NANOWRIMO: Pixar #7: Start with the ending

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting November 7, 2013

But didn't the Red Queen tell Alice, "Start at the beginning and go on until you reach the end, then stop?" Or something like that... Well, here's what Pixar says:

"#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front."

Aha! Now that's something that we can probably use for nanowrimo. Go ahead and write your story out of sequence. Write the ending first, get it working. Then go back and write the middle and even the beginning that lead up to that ending. Endings are difficult. So spending the time up front to get them put together and figure out what all you need to put into it makes it easier. After all, anyone will tell you that hindsight is better, right? And as an author, you get to decide where you want to start writing. So start with the ending.

How is the main character going to change? What is the climax going to be? How will the ending resolve the plot, with the characters overcoming problems and achieving their goals? One answer is the reader going to get to the story question?

Go ahead and rough that out. Thinking through the ending will probably give you some real insights into what we need to have happen before that. It also gives you a good basis for foreshadowing and building up to the ending. Yes, you may need to revise the ending again after you have written the beginning and the middle, but knowing where you are heading certainly can make it easier.

So start with your ending. Don't worry, you can always rearrange the pieces later.