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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48208
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

<sub>(This originally started out as a comment on <a href="https://writing.stackexchange.com/a/48196/29940">Glastel's answer</a>, about a fourth explanation, but I decided to expand it into a full answer)</sub>

Write part of the end of the **book** , at the start of the **process**. This gives you a target to aim for, a case of "this is where we will end up, now _how do we get there_".

This will allow you to thread foreshadowing throughout your story. It gives your story a direction, and - for some authors - it provides motivation, or a definitive "end point". (But, of course, don't be afraid to tweak that ending as the story develops!)

If you write the whole book in the same order that the reader will read it, it _sometimes_ comes off as directionless and meandering - the story doesn't quite know where it's going. (Some authors, however, are able to thread the whole story together in order - but even they will go back through to tidy up again later!)

As a famous example: JK Rowling has said that the final chapter of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was one of the **earliest** things she wrote for the series. That's about **15 years** before the final book (containing said chapter) was published!

However, this meant she knew that - if she wanted to share this chapter with the public - she had to finish the other six-and-nine-tenths books first.

Furthermore, while we don't know how many of these were edited in later, there are several key plot points which are mentioned, and had to be "hit" earlier in the series - here's a _brief_ list:

> • Voldemort is defeated - permanently  
> • Harry and Ginny are married  
> • Ron and Hermione are married  
> • Neville Longbottom is a teacher at Hogwarts  
> • Dumbledore is dead  
> • Snape is dead, **and** did something to make Harry respect him  
> • Draco and Harry are still rivals, but have a begrudging respect for each other

Original score: 4