Write the Story Backwards

Tip edited by James Gapinski

The Tip:

If you have a great story idea, but don't know how to start it, start at the ending.  Write the ending first and work your way backwards.  You'll have a great story in no time.

A Note from the Guru:

This tip is backed up by many current compositional theories, as essayists often write the body and then work on the introduction later, understanding that it is easier to introduce a topic after the details have already been solidified in writing.  I often emphasized this strategy when tutoring young writers at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.