Can we talk about that writers conference panel that made me rethink my whole approach

I was at a small local conference in Portland last spring and this one author on a panel said she writes her endings first, then builds the story backward. I tried it on my latest prompt and got through something I'd been stuck on for 2 months. Has anyone else found a weird trick like that that works for them?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_holly16d ago

Building the ending first sounds wild but honestly brilliant for plot holes.

hayden14416d ago

The 12 page outline thing you mentioned earlier is still messing with my head tbh. Like how do you even brainstorm a satisfying conclusion without knowing the characters yet? I tried this once for a short story and ended up rewriting the whole first half because my character's choices stopped making sense with the ending I had planned. It just feels backwards to me, like building a house from the roof down. But I guess if it saves you from those massive plot holes where the hero suddenly knows something they shouldn't, maybe there's something to it. Still gives me anxiety just thinking about locking in the finale before the journey starts though.

grantf7313d ago

Had a buddy who swore by this method for his sci-fi series. He'd write the last chapter first, then work backwards to figure out how the main character got there. I mean, it looked like total chaos on paper - he had sticky notes all over his wall and this big flowchart thing that looked like a conspiracy theory map. But when I read the finished book, everything clicked. The ending felt earned because every single choice the character made was pushing them toward that specific moment. He said the trick was not locking in the details too early, just the emotional destination. So like, he knew the hero would sacrifice something huge at the end, but he didn't know what that sacrifice was until he got to know the character better halfway through. Still sounds like pure insanity to me, but I can't argue with results.