As a writer, you’ve probably heard countless tips and tricks on how to approach your writing process. One unconventional yet powerful method is starting with the last chapter first. This might seem daunting at first, but it can lead to a more focused, engaging, and impactful story. In this post, we will explore why you should write the last chapter first, how it benefits your writing process, and provide examples from both fiction and non-fiction works. So, lets jump in?

The Benefits of Writing the Last Chapter First:

1. Clarity on the end goal: Writing the final chapter initially provides a clear end goal for your narrative. It helps you visualise where your characters and plot are heading, allowing you to craft a more cohesive storyline. By knowing how your tale concludes, it becomes easier to create subplots that lead up to this finale, ensuring all elements contribute to the overall arc of the story.
2. Stronger character development: When you write the last chapter first, you have an opportunity to understand your characters better before diving into their journey. This approach allows for more in-depth character development as you can anticipate how they will evolve throughout the narrative. By knowing where each character ends up, it becomes easier to create consistent and believable arcs that resonate with readers.
3. Enhanced pacing: Writing the last chapter first enables better pacing within your story. You can identify crucial moments that need expansion or contraction, ensuring a smooth narrative flow. This method helps avoid plot holes and inconsistencies while maintaining reader interest throughout the entire tale.
4. Greater emotional impact: By knowing how your story concludes, you can craft more powerful emotional scenes leading up to this point. You have the opportunity to build tension and anticipation effectively, making readers emotionally invested in the outcome of your narrative. This approach allows for a more satisfying reading experience as the climax is not an afterthought but a well-crafted culmination of the story’s events.
5. Improved editing process: When you write the last chapter first, editing becomes more manageable. You can focus on ensuring that each preceding event logically leads to the final chapter, making revisions and adjustments easier. This method also allows for a smoother transition between chapters as you’re aware of how one scene should flow into another.
6. Overcoming writer’s block: Writing the last chapter first can help overcome writer’s block by providing direction and motivation. Knowing where your story is heading can alleviate anxiety about where to start or what comes next, making the writing process more enjoyable and less daunting.
7. Creative flexibility: This approach offers creative flexibility as you have a clear end goal in mind. You can experiment with different narrative styles, perspectives, and tones without losing sight of your story’s overall objective. This freedom allows for a more organic and authentic writing experience that truly reflects your unique voice as an author.

So how do you actually do it, write the last chapter first in a new fiction story?

Writing the last chapter first can be a helpful technique, especially if you’re struggling with where to start or how your story will end. Here are some steps on how to write the last chapter first.

1. Identify the main conflict and resolution of your story: Before writing the last chapter, make sure you have a clear understanding of what the central conflict is and how it resolves. This will help guide your writing as you create the final scenes.
2. Outline key events or moments in the last chapter: Write down the most important events that need to happen in the last chapter to wrap up the story. These can be significant plot points, character developments, or emotional revelations.
3. Start with a loose structure: Instead of writing a rigidly structured chapter, begin by jotting down key scenes and moments. This will help you capture the essence of your story without feeling constrained by formal rules.
4. Focus on character arcs and emotional growth: In this new approach, emphasise how your characters have grown throughout the story and how their experiences lead to the resolution. Highlight any emotional moments or revelations that are crucial for a satisfying ending.
5. Revise and refine later: Once you’ve written the last chapter, you can go back and revise it into a more polished form. This will allow you to maintain the spontaneity of your initial writing while still creating a well-structured final chapter.
6. Use this as a guidepost: Remember that the first draft of the last chapter doesn’t have to be perfect. It serves as a guidepost for where your story is heading, and you can always revise it later as you write the rest of the book.
7. Enjoy the process! Writing the last chapter first can make the writing experience more enjoyable because you get to experience the thrill of reaching that climactic moment sooner rather than later.

Guidelines

Writing the last chapter first can be a powerful technique to help guide your story and keep you motivated throughout the writing process. Here’s why:

1. It gives you direction: Knowing where your story is heading allows you to make informed decisions about what happens earlier in the narrative, ensuring that everything leads up to that climactic moment.
2. It keeps you focused: When you have a clear idea of how your story ends, it’s easier to stay on track and avoid getting sidetracked by unnecessary subplots or characters.
3. It helps with pacing: By writing the last chapter first, you can ensure that your story builds up to an exciting climax without dragging in any parts of the middle. This also makes it easier to identify where you need to add tension and excitement throughout the narrative.
4. It motivates you during the writing process: Having a clear end goal (literally) can be incredibly motivating, especially when you hit rough patches or feel stuck. Knowing that you’re working towards something significant can help keep you engaged and inspired.
5. It allows for flexibility in revisions: If your ending changes as you write the rest of the story, that’s okay! The initial last chapter serves as a guidepost rather than a set-in-stone conclusion. You can always revise it later to fit the evolving narrative.
6. It encourages a holistic approach to writing: Writing the last chapter first forces you to think about your entire story, not just individual scenes or chapters. This helps ensure that all parts of your novel work together cohesively and contribute to the overall arc of the story.
7. Lastly, it’s fun! Starting with the end in mind can make writing a story more enjoyable because you get to experience the thrill of reaching that climactic moment sooner rather than later.

Remember, these are just guidelines – every writer has their own process and what works for one might not work for another. Experiment with different techniques to find out what suits your style best!

5 Common mistakes to avoid

1. Losing sight of your story’s overall objective: Writing the last chapter first can be a powerful tool for guiding your narrative, but it’s essential not to lose track of your story’s main themes and objectives. Make sure that each part of your story contributes to the larger arc you have in mind.
2. Creating an inflexible structure: While having a clear end goal can be beneficial, don’t let it become too rigid. Be open to changes and adaptations as you write. Your story may evolve organically, and you should allow yourself the freedom to follow its natural progression without being constrained by your initial vision for the last chapter.
3. Ignoring character development: Writing the last chapter first can help with plot consistency but don’t forget about your characters. Ensure that their growth and evolution are still a priority throughout the story, even if you know how it ends. Characters should feel like real people, not just tools to reach the final destination.
4. Overemphasising the climax: While writing the last chapter first can help with pacing, don’t overdo it by making every scene leading up to that point a mini-climax. This approach could make your story feel disjointed and less engaging for readers. Keep each scene relevant and moving the narrative forward in a natural way.
5. Forgetting about reader engagement: Just because you know how the story ends doesn’t mean you can forget about keeping your audience engaged. Each chapter should have its own unique hook, even if it leads back to the overarching theme of the last chapter. Maintain a balance between satisfying your initial vision and captivating readers with each new development in the narrative.

5 Key takeaways

1. Clarity of direction: Writing the final chapter first can provide a clearer sense of where the story is heading and what needs to happen in between. It helps establish an endpoint, giving purpose and focus to the narrative journey.
2. Motivation and momentum: Starting with the end in mind can be highly motivating for writers. Knowing how the story concludes can help maintain momentum throughout the writing process by providing a clear goal or destination.
3. Character development: Writing the last chapter first allows you to see where your characters need to grow, change, and develop over the course of the story. This insight helps create more dynamic and engaging character arcs.
4. Story structure: Identifying the climax early on can help shape the overall structure of the narrative. It ensures that pacing is consistent throughout the story, with appropriate build-up to the final chapter.
5. Psychological advantage: Writing the last chapter first serves as a psychological tool for writers. By knowing how the story ends, it reduces anxiety and self-doubt during the writing process, making it easier to focus on crafting each scene effectively.

Conclusion

Writing the last chapter first is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it can be a powerful tool in your writer’s arsenal. It offers clarity on the end goal, stronger character development, enhanced pacing, greater emotional impact, improved editing process, overcoming writer’s block, and creative flexibility. Give this unconventional approach a try – you might discover that it revolutionises your storytelling experience in ways you never imagined!

Remember, writing is an art form with no strict rules. What works for one author may not work for another. The key is to experiment and find what best suits your unique style and creative process. Happy writing!