The Explanations

As a writer, it is unnecessary to give a lengthy introduction, not a prologue, but a piece giving away vital information about the writing. Sometimes they sound even too apologetic and used as a ploy to attract some sympathy of readers. There is already so much being revealed that it feels laborious to read the main work after an excessively apologetic tone from a writer.

Write, write unapologetically and invest more words/vocabulary in your writing to enrich the work. If more than half the effort goes in overt explanations, as a reader it becomes rather insipid because the element of mystery, literary metaphors, lose their charm and impact. Writing survives on these literary metaphors and breathes life into them when a reader’s imagination aroused every time.

It is irritating to read the explanations as if the author ignores the intellect of the reader. Do not create unnecessary drama and dilemma or rather, a dichotomy, a tension between the introduction and main work to invalidate the reading process.  It is your creativity, the storytelling ability that should attract readers. There should be enough scope to discuss, write an essay, and debate on a literary piece; it makes literature more relevant.

While introducing a literary work, a preface and introduction is necessary when it is a major work that has already been in the reader’s domain for a long time and a fresh publication is introduced to new readers for a better in-depth perspective about the background of the author, body of work, importance of the work, contribution in the literary world, and a well-researched narrative about the author’s life. The social setting, the comments of contemporaries are all expressed in that introduction. Even on a professional introduction, sometimes the extravagant enormity of the explanations takes away the charm from the work.