The End (Or Is It?)

So if you have done any writing at all, you have probably looked up writing advice. And if you've looked writing advice, I'm sure you've seen the suggestion of writing the ending first.

Here's my take on it: It's not necessary.

Thus far, I have written chronologically. Writing the ending scared me to death. I couldn't cope with the idea of skipping ahead in the story and writing the ending. 

What if I changed my mind about the ending? I would have wasted all that time.

What if the ending is really bad and disjointed from the rest of the book?

What if I mess myself up in writing the rest of the story?

What if I can't focus on the rest of the story because I'm trying to make it fit with the ending?

If this is your problem, then stop reading writing advice.

If the idea of writing the ending first makes you feel crazy and nervous, then don't do it. No one controls how you write your story except for you. If going chronologically is working for you, then don't worry about it and keep doing what works. Why fix something that isn't broken? 

But if you get stuck, then try this. I got a severe case of writer's block, and since I knew how I wanted the ending to go, I just wrote it. Now it's out of my head and it won't distract me. Now I just have to build a bridge from point A to point B. Writing chronologically was totally working for me so while it did, I kept doing it. When it stopped working, I changed my approach.

So do what works for you. And don't be afraid to experiment with other methods if you get stuck.

Because this picture is totally wrong.