In Steven Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he states: “Begin with the end in mind.”
For first-time writers, this is helpful advice. But let’s clarify. When we talk about “the end,” rather than thinking about the plot, let’s consider our characters and in particular our protagonist. How is she relating differently to other characters? What has she come to understand as a result of this journey?
Character suggests plot. For writers, I believe this is crucial.
It’s easy to get stuck in our idea of how the story should go. When we hold our idea more loosely, we become open to surprises. It’s not that our idea was incorrect, it’s just that it was incomplete.
I’m not saying that you have to figure it all out before you begin writing, but by having a sense of your ending, your subconscious is free to fill in the blanks and write to that place. The story may change. It may go in all sorts of directions that we hadn’t considered. Part of the thrill of being a first-time novelist or screenwriter is that we have not yet imposed any rules on ourselves.
Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.
3 Secrets for Getting Started on Writing Your First Novel