I know the events that occur just before the end solution which means I know where my characters need to be. I don't like not having figured out how to fix the characters' problem in the story and won't go away by just defeating the antagonists, but I know that it will come to me eventually even if it just takes some time. It is comforting to know how my characters more immediate threats are dealt with though. I try to plan the best I can (although I do worry that I do more planning than actual writing sometimes) but not to go overboard with it because I know by the time it comes to writing the scenes they'll change a lot anyway. I'd say best is to figure out the directions you're going in and where you characters need to be so you don't back yourself into a corner and end up having to get rid of strong parts that just don't have a place in your story anymore.
I never knew what was going to happen at the end of my novel until I finished the first draft. Then, I re-wrote the whole thing, using the first draft as the plan. I really liked working this was, it meant I could go back and add red herons.
I actually have a beginning, climax, and ending when I start anything but not always the middle content.
This is the attitude I have. I couldn't bring myself to start my current story until I figured out an ending that fit and a fairly hashed out plot line. That being said, much of the middle is vague and will be determined as my characters grow, and, although I have an ending in mind, I'm open to it changing if that's not what my characters decide to do.
No. I know the feel I want my story to have, and I go with that. I still have 2 or 3 different endings I could go with for any story I write.
I usually get an idea and kick around in my head for a while, then when I have a beginning, a middle and an end, I then commit it to paper/laptop. I can then work from A to B to C. Wouldn't call it a plan though! It works for me.
I do -though it changes at times depending on how the story goes. I want to have a scene where the characters are dangling off a cliff, another one where one of them gets impaled, as well as one where one of the MC's gets to transform into their fourth form. (one of them is a shapeshifter) how i am going to be able to get all those elements in the end i have no idea.
I've just run into what is for me a very unusual situation. I'm starting a new story, and this time, a very clear ending has popped into my head. And I think it's a great ending! My problem is that I'm not used to working with a great ending in mind at the start. Usually, as I've said before, I have a beginning and then I just discover my plot and my ending as I write - I'm a pantser. This situation is the opposite - I have my main characters and an ending, not my main characters and a beginning. This is intimidating the crap out of me. For the first time, I can't figure out where to start! I feel really trepidatious about setting down my first sentence. Usually I just set off on my journey, unaware that there's a mountain in my way, and I just wind up climbing the mountain when I come to it and I only realize it was difficult after I'm done. This time, I can see the mountain before I start, and it's Everest, and I can see how hard it's going to be. The anticipation of the difficulty is making me put down my pen and not bother trying. Aargh. I love these characters, I love the ending, it could be a terrific story, but I'm not sure I have the balls to write it.
Granted, the way I tend to write more is shotgun-style*, so don't take my word on other - more linear - styles as absolute Gospel, but I imagine that a "pantser" could still work backwards well enough: instead of starting with Scene 1 and seeing what had to have happened next, why not start with Scene X and see what had to have happened first? Though if I'm over-simplifying something that's more complicated than I think, then you should just disregard completely because I don't know what I'm talking about. Anyway, what does every writer say to somebody who's having trouble writing something? "Just write it" *sometimes I get a general idea for a scene at the beginning to flesh out later, sometimes I write a paragraph to a couple pages for another scene towards the end without coming up with something more general first, sometimes I get a new idea for how a character would react to something bad and then see if I can work that action-reaction into a completely different scene in the middle...
This is, of course, what I'm going to have to do. I was just venting a bit, because this is the first time I can remember when I know how hard it's going to be! Sigh. I guess there's nothing to be done except get down to it ...
Have you got any intermediate scenes in your head yet? Maybe that's where to start. Work in both directions?
I would say to just write like you normally would - if the story gets you to that ending, fantastic. If it doesn't - well, you've got a great ending for another book. But I'm, like, really flexible.
Interesting thread...With me, it's always the opening that tumbles into my head first (most of the time just an opening scene). I have started so many stories and couldn't actually think of a way to end it to my satisfaction...I always get this flash of an opening scene and will be inspired just to get it down: an old man sitting alone at a bar on his 70th birthday, a couple having a big row, a boxer about to take a dive in a fight...then i do be insprired to just start writing, not knowing where it will end up... That sounds crazy though when you think about it, doesn't it? If you tell someone who doesn't write for a hobby that that's your process, they will think you're mad, surely? ha ha
I've had the ending set before I even typed one word on the prologue, namely because the ending is a segway into the sequel, therefore I already have the beginning of the next book set as well.
lol, why not try at least? i have way too many stories in my head, and i doubt i will ever get them all done, but ill still try
I'm actually having the opposite problem. I have always had an ending in mind before I started writing, but my current piece I have no idea how it ends! It's a bit overwhelming since I don't know what direction I'm going, but I agree with the advice: "Just write it!" I don't know how well it work for you, but it seems so far so good for me. Best of luck!
I know where my novel will end and have three endings in mind. I know which one would make me happiest to end the book with, (pretty much a fairytale) one that will be most dramatic but in the end and then the one that makes the most sense with the way my novel is going at this moment. I'm not going to pick an ending until I'm there because it has to fit. A journey from A to B doesn't always end at B.
I have a series of stories in mind, a novel for each, that lead to an ultimate conclusion. I know of two possible ways that the overall story will end, but I always keep an open mind for other endings to 'make themselves known'. I can't say I know the detail of either ending I have at the moment, but the general gist is in place for both. As for individual novels within the series, I again have 'gists' of what the endings will be as they need to segueway into the following novel(s), but I don't have a rigid plan. Each book has to have a standalone story though, that can be read and enjoyed without having to know the preceding story or having to continue to the next one. That doesn't preclude there being continuing elements, of which there will be many.
Like KaTrian mentioned, it varies for us. Especially with our first novels, we just had a basic premise and the characters planned, and then started writing, sometimes even without a proper plot, and then went wherever the characters took us. Nowadays our plots tend to be more complex, so they require more planning. That being said, we usually have some idea of where the story is going, how it will end, but nothing is set in stone: if the characters take us into another direction, we let them instead of forcing the story into something that it clearly isn't. I guess I could say that we only serve the story: if it goes where we planned it to go, great. If it takes us elsewhere entirely, great.
I'm a heavy-duty planner (something that's apparently rare? I don't know). I need to know what I'm going to write before I even consider beginning. For example, I know how the beginning of one of my more recent projects is supposed to go. I even have a very clear image of the first chapter in my head. I could easily write it right now. In theory. But, because I don't know where I want the novel to go, I feel a little iffy about beginning it. I don't know why this is, but that's how it is. I need to know the ending of the novel (and the majority of the middle content) before I can even start.
The ending is the part of the plot I struggle with the most. I wrote the first 10,000 words of my novel with minimal planning, excited to plunge into my cool setting and cool conflicts enabled within that setting. I then got to the point where I felt the need to plan so the story didn't meander all over the place. I've now planned a lot of plot, with some multi-layered conflict I'm excited about. I've not got a concrete ending planned yet, I've got some rough ideas, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to need two novels to get everything resolved to my satisfaction. I wanted to write a stand alone novel, but I think 1 novel will either end with a lot of lose ends or have a rather deus ex machina ending.
Always. I have the initial idea of a plot then (in no particular order) make the bare bones. Front, middle and end. Then I put the flesh of scenes and dialogue. I found it helps to aim for something as it stops a good amount of digressing . Not too say that I don't change the ending if the idea hits me during a scene. I see it as if you don't have an least the ghost of an ending you could go well over your word count as whats to stop the story not ending. Sometimes you need the discipline of an ending that says "No, get to this place please."
