Hey there,
So, I am writing a story from multiple POVs of up to four people. I am starting my story with a prologue from the main character's bodyguard/friend. He will go insane throughout the story due to a prophecy he learns about. Should I have the entire prophecy in the prologue or sprinkle it in as he loses it in flashbacks? I feel like some people aren't big fans of those. What do yall think?
I think whether people like flashbacks usually, like anything, depends on how and why it's done. They can be a great device for selectively adding information, for recontextualising a story or drastically changing a reader's perspective. On the other hand they can also drag and distract, or feel isolated from the main story, or heavy handed. In this case, it might be worth asking how having the prophecy in flashbacks versus prologue would frame the character's breakdown for the reader. Do you want them to understand what's happening as it happens? Do you want their perspective of the character to drastically change? How would the flashbacks be structured and integrated into the story?