Say whaaaat? Outline backwards?!!?? But…but…you’re supposed to start at the beginning! You can’t have an end without a beginning!!
You can, actually. Sometimes, knowing how the story ends is what you need in order to know how it begins.
I was bemoaning my Camp NaNo project a while back because I realized I didn’t know how it would begin. So, on Monday night, I sat down and I outlined the plot backwards. I started with how it would end–Connor calling his biological mother–and worked my way backwards to get to the first scene–the villain murdering someone in cold blood.
I know, I know, it’s cliche…but hang the rules.
After that was done, I then outlined the plot going forward and admittedly, got more scenes by doing it that way. Then I typed it out, then I transferred it to a map of sorts using index cards:
Like I’ve said before, the way you outline your stories will change over time.
Tell me your thoughts below!
The Writerly Worm 