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Writing in Reverse

The magic of writing your last sentence first

Raahil Modi 🌿
Write A Catalyst
2 min readNov 8, 2024

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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

What if — instead of starting a story at the beginning — you started it at the end? A little while ago, I tried this with a few stories. I wrote the last sentence first, and this has totally shifted how I approach writing.

It puts its head up and aims at each line because it knows where this story is going; it gives me, in a way, permission to construct towards that endpoint because I know how it ends.

The ending acts as my anchor. Which is to say that, as I write, I’m thinking of how every character action and every twist and the minutiae of every dialogue exchange pushes toward that last line. The results have been tighter, more cohesive narratives by cutting unnecessary detail.

It is like an upside down road map — journey makes sense only if you know the destination.

Writing in reverse also maintains some mystery. Instead of stressing about the “what’s next,” I focus more on creating a journey that is deserving of earning an ending. It is exhilarating, and the end result somehow seems fresh and purposeful.

So, next time you feel stuck, try beginning with the end. Try it out yourself and you will discover that the story is there waiting for you to pull away at.

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Write A Catalyst
Write A Catalyst

Published in Write A Catalyst

Write A Catalyst and Build it into Existence.

Raahil Modi 🌿
Raahil Modi 🌿

Written by Raahil Modi 🌿

Explorer of life's endless possibilities.

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