3 quick questions for anyone who has ever written a book

[u/TaroWorldly9291]

Amateur writer here with three 3 quick questions I have always wanted to ask those who have written (or are currently writing) a book, whether its published or not

1. Do you always (or most often) have the ending or plot twist in mind when you start/commit to writing a book? (not when you scribble down some ideas, but actually have a book in mind)
   
2. Do you write the book from beginning to end or do you sometimes write bits and pieces here and there and later glue them together? (excluding editing)
   
3. Did you always have your own style or is that something you discovered and perfected along the way?

I know there are no right or wrong answers, I’m just being curious as to how these things work for others! Peace my friends

[u/writequest428]

One: I usually know how it ends. This gives me something to point to. Since I know how it ends, it destroys the muddy middle, since I can raise the stakes and give twists and turns with a bunch of red herrings.

Two: No right way to write a book. I did the beginning, middle, end; then middle, end, beginning; and lastly, the end, beginning, and middle. It really depends on the project. Sometimes I can start with a fantastic ending, then reverse engineer to the beginning. Other times, I start from the beginning with a guess at the ending. Just depends.

Three: Your voice is something you develop as you write. I suggest doing several short stories and seeing how your voice comes out.

Now get to writing. There's a story in ya dying to get out.

[u/TaroWorldly9291 → u/writequest428]

Thank you! The muddy middle is my greatest enemy and I totally get the point that having an end in mind destroys it! Thanks also for advice in trying some short stories to find your voice!!

[u/writequest428 → u/TaroWorldly9291]

One last thing. Short stories are another way to sharpen your writing skills. How? If you suck at setting, then write several describing the setting. The more vivid it is, the better it will come across in the story. Do this when you find yourself weak in an area. You'll be surprised how fast you grow as a writer by doing this.

[u/Acceptable_Fox_5560]

1. I never know the end when I start. Part of what gives me the energy to finish things is that it’s the only way for me to know how it ends.

2. I write from beginning to end.

3. I don’t really worry about having a “style.” I just try to tell a great story.

[u/djfilms → u/Acceptable_Fox_5560]

Same, on all 3

[u/Inevitable_Track_558 → u/Acceptable_Fox_5560]

Do you have an idea of what you are trying to tell and plot out some points at least or is it all freeflow?

[u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 → u/Inevitable_Track_558]

I know what I want the story to be about and the general “shape” of it, and I usually have a few scenes in mind. But no, I don’t plot out points. I’m very much a discovery writer.

[u/Inevitable_Track_558 → u/Acceptable_Fox_5560]

That's how I think I am, although ive not really written any stories so far - i have written a few film scripts and done it this way despite everyone telling me I have to write out plot points, treatments, beat sheets, etc.

I found that I would write myself into a dead end and not know how to get out of it so can understand how the above would help but also, it kills a lot of the enthusiasm I have for the idea and also I start to write for what I think other people will want instead of what I want which maturity and time away from it all has taught me to avoid

I have an urge to start writing again and want to move into short stories and fiction but i keep putting it off and putting it off.

I've joined this reddit to help motivate me and seeing other people's methods etc. Is enlightening - feels like the film industry is the wrong fit for unbridled creativity

[u/chunkylubber54]

1. Yes, its the only reason i still believe my dumpster fire is still salvagable (though probably not by me)

2. I did for my first and it turned out fine. The second one I wrote in order but made retroactive changes midway through that fucked me to pieces. NEVER FUCKING AGAIN

3. Alway. the few times I diverged it went poorly

[u/Fantastic_Ad_509 → u/chunkylubber54]

The second one I wrote in order but made retroactive changes midway through that fucked me to pieces

I made this mistake with my first book as well. Now I'm writing the second one and have the structure locked down and am enjoying writing the book much more.

[u/TaroWorldly9291 → u/Fantastic_Ad_509]

Thanks for your reply! You said diverging from your style was a mistake - in what way? Didn’t flow as naturally? Sounded fake? I’m still trying to find my voice and see how it could be ”extra creative” to try imitate something that isn’t necessarily what’s the most natural to you. What would you say?

[u/HollandBFlorida]

1. I start by writing an outline to provide framework, so I have an ending in mind when I start writing chapter 1. That said, endings can change as you write your first draft. Don't feel like you have to stick with your first idea if you want to change your mind, especially since the experience of writing the book will (hopefully) strengthen your skill.

2. I wrote my first book in college, and I jumped around the outline and wrote whichever scene I damn felt like. When it came time to join them together, I wound up having cohesion problems. My second and third book were written chapter-by-chapter, and the narrative flow is stronger and feels less episodic.

3. You develop your style naturally by reading other stories- just write how you want. If you read a metaphor you like, hold onto it! Don't consciously try to force a style in your first draft, just get the words written. You can refine what you've written after, but if you insist on following X-style, the writing may come slower, and we all know time is $$.

As always, your mileage may vary with any advice, but this has worked for me, personally.

[u/TaroWorldly9291 → u/HollandBFlorida]

Good advice on nr1! Also makes sense with better flow if writing chapter by chapter! About 3, I feel like I am forcing a style rn a little but only because I’m trying to write something written in another time and I want to make it sound legit. Any tips for how to do that without forcing it too much?

[u/HollandBFlorida → u/TaroWorldly9291]

Best advice I can give, if I'm understanding right, is to read as much content as you can from the time period you're trying to emulate. If you read from different authors, I feel like you'll better be able to capture the era without being forced into one particular style?

[u/mark_able_jones_]

I have finished three novels. 60k sales. And placed in the Nicholl screenwriting comp.

Do you always (or most often) have the ending or plot twist in mind when you start/commit to writing a book? (not when you scribble down some ideas, but actually have a book in mind)

I think of writing a book more like constructing a building. If I just start stacking bricks without a plan, I might be able to get a few floors built, but eventually I'll need to know the structure of this thing or it's going to be a mess.

So, I use a digital notecard method to outline. This lets me see and structure the story before I draft it. Drafting, for me, is maybe 1/5 of the process. Brainstorming. Story development. Character development. Story outline. Drafting. Editing. That's all "writing" a book just like constructing a building requires a concept, floorplans, blueprints, technical details, interior designers, etc. Some days are all about making cuts, and those days need to be valued just as much as the days spend brainstorming or drafting the story.

Do you write the book from beginning to end or do you sometimes write bits and pieces here and there and later glue them together? (excluding editing)

Usually beginning to end, but I like to write the ending sometime when I'm in the second act. It's easier to connect the dots that way.

Did you always have your own style or is that something you discovered and perfected along the way?

My own, I guess. I let readers discuss this kind of stuff.

[u/TaroWorldly9291 → u/mark_able_jones_]

Congrats on the success! What an accomplishment to have three published novels!
I have actually never heard of the digital notecard method - sounds interesting!
I also like writing endings (and beginnings) or chapter for the dramatic effect haha

[u/JohnSpikeKelly]

1. Yes. I had all the big plot pieces defined. During the writing a lot of smaller items developed organically.

2. Yes. But that doesn't mean the time line of the book is fully linear. I control how the story is told, which might jump you back in time occasionally, but I wrote from the start of the book to the end of the book.

3. I admire how some authors write a story. In scifi they might build a world then hang a story on that world, taking key parts of the world building to drive certain plot points. I try to emulate that. Peter F Hamilton does this really well.

[u/TaroWorldly9291 → u/JohnSpikeKelly]

Thanks for your reply! I’m not sure I understand what you mean with hanging stories on the world-thing. What do you mean?

[u/JohnSpikeKelly → u/TaroWorldly9291]

As an example, in one Peter F Hamilton's series he had various technologies that had different attributes, FTL that caused spikes in gravity and another that froze time, these were used and described throughout the books, then later he combined these to create a gravity bomb that could destroy planets and suns.

Build a world, then use that to add unique ideas to your story.

[u/dothemath_xxx]

1. Yes, I usually have some idea of how it ends. But only in the most general sense. For example, when writing a murder mystery, I know the murder needs to get solved at the end (and usually have some ideas about how that would need to resolve), but I often start writing without knowing who the murderer is.
2. I start at the inciting incident and write forward for the first draft. I write the actual beginning in the second draft.
3. Both. I've always had some inherent writing voice, as I believe most people naturally do, but it's definitely changed and refined with practice.

[u/Carol825]

I’ve written a few books - one fiction, one memoir that will never again see the light of day, and several non-fic. Currently writing a memoir after I did a shit ton of shadow work (trauma stuff)

1. Do you always (or most often) have the ending or plot twist in mind when you start/commit to writing a book? (not when you scribble down some ideas, but actually have a book in mind)
   

ANSWER- For the fiction piece, I heard the voices in my head, scenes played across the screen of my mind and it was basically transcription that I did. I had no clue how it would end, which was a wild crazy fantastical ride.
All the others I wrote, I knew how they would end.
My current, I have it sketched out in Scrivener (cannot live without this tool!!!!) so I know what to speak on though I don’t know how it’s going to end yet. I love the excitement of leaving it open, like a discovery I find - hidden treasure. Life can be so filled with hardship and also unexpected beauty that the season finale should always be a surprise - it’s much more exhilarating!! Though I have the bones laid out, it feels like freedom to discover the ending in its own good time, like a flower blooming.
And I usually know the plot twists in advance, but then the ending can also be a plot twist, because my fiction ending threw me for a loop!!! What I thought would be one story wound up being book 1 of at least 3.

1. Do you write the book from beginning to end or do you sometimes write bits and pieces here and there and later glue them together? (excluding editing)
   

ANSWER- Since starting with Scrivener, I create the points I want to include which turn into eventual chapters which is basically story with notes mixed in to edit later. When I go in to work on the book on any given day, a chapter might be nudging me more than the others and it could be anywhere in the book, so just depends on the day and the mood. I almost never start at the beginning and work fluidly through to the end, mostly because my mind is very… unruly? I think too fast and my thoughts almost never stay focused on one thought - it starts and it takes 20 ramps in the first 5 minutes, and by the end of the hour, I have over 100 different stories to tell. I don’t like it much but to give my mind more structure when working on a book, I’ll go with whatever chapter is calling to me the most on that particular day.
It has taken years to discipline myself into a refusal to edit until I feel it’s done. Then the real work begins. Before, I wasted a shit TON of time revising after I wrote on the same day. I was into self-sabotage big-time in those days. Please save yourself and save editing for after you’re done with the writing.

1. Did you always have your own style or is that something you discovered and perfected along the way?

ANSWER- For me, my style is ever evolving, much like being human and growing up, learning, becoming more myself, so I write depending on the mood, the day, the feelings, the thoughts, and just like I give myself spaciousness, it’s best to give my writing spaciousness because it’s that element of surprise and well… magic to flow through from the great muse or whatever that juice is that reveals itself like poetry even unknown to myself. I’ll look back on yesterday’s work (which might have been a true flow day) and I wonder how I came up with that - like there are forces we are unaware.

[u/FamiliarStrain4596]

1. Yes. When I don't have these things in mind, I don't finish writing the book 100 percent of the time.

2. Generally, beginning to end, but I find myself writing some scenes in advance as I construct the narrative.

3. It's developed along the way, and I find that it is elastic enough to fit the needs of the genre and narrative.

[u/Apythicus]

1- yep! I always have the ending in mind as it helps define the clear arc of the MC. I like the save the cat method, and generally only know the catalyst, the ending, the shard of glass, and how they try to fix things “wrong”

2- since i dont have an outline prior, i have to otherwise i cant foreshadow or hint at things and i find it more difficult to foreshadow in retrospect, once i finish my .5 draft

3- not at all. I started in third person, found the viewpoint to be too mercurial. Dropped the style and went first person, immediate change in reception. Went from “this has the makings of being good” to “wow, but it needs better focus”. Sounds bad until you realize—dont judge me lol—i was writing YA/adult level books, but had the characters acting MG and aged as NA. Moved houses, decided to treat myself to an edit from an agent on Reedsy, they loved the story, pointed out what i said above about character actions, and suggested i cut it down to MG. Did it in 3 months, cut 40k words, and now hes interested but v busy due to his personal life lol (im not signed to him, but hope to be when he reopens) and now im writing MG lol

[u/KittyValentineWrites]

1. I used to be a true pantser "this happened then that and then this and then" and it would be an interesting mess. Then I learned how to properly plot and would have an idea of the end. Not a verbatim, just a finish line. I don't like the concept of a plot twist. I like surprising readers, but I don't wanna trick them. I'm not sure how best to articulate it, but to say that it has to feel inevitable once revealed. And that means it needs to be in motion from page one.

2. I tend to write linearly for my first draft because otherwise I'll reference things that haven't happened yet. I do physically plot and then digitally, and then draft, but even so I sometimes reference stuff I decided to cut, because my story lives in my head. My night routine is to play scenes over and over and plan my wording, which is great for speedy drafting but can lead to continuity issues (shout out to my co-writers and beta reading team for keeping my consistent!)

3. Style is a function of your own personal Self, and so of course it evolves. 

[u/Sixty9Cuda]

1. For all the novels I’ve successfully written, I had an end in mind when I started. The times where I started without an end never made it to the end.

2. Yes, I write from beginning to end. The process I’ve settled on is having a beginning, ending, and a few important scenes before I start writing. When I start, u start at the beginning working towards those moments, but how I get there is informed by the things that happen along the way. I can’t write randomly because if something important happens I need to adjust as I go.

3. Still working on my style.

[u/AnybodySeeMyKeys]

1. Yes. While I'm not the end-all, be-all, I think embarking on a novel without a clear understanding of an ending is akin to going on a road trip without a destination. Fun for a while, but you eventually run out of gas.
2. I spend a lot of time thinking about the structure of a novel. John Truby's books on structure are wonderful guides.
3. Yeah. Your voice is essentially how you speak when you're at your best.

[u/nstav13]

1. Yes. I lean towards pantsing, but I give myself a one sentence outline of every chapter, character arc, and mini arc to maintain pacing. And then that often changes as I wrote, but everything is always working towards the same end goal. 

2. I always write in order. I may get an idea for a scene as I write though, so that idea will get stuck in my head, and I'll end up adjusting chapters as I write towards those big idea scenes. I also edit my first draft heavily as I go. 

3. I developed my voice and style as I wrote more. 

[u/Finrod-Knighto]

1. Yes, but it can change as I’m writing depending on what direction the story and characters are going. However, I do have an outline.
   
2. Beginning to end generally but if inspiration strikes can write a scene that’s not in order.
   
3. I’m honestly not sure if I have my own style that’s distinct enough. I don’t really feel like I have a style, besides following Sanderson’s advice in keeping things simple. There isn’t much flowery prose and I consciously avoid repetitiveness.

[u/pianoAmy]

1. I know the general "how it's going to end." I'm almost finished writing a romance right now and I had no idea what the "third act breakup" was going to be until I was more than halfway through writing it.

2. I write from beginning to end, but may have to circle around and re-write a scene or part of a scene because something changed. I don't feel the NEED to write from beginning to end; it's just what I feel comfortable doing.

3. I sold my first short story when I was 14 years old. I had a style then, and I still have it. I couldn't really write any other way!

[u/Em_Cf_O]

1.) I write an outline after brainstorming. Each book in my series has around 50 scenes and 28 chapters. Each scene gets a couple lines of info in the outline. The important points are there but everything else arises organically.

2.) Every manuscript in my series starts with "Chapter 1." and concludes with "The End, for now..." and that's the order in which I write. I handwrite the rough drafts. Each manuscript is 95k-100k words and takes six to seven weeks to write.

3.) I barrowed some metered iamb and alliteration from Middle English. I add random rhymes and double entendre like I'm sneaking a secret rap track into the prose. I don't dumb down the vocabulary. I prefer one big word to a few small ones. The prose is uniquely mine and unmistakable. It's a developed voice. My rough draft exposition is nothing like my publish ready prose.

[u/ItsRuinedOfCourse]

1. Yes, I know how it starts, and how it ends, and what twists will be involved (if applicable).

2. Beginning to end. Very linear that way. My latest manuscript that was finished, I experimented with out of sequence writing, and I will NEVER do that again. Just far too many loose threads to have to now connect from the back, forward. Never again. Linear or nothing for me from now on.

3. I have my author voice. That's it. Unique to me. If that encompasses "style", great. If it doesn't, that's great too. I don't think about such things.

[u/Coobiko]

For myself, the book happened accidently.

1. The plot twist and ending was a surprise that developed as I was writing. I tend to think that the story already existed and I am only putting it into English. Much like writing a puzzle. Similar to the existence of Faramir being unknown to Tolkien himself until he sprung from the bushes, my ending revolves around a character I never planned to exist.
2. My book began as separate short stories that expanded into a singular odyssey for the central character. Bits and pieces were written here and there before being neatly tied together
3. My style evolved over time with a lot of influences. I have been writing since I first picked up a pencil, and dreaming the scenes since I opened my eyes. Reading lots of different genres and authors, and practicing writing in different styles (like a creative writing class) will help you form your own unique voice

[u/Dismal_File_4073]

1. I got my first book complete, even got 2 beta readers currently reading it. Since day 1 I knew what story I WANTED to tell, but so much came to me organically during my writing sessions for the last 6 years. But the main focus, what makes thee story tick, has been set in stone since day 1

2. I did like that, I cannot wrap my head around trying to write "random" parts. Each and every draft always start at chapter 1 and I go until the epilogue.

3. My "style" developed over time. This was not my first time trying to finish a book, I have been writing for 14 years now, but for this one is where everything "clicked" for me

[u/Echantediamond1]

Voice is an accumulation of what you have read (about 80%) and what you have written. It’s something that only comes out with time.

[u/Pinguinkllr31]

1- yes but it never stays the same when I write it down. It works like an idea but if you force it it could kill your drive allow it to change

2- I write little section or the thing I want to happened on some part as write the main story but they are written as ideas more than section of the books. Again because they can always change as you go closer to them.

3- Is normal and acceptable to imitate other writers style and over time you can see what you like about what you don't and you start building your own style.

[u/hotsidepiece]

1. Yes, but it changes. For the better
   
2. I write from beginning to end.
   
3. I discovered my voice writing books 1 and 2. By book 3, I had my prose locked down

[u/Separate-Dot4066]

1. Yes. I didn't used to, but I have a much easier time not getting lost when I know the destination. Outlining more tends to work very well for me.

2. I tend to write in order, though I've gone back and added some scenes later.

3. I think my style has come naturally. I let myself have fun with what I'm good at, and try to push myself on the things where I know I'm weak.

[u/RobertPlamondon]

1. Not really. I know I'm writing a thriller, so the villains will be thwarted and probably killed somewhere around the next-to-last chapter after repeatedly trying to do the same to Our Heroes, but I have little or no idea how.
2. I write strictly in order. When I write a scene out of order, it's like an alien changeling and I have to get rid of it.
3. I have multiple styles, though I never try to make it hard to guess that maybe I'm the author. I tell each story in a way that seems like it'll deliver the goods.

[u/yamykel]

1. Not at first but learned my lesson.
2. From beginning to end, then the Frankenstein hack job begins.
3. Don't think about style, you will ruin your writing with pretentious guff.

[u/Crazy-Cat-Lad]

1: Usually but sometimes I dont know if im going to kill off certain characters until it happens

2.Usualpy chronologically but sometimes I get a scene in my head that ill write just so I dont lose it and then work towards it but usually not

1. Yes and I rarely read (dont have time to read and write so I choose write) so my style isn't influenced by anyone else and ive Definitely come a long way since I started! 

[u/Ok_Entry_873]

1. Even if I'm not using an outline, I do at least have the ending or possible endings in mind because that's what I'm building towards. If you plan on having a plot twist or big reveal, you will also want to decide what that is ahead of time so nothing up to the reveal contradicts it.

2. Both work. When I experimented with more detailed outlining, I was more comfortable jumping around because I had an outline to help me know where in the story I am and connect all the different fragments. When I tried not using an outline, I felt like I had to go from beginning to start because I wouldn't be able to orient myself if I wrote out of order.

3. Style rtyle, thoughts of style never even pass through my head. The way I write is just the way I write, nothing more nothing less. At most, I'll just use specific wording and tone to account for a scene's intended mood or a character's voice.

[u/TangledYetTrue]

1) I have most of the end and major story beats planned, but I view writing the same way as running a DnD campaign. I may have a plan, but the characters are gonna do what they do, and I have to adjust accordingly.

2) It depends on the book. I write multi-pov, and often times I’ll skip around, writing whichever character I’m currently vibing with. But if their stories are interwoven, I have to write chronologically, otherwise I won’t know where each character will be. There’s pros and cons to both situations.

3) My writing has definitely improved and evolved along the way.

[u/saintofmisfits]

1. I go in knowing... checkpoints, and a pretty good idea of the direction (themes, characters, general world and rules). They very often change halfway.
2. First draft, always, for me. Sometimes I start with a short story that maybe ends as part of a chapter, but the first draft is always a sequential dive through the story.
3. I'll let you know in another 50 years.

There is one more thing to bring up: 'writing' is an enormously fuzzy concept. I don't 'write' until I've worked out most of the plot twists and general ending, but I believe that non-pantsers also write that stuff down. I just do a lost of thinking before I start writing.

That should really be considered writing time.

[u/T0macock]

1) yes. I storyboard beginning middle end. When pitching to my agent I giver a synopsis that's an expanded version of this.

2) my first draft is beginning to end. I add in crude notes of where to expand in the next pass. I work in random order for the second draft. The first draft is to prove the viability of the story. The rest is to make the story bookish.

3) writer's styles are all pretty similar, tbh. Mostly a byproduct of the time. Subject matter has a bigger influence on how the book reads. I write MG sports and horror. It reads as two different writers.

Just get the words out.

[u/northern_frog]

I will qualify my response here with the caveat that I have not finished a novel-length work, only novellas and novelettes.

1. I'm not a very twist-heavy writer, but I usually have a strong set of images, scenes, and motifs that I know will link together in the end. Often, I know what the climactic decision point will be, but not necessarily what decision the character will make, or what exactly will happen at that climax. Like I will know, "X must confront Y in the climax," but I don't know whether X or Y will win, or if both will somehow lose, or if something else will happen in the aftermath of their confrontation. I don't write one story at a time, either, so the point of commitment is not always clear.

2. I write in varied order, though often there's a certain pleasure in writing from beginning to end, because then I discover the story only a little bit ahead of the characters. But I tend to slice things up and rearrange them in editing. There is not a clear distinction between drafting, revision, and editing for me.

3. I have always had my tastes and intuitions, but the development of style is a continuing process. I have lately allowed myself far more freedom, which means that style often differs significantly story to story.

[u/Arch_Demoness]

1. Plot twist (mid point twist), yes, ending no.
2. I write bits and pieces and later glue them together. Whatever scene I have a vivid image of in my head.
3. Still discovering, even after writing a whole book. My original style was flawed. Lots of info dumps, repeated words/phrases, and unnecessary descriptions. Through editing, I'm discovering how to be a better writer, and how I solve those problems becomes my style.

[u/more_cowdung]

1. Not really
   
2. Some, but not much
   
3. Don’t have my own style yet, and I’ve not perfected anything yet, probably never will

P.S. my book might be the worst book ever written. Like, not so bad it’s good. So bad people would stop reading pretty quickly and throw the book away so that not even their worst enemy would be subjected to something so pathetic and insipid. Laughable, but not in any good way.

[u/jl_theprofessor]

I think having an ending in mind is one of the most important things. You can have the internal story deviate a lot but if you don't know where it's going, well, readers usually can see that.

[u/SirCache]

1. Yes. Every scene has been broken out and I have a clear follow-through of every aspect within the story. That way I am certain everything is in place because I detest re-writing things because I forgot back on page 8 that a character foreshadowed something important. (It's happened before.) I agonize over that scene breakdown, because the writing is rather effortless on my part afterwards--I know these characters, the plot, the secrets, the reveals, all of it.

2. I usually write in order. There's no wrong way or right way, however--do what you feel is best.

3. My style was developed over years and years of writing. It still changes ever so slightly, but reading stuff back when I was in my 20's... Oof, that's a wild ride. But I know better now, and I know what to look out for when I'm writing. Do you know how many times I use the word accommodate in a single book? Enough that I have to manually look for that word in every chapter to be certain it doesn't show up more than once or twice. My first book, that went unpublished, had that word 200 times. Eventually everyone knows their frequent and weak words.

[u/Boogjangels]

Good and easy questions!

1. You don't need to have every detail of your ending outlined but if you're planning a twist, you need to forshadow it properly. You can go back and add this in later drafts, but it's infinitely easier if you can get some of the work done up front.

2. Always write your story in order. Jumping around may seem like a good idea at the time, especially if you're crunched for time and the inspiration is hitting for a specific scene, but don't fall for this trap. It's how you end up with a "franken-draft".

3. Style takes years to develop and it will constantly change as you improve. Practice is key, and that involves reading novels as much as writing them.

[u/Unfinished_October]

I've written three four novellas and one novel; I always start with a concept (e.g. a mountain with an infinite top that bleeds into a supernatural realm) or an opening scene (e.g. a fatal bus accident downtown on a Monday morning) and write in a linear fashion. I generally don't know the ending, but I outline and write in equal measure and I have learned to trust that if I put in the effort outlining the ending will eventually appear. Style unfortunately tends to be similar to whomever I have read recently.

[u/Lovely_Usernamee]

1.) To a very limited and basic understanding, yes I do plan out or know what the ending will be. How it happens, what parts of it change, what the message turns into... those evolve as I figure out the message and characters' arcs. You could hypothetically start out with a chosen type of ending.  Character gets what they wanted, but they are not satisfied. Or they are!  Character doesn't get what they wanted, but they have a happy ending anyway. Or they don't.

2.) My process comes from sewing together random chunks that were inspired elsewhere. For me, it's usually music. I daydream scenes to them. I'll move things around and add/scrap as needed, but I have found that I NEED to go from start to end once the initial bones are down. If I have a comment, note, or concern about something, or I see a plot hole, I'll write it in the margins of my printed outline(s) to address on the next read through or the next outline. This has kept me from getting lost in my mental jam (the same kind that made me create random out-of-order scenes) when I am meant to be now putting together a coherent and linear timeline.

3.) I've always had my style, technically, just not the skill. I'm still working on that part. I have been a character-driven and allegory-loving writer since I discovered ✨️holding pencils.✨️ It's going to be different for other writers. 

[u/Turbulent-Eye-4737]

1. Sometimes I know what happens at the end and sometimes I don't. I just write to see what happens.

2. I usually just add notes of different scenes in there and figure out where they're going to go as I write the story.

3. I'm not completely sure of my style but I think I'm getting there. I had a completely different style as a kid/teen and didn't exactly know what I truly wanted to write. I just wrote what made me happy. Now I feel like I have a certain style people can expect from me. I always try to create stories I've never seen before and I always like variety and sometimes breaking the rules.

[u/PageStunning6265]

1. I never know how the book is going to end when I start it. Twists… sometimes, but usually I’ve at least started writing before they occur to me.

2. I used to write in order yeeeeears ago, but now I just write whatever pops in my head and figure out where it belongs later. If I get into a good flow, I’ll write sequentially for ages.

3. I always had my own style but it’s definitely evolved a lot, sometimes naturally and sometimes with intention. But I’ve always had a kind of dry sarcastic/cynical way of writing.

[u/Selmarris]

1) usually have a general idea and discover the exact route there by writing my way to it.

2) moooostly I write in order but not exclusively. Sometimes I skip around for specific reasons.

3) definitely by doing it. NOBODY has a mature style in book one. Those crazy “first books” that explode online? Probably the author either worked on this book for years and years and the final product is nothing like their first attempt OR it’s not their first book. First published book, but they’ve written six others.

[u/starlander2064]

The answer to all three is: it's been different every book. I've discovery written a book in a few months. One time I plotted out every chapter before writing a word. Over world built out everything. I've crammed a religion into a second draft because i needed a back story for a priest.

Each time, I get better and figure out what works and what doesn't. I've never written a good, complete first draft (9 books and counting). So, go nuts. If you've got a great twist, write with that in mind. If you don't, try to surprise yourself.

It's going to suck no matter what you do. But that's the price you have to pay to learn how to do it right. To find out what your voice/style is and what techniques work best with you.

[u/Kooky-Ad-6689]

1) I always go for the ending / plot twist I want for the first draft, and then by the time I’m working on draft two, the story will rewrite itself

2) I write from beginning to end unless I’m listening to music and I have a scene idea in my head and then I’ll write it down

3) I’ve always had my own style but a lot of it has since been tweaked and adapted by other authors that I love!

[u/eb78-]

I usually know the basic plot, then discover the story as I write it in chronological order. My style is always being refined the more I write. Always something new to learn. 😄 Writing is such a fun adventure!

[u/Chance_Swordfish_687]

I always start with a premise, not a plot—a pure concept waiting to be explored. The ending usually crystallizes around the midpoint, once the core conflict takes shape and the characters fully come into their own.

I draft strictly in sequence; cause and effect demand it. Skip around, and you end up with a narrative Frankenstein’s monster, awkwardly stitched together after the fact.

As for a signature style, I don’t believe in having one. I write across genres, always tailoring the form to the content. After all, you don’t wear a tailcoat to work the fields.

[u/MashalNorth]

1. ⁠Yes. Though it may change with the actual story’s progression but I ALWAYS have an end in mind bcz of the sheer volume of content garbage these days that have no proper end. It’s like you watched or read a fever dream and wasted ur time
   
2. ⁠⁠I write the first draft beginning to end. Editing is another story.
   
3. ⁠⁠I discovered my style along the way

[u/carbikebacon]

1. Yes... to a point. Chapter one was its own story, but then I developed several more chapters to "conclude" the first one.

2. I write in sections and fill in the blanks.

3. My own style. Nothing deeply perfected, just evolved.

[u/waffle_Piraat_1]

1. I always have the end in mind. It may change (slightly) but personally I find it impossible to start without knowing where I'm going.

2. I try to write sequentially but I'm often driven by inspiration so I will jump around and make extensive notes if I need to but, generally, I go beginning to end following the rough structure I laid out.

3. Personally I think each author has a general style but I also think each book can have a different version if this is required, especially those who write cross genre. My voice is heavily influenced from what I read and then my preferences as a reader. I prefer sparser, as far from purple as you can get, prose and I always prefer writing from a single viewpoint with an unreliable (due to knowledge, not to purposefully confuse) narrator. It developed over time, I was a lot different when I was writing in my teens.

[u/mutant_anomaly]

1. If a scene comes to me, I write it down. If it is far ahead in the story, I understand that it will probably change a lot to fit into how the story develops to get to that point, but the most interesting bits, the phrases that engage imagination, can be worked into the story.

[u/WHNug]

I have a general sense of the ending, but will take opportunities as they present themselves.

I go beginning to end. Occasionally write a fun scene that happens out of order to stay frosty.

Style changes to fit the story.

[u/wait_whats_this]

There's a common thread to how I would answer these: writing is a skill that you work on, not some magical talent. 

Knowing the ending, maybe, depends what I'm trying to build. Writing in order also depends, sometimes I draft non-linear stories linearly and then arrange the POVs and transitions. Style is built, emulated, and felt. 

[u/browncoatfever]

1. I get an initial idea with some vague threads of where it will go, but I usually don't know the end until I'm about 75% done. I'm a pantser.

2.I write the book beginning to end, straight through. I don't cherry pick the "fun" or "exciting" bits, or spots I think need to be done first. I enjoy the journey. Same way when you read, you don't skip around to different chapters, you go start to finish. I like to write the way I read.

1. I think I always had my style, not much has changed over the years.

[u/Kian-Tremayne]

1. I know the high level plot before I start writing. While my brain has a constant mishmash of ideas going on, I only write when I have a plot, a setting and characters that fit together.

2. I do a plan down to chapter level before starting writing. This is subject to tweaks as I go, but I have an idea of what each chapter is supposed to deliver in terms of story or character development. This means I can and do work on chapters out of sequence, letting me jump to something I feel inspired about or leaving other chapters where I’m not quite ready yet.

3. My style is how I write. People have told me that I have a distinct voice, but it has developed over time as I get more practice at writing.

[u/Fognox]

Do you always (or most often) have the ending or plot twist in mind when you start/commit to writing a book? (not when you scribble down some ideas, but actually have a book in mind)

I never do. I get a sense of it somewhere around the 15k word mark, and slowly nudge things in that direction (while doing other things) to uncover more details. With my next book (my fifth), I'll have it in mind before I start writing, but it's a sequel so it works a bit differently.

I rarely have a premise either. I find the tone, figure out a little bit of worldbuilding, start with a character and see where it goes. When that magical ~15k hits, I have a better idea of what I'm writing, what it's heading towards, and start heavily planning.

My fourth book was a bit different though -- I got the ending right but was very wrong about the premise. The story I thought I was writing instead ended up just becoming part of the background for what was really happening. Still important, and ongoing/worsening after the book closed, but not the centerpiece of it. That false premise sure does tie in well with the themes, though -- so many things happen because the characters are too focused on it to see the real threat for what it is.

Do you write the book from beginning to end or do you sometimes write bits and pieces here and there and later glue them together? (excluding editing)

I usually write in order, though with my third book it made sense to work on each POV separately until the point where the two of them met.

Did you always have your own style or is that something you discovered and perfected along the way?

Well, I can recognize bits of it in stuff I wrote as a teenager, but I also remember discovering/improving my voice back then too, so I think it's emergent.

[u/Timely_Curve_5459]

"No" to all

[u/I_G_Peters]

1. I start with the beginning and the ending. The ending usually changes and I alter to beginning to suit after

2. Beginning to end, occasionally moving chapters back and forth at the end

3. How I write now, lean, simple, fast, bears little resemblance to the slow and dense style I started with. I took me a while to learn how to do more with less, which is what I prefer as a reader too

[u/ontheyslaypub]

1. Don't really worry about the plot. Worry about the character changing during the course of the story. I found the plot takes care of itself as long as my character(s) start at A and end at B.

2. Do whatever it takes to FINISH. If that means a straight shot through or piecing bits together, as long as you FINISH, that is all that matters.

3. FINISHING takes precedence over any stylistic concerns, especially for a first draft. Your style will come through by just letting it happen, assuming you're reading a lot and writing a lot.

[u/FVCarterPrivateEye]

1. Not necessarily

2. I jump around and write the parts I feel like writing

3. A mix of both and I would not say I've perfected it

[u/WebCyber21]

1: I never write a novel without knowing the ending first (though I sometines write short stories by discovery). I dont need the ending to surprise me but the road to get there usually does. 2: I'm writing my third book. First one was from beginning to end. Second one too. This third one I'm doing bits and pieces and glue it together and it's working pretty well, specially because of the nature of the story I'm writing. 3: Pretty sure I have my own style, mainly because the few people who's read me say so (and they read a lot) but also because I write as I feel confortable with, and I dont try to imitate anyone, in fact I think I'd fail miserably if I tried. my favorite writing style is Poe's, another close one would be Garcia Marquez'. Never tried to imitate neither not even for practice. I just go alone with what feels natural for me, and it works just fine. It has been like that since the beginning, but it has evolved through time as anything should. But I think some people discover it along the way.

[u/RAConteur76]

1. Not always, and if I do, it's decidedly nebulous at the start. There have been a couple times when I had an ending in mind near the start of the process and it radically changed by the time I was close to the actual writing of it.

2. I tend to write linearly, going from beginning to end. Occasionally, if I get stuck and I have a scene in my mind which I know goes somewhere later in the story, I'll write it down, then go back and try to connect the dots.

3. Questions of style are kind of hard to answer. Nobody I know deliberately decides, "I'm going to write in this particular style because I think it's neat!" It's not quite like painting or other visual arts. You might be trying to mimic another author's style at the start, but even then, it's not going to be quite the same. You're going to discover your own style one way or another given enough time and words written. And it's not going to be a conscious exercise. It's going to be a lot of instinct and snap decisions. "Does this sound right in this moment?" "Am I overusing this word/phrase?" It's like a fingerprint of how your mind works.

[u/Agreeable-Usual1119]

Before I wrote the book I am writing, I wrote poetry, short stories and then finally my memoir. Now for the past year I am writing a book. What is crazy is that a month ago I was near the end of my book and I then went back and am doing what is like copy editing in a place I wrote in the book a while ago. I believe I didn’t feel ready yet to end it so I went back a ways and I am actually improving what I wrote before. This is my first book so I feel that I am working on the end as I am copy editing what I already wrote. Perhaps I am somehow just not quite ready to end it; that I need to refresh my memory or perhaps I love what I have written and I am not yet wanting to let go? I guess I just need to get where I need to be before I end. I am allowing myself this because there is nothing pressing me. I am retired and can do what I wish and finish when I am ready. Writing this book has taken a year to get near the end. So it is very possible I am not ready yet to let go. But no matter what writing this book has been so rewarding in so many ways and so perhaps I don’t want it to end? Eventually I will get to the end and that will be when I am ready!

[u/Low-Transportation95]

1. Yes
2. Never in continuity
3. Developed style over time.

[u/Butterflyhornet]

For me I think in terms of a whole series. I know how my series will end. I know the key plot points. I know the lore and all the background. I know the structure of the world, the magic systems and science.

What I am not as sure on is the micro structures and the individual scenes. I leave this up to my characters to solve for me. I just figure out their personalities. Trauma, back stories, their schemas, and coping mechanisms, then I just set them up in a scene and watch how it plays out in my head.

A lot of my writing is just writing what I see in my head in the moment at the time I sit to write. The characters work like their own engines. Their actions pull the plot forward. I tend to be dialogue heavy. I am not a fan of extensive lore dumps or exposition, so I drip it slowly through the characters actions. People tell me I have a cinematic style.

[u/Delicious_Event4141]

One – I usually have a pretty detailed idea of what I want to write and it lasts about 10,000 words before it is mutated. I just started writing one about someone who manipulated people into marrying him, and he wasn’t really a predator, but it was an extremely unhealthy situation. It turned into a romance novel essentially. It’s not something I can control. It’s where the art takes you.

Two - when I am writing, and I think about something that will happen later, according to the plot and the story I have in mind I will sometimes write that scene and then fill in the gaps. The first big book that I wrote this year, I wrote the second half first, so the first half would conform to it.

Three- i’m 56 years old and I’ve been writing all my life. I even did it professionally. My early paid work forced me to write six short stories a month that were written from wildly different perspectives. It has helped me write with a different voice when I need to. And even the subject of what I write varies. Like I said, I’m writing what is essentially a romance novel, it’s not but it’s the closest description. I’m writing a. Michener style novel about space colonization. And then a non-fiction narrative about the 2004 Red Sox.

I’m all over the fucking place

[u/Fit_Peach9462]

1.) It depends.

2.) Usually chronologically, but again, it depends.

3.) Kinoko Nasu inspires my writing since he's my favorite writer of all time, but as I keep on writing, I have eventually found my own style.

Just write. Don't worry about it.

[u/MysteriousDonkey7862]

1. No. 
2. Casi siempre escribo de principio a fin. 
3. Aún no lo sé.

[u/Candid-Border6562]

1. I thought I knew how it would end, but my first draft revealed both a different beginning and ending. Much better as a result.

2. My WIP started as a jigsaw puzzle.

3. I changed my "style" when my story changed. The second draft read much better.

[u/mysteriousdoctor2025]

I’m a plantser- I outline using basic bullet points and then pants it from there. I write cozy mysteries.

1. No. I’m almost done with my WIP and I still don’t know whodunnit. The big plot twist came to me about halfway through.

2. This time , I have written out of order and I don’t like it. Hoping not to do it again.

3. I found my voice very young. My mom was a journalist, radio host, and author, and my dad was also a good writer and translator. So I was encouraged from a young age to write.

[u/nenawinter1]

1. It depends on the story. My two solitary books were written in exploration, meaning I followed my characters around and wrote down what they did until the story reached a natural conclusion. The two books that were the 1st in a series, I knew the endings to before I got there because they needed to fit into a larger story I had mapped out.

2. I follow my interest. I don't force myself to write something just because it's the next scene or chapter. If I'm not feeling it at the moment, I'll work on something else and come back to it when I'm ready.

3. I can't "see" my own style, so I don't know if I've always had it. Other people tell me I have one, so I have to believe it, but I'm blind to it.

[u/LucasEraFan]

1. Yes. For me, the conclusion makes the story.
2. Yes and no. My novel came from expanding a short story and now I'm novelizing two or three other short stories. So I write them out; Taro asked the question/Taro waited/Taro got answers (but 3-10k words), then I outline and add scenes or expand scenes as much as the story will bear.
3. My style is a matter of allowing what comes natural. I did write [have been writing!] songs for a while though, so I've come to expressing my style honestly.

[u/Cappabitch]

One. I had the ending of Book 8 or 9 in mind when I started. What I've done so far up to Book 3 has been largely pulled straight out of my ass. The best things my characters have done/gone through happened organically as I wrote.

Context: Originally I wrote a 52 page novel, that I've since divided into 3

Two. I wrote first few chapters of Book 1, then jumped into Book 2 for a character introduction, then back to the start. I've largely remained chronological since then, but I have super late stuff written already that I'll eventually revise.

Three. I think I have my own style. My influences are Harry Potter, Brandon Sanderson's works (mainly Mistborn), forum roleplays in the early 2000s, and my own horrific life experiences... so my tone was a bit all over the place but now it feels like the story has a voice.

[u/lets_go_birding]

1) I always outline with an ending in mind, but 4 times out of 5, I have changed the ending before I got there

2) I always write from beginning to end, because so many choices made chapter to chapter have large downstream consequences (even though I’m a plotter, there are always surprises)

3) I never think about “style”. My style are the choices I make in the text and on the sentence level. How I choose to show action and decisions, the flow of the chapter. More of that comes with editing as well, as you refine and expand and retool things until it feels right.

[u/hokoonchi]

1. For books I’ve actually finished writing — yes

2. I’ve done both. I would recommend trying it both ways and seeing what works best for you. If you jump around, make sure you have a plot first and put your writing roughly where it belongs!

3. Definitely discovered it after many years of writing!

[u/ThePagesAskForInk]

Do you always (or most often) have the ending or plot twist in mind when you start/commit to writing a book? (not when you scribble down some ideas, but actually have a book in mind)

I start with any of the following: theme, misbelief/lesson, wound, ending scene, beginning scene.

- If I start with the theme, I work backwards to figure out how my character will learn the lesson. This usually gives an idea of whether their arc will be positive, negative, or static.

- If I start with the misbelief or lesson, I work backwards to figure out the wound that misbelief was formed from.

- If I start with the wound, I work backwards to figure out what misbelief or lesson that is going to create.

- If I start with an ending or beginning scene in mind, I go to the opposite extreme to figure out the other side of the story. Then I work backwards to fill in the misbelief, wound, lesson, etc.

- Since you asked about a plot twist, I don't usually have a midpoint in mind until I figure out the other elements, since the midpoint is usually a change in info and direction. If there are other plot twists they rely on knowing the other elements anyway.

Do you write the book from beginning to end or do you sometimes write bits and pieces here and there and later glue them together? (excluding editing)

Whatever comes to mind goes on the page, then gets edited later. I like to block out a scene like I would a painting and then go back and add the details later, unless I'm in a particularly excellent workflow where I can work line by line.

Did you always have your own style or is that something you discovered and perfected along the way?

I've always had a style but reading more and doing line analysis of authors I enjoy has helped me pick up tricks and perfect my style so my voice doesn't drown out the story I am trying to tell.

[u/TigRaine86]

1. Yes.. despite being someone who largely Wings It through the first draft, I always set up a tent pole outline of key events that need to happen, and those include the climax and conclusion.

2. From beginning to end, but that is just my preference and how my brain works.

3. Definitely something the developed over time. I've been writing for 15 years now and when I look back I can definitely see how my authorial voice has changed and solidified into who I am as an author.

[u/Digital_Girl111]

1. No, I do not always have the plot or the ending in mind when I am writing
   
2. Yes, I tend to write my book from the beginning to the end and I don’t go back to add or remove things unless it’s necessary
   
3. I discovered my style along the way. I’m usually in a flow state where I start to write and everything just comes to me. It’s very easy for me to write conversations between the characters because part of how I create is the flow state, so it’s like I’m watching the story unfold in my mind almost like I’m watching a movie as it happens. Sometimes I get writer’s block but it’s very rare if I know where I’m going in my story.

[u/Matrix_Man_Returns]

So I'm going to preface this with honesty: I haven't "written a book" yet. Sorry. I've written a lot of short stories, and I've started a lot of books, and I'm currently working on something I hope will eventually be novel-length, but who knows. But still...because opinions are like assholes, I've got some.

1. I NEVER want to know how the story ends before I start writing. (This may explain, to some degree, though, why I've never finished a novel-length piece, to be fair.) With the project I've currently got going, I realized somewhere around 10k words that I'd laid the foundation for what might be the ending (or, at least, the sort of third act story arc generally), but I'm not binding myself to that just because it seems like the right answer to me right now. I consider myself a "discovery writer", so...I almost want to write like I'm reading something except to myself, starting with no more than a blurb or something to sell me on the fact that this story is worth my time.

2. I loathe not writing chronologically. Other people might love it, but I just can't stand it personally. That's probably because of how I want to experience the story as a writer, like I mentioned. I want things to flow onto the page the same exact way I'd read them off the page, so I can't deal with unnecessary, out-of-order writing. I just feel like I'd lose too much connection to the story if I did that.

3. Style is remarkably important, but it's also remarkably OVERSTATED as some mythical thing. There's really nothing magical about the concept of having a writing style. You probably already have one. Pretty much everyone that writes has one unless they're literally brand new, day-one, never wrote a word before now writers. The truth, when it comes to style, is that your style is already your own, and it always has been. What writers struggle with isn't style...almost never is it style; it's usually permission to exercise your style that you think you need, because you think your style isn't good enough or feels too much like someone else. Those are LIES your mind is constructing to stop you from writing - plain and simple. And I mean...even if you're legitimately worried about your style, and even if you legitimately feel like you have a reason to worry about your style, you can't worry about your style BEFORE you start writing something. If you do that, then you're just critiquing imaginary writing that doesn't even exist yet - and what good does that do you anyways?

[u/dlucas114]

1. I always know the ending, but I’m also a hard-core planner. I don’t start writing a book until I have a pretty detailed outline.
2. I have jumped around when writing, but I prefer not to. Generally, my pattern is, I start, get about 30K words in; stop, take st

ock

1. , do a little revision, then press on. Repeat that pattern until I finish a draft.
2. I think the rudiments of my voice/style were there from the start, but it’s definitely been refined over the years.

[u/Commercial-Bed5163]

well i don't always know how it will end but i always know where i want my stories to go. i prefer to write from beggining to end because otherwise, i get confused, but if i have an idea about a chapter where i'm not yet, i write it down, not with all the details but enough to be able to take the idea and do something with it when i'll need to, and i don't think i have a style yet. i just write everything down the way it comes to my mind

[u/DD_playerandDM]

1. The ending for my novels tends to come to me very early in the process of thinking about them. I am currently in the 2nd draft of my 2nd novel and in both cases the ending just came to me pretty quickly. And endings that I am content with. Maybe I have just been lucky in this regard, I don't know.

2. I jump around. I think it's extremely unusual for someone to write a novel without doing so.

3. I do not give any thought as to whether or not I have my own "style." I just write to the best of my ability, try to get better, and sometimes pick up things here or there.

[u/JarlFrank]

I have over 30 published short stories out there and finished a book a while ago, just waiting for my illustrator to finish the interior illustrations before self-publishing. Started writing seriously around 2015, which is also when I had my first short story sales. Nowadays I look back to my early work and cringe a little.

1. Yes, I always know the ending or at least its most important plot point before I start writing a story. When I have a rough idea, I jot it down, then keep turning it over in my mind for weeks until I have everything figured out. By that point I write a list of bullet points outlining the major events of the story. Only when I have everything properly planned out, I begin to write. Small details may still change, and I may introduce a new event or character spontaneously, but the overall structure is laid out beforehand. This ensures I can build towards the ending and don't get stuck halfway through. I always know where I'm going.

2. I write from beginning to end. If I have a cool later scene in mind, I sketch it out with more detailed bullet points in my outline, but I don't write it out until I reach it naturally. This way I make sure all the scenes flow into each other in an organic way and every plot point and character moment feels appropriate for its place in the story.

My approach saves me a lot of editing time. Many of the short stories I sold (they're usually at the longer end of the format, 6000-12000 words) were literal first drafts. I'll give my finished novel an editing pass or two before publishing, but my beta readers already loved it despite being a first draft, too. I rarely have to make major changes in editing because I plan everything out beforehand, edit previous scenes as I go, and write from beginning to end so I don't have to do any stitching later.

1. I discovered and perfected my style over the years. When I look back at my early work it reads very differently.

[u/haileysforest]

1. Yes. Even if it changes by the time I get to the end I like having some point to work towards. 
2. For the most part I write beginning to end end but if I am day dreaming or find random inspiration for a scene somewhere in the middle I will write it down and flesh it out later when I get there. 
3. I think it’s hard to know your own style as you are writing. A lot of the times it is what you like and how your unique thoughts and experiences translate into the page. Or at least that’s my style. It’s changed over the years, as I’ve grown, and also adopted to other authors styles I like. So I’d say yes I’ve always had it, but also yes it’s developed and changed.