Writing A Novel Backwards?

gothicangel · Nov 15, 2014

Looking for some advice. Has anyone tried writing a novel from the resolution and wrote backwards? I'm currently working on my new WIP, and so far have reached 35,000 words and I'm at a block, and haven't written anything for weeks. Its not that I don't know what will happen, I have a vague idea of plot (I'm a pantster), and know exactly how my finale is going to happen. I just haven't worked out the details of getting my MC from B to C.

However, I do know the details of the climax between the MC and the antagonist. I started writing the final chapters to night and it was great, I could write all night (if I wasn't going to work tomorrow

.) So I began to wonder whether I should try writing the story back over until I reach the point where I was blocked.

Has anyone else tried writing like this? I don't mind if it isn't seamless (that is what draft 2 is for.) Was it successful?

Thanks in advance.

chompers · Nov 15, 2014

I haven't written backwards, but I do write out of order. As long as you know the big picture and where you need to go, it should work out (at least mine do).

Chris P · Nov 15, 2014

I'm like chompers; I write out of order and if I know how I want the famous final scene to go I write it.

The biggest hazard I run into when doing this, though, is that sometimes the connecting scenes feel rushed. Avoid this problem and nobody will know the difference.

ShadowVixenX · Nov 15, 2014

I write my novel mostly chronologically because I'm a pantser myself, I also do write scenes out of order if I need a break or have an idea pop into my head. Writing backwards is definitely something you can try, that does sound rather fun. Another thing you could try is to start from where you're stuck and then use something like Write or Die to force yourself up over the writer's block. Good Luck and congratulations on getting so far in your novel!

Jamesaritchie · Nov 15, 2014

No, but there are a number of writers who write the ending first. I see no reason you can't write backwards. You can certainly try.

For me, a block means I did something seriously wrong before the block happened. This is the case with most writers I know. It's hard to get blocked unless you made a mistake somewhere before the block, took a wrong turn somewhere.

Or unless you're looking way too far ahead, rather than think about what to write on the current page.

Or unless you're trying to force an ending on the book that shouldn't be there.

These are the most common reason I see for blocks. But try writing backwards, and see what happens. The worst that can happen is that it won't work, and you'll have to try something else.

Niccolo · Nov 15, 2014

+1 for writing out of order. If you've gotten the final chapters down, and it's working, go for it. If going forwards isn't working, then keep going back. Maybe something along the way will give you an Aha!Moment (Notice how I didn't link it to TVTropes?

) and clear up how B became C. Best of luck.

Sage · Nov 15, 2014

I wrote a short story backwards. It was pretty awesome. But I was pantsing that story with no goals in mind and it was only 10K, so telling it backwards worked out.

I'm not so sure the pseudo-pantsing of a novel works out as well backwards, though. I think it might stifle your ability to create new developments for the novel because you have what comes in the future already written. I'm a pseudo-planner/pantser the way you are, so I'll use an example from my own novel. I knew certain points that I wanted to hit in the novel (most are coming here at 55K in and beyond, though I didn't know they'd all be that far back), and the rest I wasn't sure about. In chapter 4, I introduced a minor character to serve a specific purpose. In chapter 8, he served that purpose and was meant to be a random background person. In chapter 11, he got a personality, and after that he has become the main source of growth for one of my MCs. I never could have predicted that going backwards.

I have also skipped around. And I fell into this same problem by skipping around, but it seemed a little easier to fix with just a few scenes written in the future. My main problem with skipping around has been that if I write all scenes I'm most excited about first, I have trouble writing the ones I was never driven to write out of order. It's a lot easier to write towards that climax when you're looking forward to writing it.

But in the end, you should always do what works best for you

Thewitt · Nov 15, 2014

I wrote the first three chapters and then last chapter for my first book all at the same time.

When I came back to the project and finished it, the last chapter needed to change, as I had killed off one of the characters who appeared in that chapter, and changed some significant items that impacted the ending.

In my current WIP, I've outlined the ending without actually writing it, and think this will work out better for me.

nomadictendencies · Nov 16, 2014

From memory Margaret Mitchell wrote the last chapter of 'Gone with the Wind' first and then wrote towards the ending so it can work! I'm a big fan of writing the first 1/3, then writing the last chapter then 'middling' it. I think it's nice to write a definite and specific end in sight (that's can be changed if need be). For me it helps to write the parts I do know as I tend to work out those parts I don't know as I go along.

Bufty · Nov 16, 2014

I can see benefit in writing the odd scene or chapter out of order - the equivalent of striking while the iron is hot, so to speak - but I fail to see how anything but headache and endless rewriting is gained by writing backwards.

Craig McNeil · Nov 16, 2014

JK Rowling wrote the end of Harry Potter before she started the first book. It's not uncommon! I don't necessarily write backwards but I do write out of order particularly when I have a block on a particular chapter. Or when I'm bored and fancy writing a battle or two...

Mr Flibble · Nov 16, 2014

I wrote a book from the middle outwards once (forwards and backwards). I am also a panster

I had what I thought was the start scene then realised I needed a scene before, and one before and two after and then one before....

Worked out fine.

As long as you make sure each preceding scene leads up to what you've just written, you should be fine.

WriteMinded · Nov 16, 2014

After getting to about the three-quarter mark of my WIP, I jumped ahead and wrote the ending and the two chapters that lead up to it. BUT, I'm still stuck on how to make the main event come about. It won't work to write the death scene until I know how my good-guy gets caught out, so I guess you could say that I'm stuck on both ends now. Still gonna have to knit that middle together.

gothicangel · Nov 16, 2014

nomadictendencies said:
From memory Margaret Mitchell wrote the last chapter of 'Gone with the Wind' first and then wrote towards the ending so it can work!

Spookily, this is the book that I am reading right now.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I will write my ending and then see how I want to proceed.

G.G. Rebimik · Nov 16, 2014

I write the ending first, otherwise I don't know what I'm shooting for. Anyway, it works for me, but everyone is different.

tko · Nov 16, 2014

sure!

My 1st two novels I had an opening and an ending, then wrote backwards and forwards until the plot met somewhere in the middle.

I think it's easier to fudge the middle, make it work, but you've got to have a strong opening and ending.

Course, just because I do it doesn't mean it's a good idea. I suppose it's one of those things that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 17, 2014

jack hudkins said:
I write the ending first, otherwise I don't know what I'm shooting for. Anyway, it works for me, but everyone is different.

You're far from the first I've known to write the ending first.

I don't want to shoot for any ending. I want the ending to come naturally from the story I'm writing, rather than trying to force the story to a preconceived ending.

Funny how it all works for some.

thisprovinciallife · Nov 17, 2014

In my current WIP, there's a POV told in reverse chronology. I started writing it in reverse, too, but after a chapter or two I couldn't do it. I found it difficult to unravel the character arc instead of building it, if that makes sense.

I do write out of order a lot, though, when a scene in my head won't shut up.

Flicka · Nov 17, 2014

I'm writing out of order for the first time ever and it's strange how well it's working out. Usually I worry that you can feel that some scenes are just transportation towards something more interesting, but this time, they're all equally strong and seamlessly segue into each other. I think it's because I'm equally excited about everything I write, plus it takes away some of the performance anxiety when I think "I'm going to write this now, but I may not use it".

I don't know if I'd always do it, but it works for this story for now.

RDArmstrong · Nov 25, 2014

No order. Just write. Order comes when I'm having a shower or before I sleep.

Laer Carroll · Nov 25, 2014

"Do whatever works" is one of the few dependable rules about writing. Of course you can do it! You might even do it well.

Some people PLAN out of order. Crime writers especially might figure out who done it, then why they did it, then how they did it, then how the crime was discovered and who set out to bring the criminal to justice.

Writing it out of order has obvious dangers, as others have pointed out. But as long as we know that, and prepare for the dangers, I see no reason to limit ourselves to a linear approach.

Susan Coffin · Nov 30, 2014

gothicangel said:
Looking for some advice. Has anyone tried writing a novel from the resolution and wrote backwards? I'm currently working on my new WIP, and so far have reached 35,000 words and I'm at a block, and haven't written anything for weeks. Its not that I don't know what will happen, I have a vague idea of plot (I'm a pantster), and know exactly how my finale is going to happen. I just haven't worked out the details of getting my MC from B to C.

However, I do know the details of the climax between the MC and the antagonist. I started writing the final chapters to night and it was great, I could write all night (if I wasn't going to work tomorrow .) So I began to wonder whether I should try writing the story back over until I reach the point where I was blocked.

Has anyone else tried writing like this? I don't mind if it isn't seamless (that is what draft 2 is for.) Was it successful?

Thanks in advance.

I think this is an interesting idea, though I've never tried it.

AnthonyJones · Nov 30, 2014

I don't think I could write backwards. It seems like that would be a lot easier to make more mistakes.

What I do when I get stuck somewhere, I hit the period button until four lines are just periods. And I write the word 'edit' and go on to the next scene.

Afterwards, I usually no what to feel that space in with, so I'll use the search tool in Word, type in Edit, and it'll take me right where I need to be.

Works for me! I use this a lot when I get anxious about the next scene, so I'm rushing over descriptions, knowing what I'm writing is terrible. Then I go back when I'm calm haha

kds4316 · Dec 1, 2014

Each of my three novels (and several smaller works) are nonlinear. I usually have a pretty decent overall outline, and then fill it in, but not necessarily in order. As ideas for scenes flesh out in my mind, I write them down, whatever 'order' they are in. I always wind up moving scenes or entire chapters around anyway, to give backstory, foreshadow, etc. Nonlinear narratives are more fun!

Writing A Novel Backwards?

gothicangel

Toughen up.

chompers

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

ShadowVixenX

Jamesaritchie

Niccolo

Sage

Supreme Guessinator

Thewitt

nomadictendencies

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Craig McNeil

Sitting in the shadows

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

WriteMinded

Derailed

gothicangel

Toughen up.

G.G. Rebimik

Write? I can barely read...

tko

just thanks fore everything

Jamesaritchie

thisprovinciallife

hi! i'm reese.

Flicka

Dull Old Person

RDArmstrong

Laer Carroll

Aerospace engineer turned writer

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

AnthonyJones

kds4316