I always have an idea for what I want the beginning of the story to be, and I always have the end thought out well. The beginning of my story is always thought out well, and usually the ending is too. I just have trouble with the middle points because I want to write my ending. Is it all right to write the ending first? My stories end up being rushed because of it. I don't like to write the ending out because sometimes some of it changes because of the middle of the story. How do you make it so it's not so rushed?
A lot of authors write the ending first. JK Rowling wrote the end to Harry Potter very early on and revised it once later. I think a good way not to rush is to develop the central conflict of the story slowly but steadily. That way, you're building to your ending, as opposed to just building your ending.
You can write the bits of your story in whatever order you want. Especially nowadays, with word processors enabling us to move great huge chunks of text all over helter skelter, you could write each chapter in three segments, starting with the middle, then the beginning, and then the ending, and start with Chapter 17 and jump back and forth via a complex algorithm, and still end up with a complete story without too much fuss or bother. Mind you, I couldn't do such a thing. I'm stuck in linear time, and I absolutely can't write things out of order. Thus, I can only envy you your temporal flux abilities...
Take your time, stretch & exapnd your story. Stick some scenes in the middle that create conflict. A story without confict is like a baseball game without competition involved. Add some "random" scenes. When I get a little stressed and feel like I'm racing to the end of the book, I relax and add some "random scenes." Random scenes are: "Fun & Random" Real-Life experiences I've had that I type out on the computer. When I need a "random" scene (or some "filler" pages), I'll grab a few that are on my computer and find the one that'll fit the most with the story.
Be careful with filler. Every word should have a point within the context of the story. If your "filler" is character building, then fair enough, but don't have two pages describing the colour of the sky (unless the colour of the sky is intrinsically relevant to your plot... And even so, two pages is a bit much anyway). Keep it interesting, and keep it relevant; that's the key.
every story is like a life. There is a birth and there is a death. It is what you do with the middle ground that makes it exciting.
I agree that there's no problem with drafting the end first. But be prepared to adapt it based on developments as you write. You may find that although having a draft of the end helps you maintain a sense of direction, you may arrive somewhere completely different having walked the path. And also, I personally wouldn't try to emulate Dan Brown, as I can't stand his writing
Well thanks for the advice. I knew JK Rowling did that, but I wasn't sure about other authors. The story I am working on now is one I really want to turn out well, and I have the whole ending formed in my head, and the beginning. That's why I was wondering. I want this to turn out better then my other stories.
