prefix with a greek suffix. perhaps entologue would work. epi- pro- ento- and -logue are all greek prefixes and suffix, while inter- is latin. It's a great idea though. Many authors I read put what they call an interlude and I was planning on doing something like this too, though since interlude is latin it doesn't really fit with the greek words.
Anonymous said…
MANY GREAT MINDS
I just googled this term after having a flash of inspiration for my current undertaking. I was wondering how i was going to fit a certain portion of the story into the overall piece as it is quite important. I had the idea of an interlude for a book and thought interlogue sounds better and just fis into the set. It's great to see there are many curious and sharp minds about.
Jason Lynch said…
In my books, I like having a prologue and an epilogue - they're like bookends to my story, but I've been looking for the equivalent of an "interlude" for a few years now. Then, suddenly I thought, "What if I took the "Intra-" and put it in fron of "-logue?" Then, I thought, "Maybe it's a word. That's how I found this post. I'm going to use "interlogue" even if it isn't a word because it should be. Besides, if enough of us writers use it, it will be a word before long! 😅👍
Unknown said…
Haha. Like many others, I just googled this word after hemming and hawing over what to call this one-page interlude. I'm working on the second book of a two-book "series." The first book started out with a prologue with some intriguing clues/Easter eggs about where the story is going... The first book ends with just a "To be continued." I wanted to include an Epilogue after this second (final) part but also a "prologue" for the second part...except with the second part my chapter numbering picks up where the first one left off, so it reads like two volumes of a single large novel. As soon as I "coined" "Interlogue," I googled it (I almost never create neologisms), and found this on top. So, enough of us have used this, it has become a real word.
Bonjour,

Incroyable ! Je viens de créer le même mot pour mon recueil de nouvelles ! Les grands esprits se rencontrent. Et en cherchant sur Ecosia j'ai trouvé votre blog. C'est vraiment amusant. Mais moi c'est en français, j'espère que vous comprendrez mon message.
Bonne réussite à votre écriture, Claire.
Unknown said…
What everyone above me said lol ^
Was gonna call it an "Interlude" but I thought, nah, maybe Interlogue! And here I am

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