Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that begins at the end or, at least, at the climax of the story? From the opening scene or page, you are then transported back in time so that by the end, you understand why the things that occurred at the beginning (of the novel or movie) took place. The writing industry refers to this as a “reverse chronology” style.
When writing a reverse chronology story, there are several things to keep in mind. It’s imperative to present a novel to your readers in a logical form. It’s okay to go back in time or to start at the end, providing the rest of the story makes sense.
Making sense of reverse chronology
The ideas included in the following list are helpful when using reverse chronology in a Christian fiction story:
- Choose a single climactic event to being your story. Examples include a burial, with main characters gathered around a grave, a person being handcuffed and led away by police, the birth of a baby or a farewell scene.
- Go back as early in time as the story allows and build from there, until the reader understands the “why” of the “what” that occurred in the opening paragraphs.
- Use tools, such as dreams, flashbacks, dialogue and hindsight to transport the reader back in time to “fill in the blanks.”
- Begin by writing out a chronological order and timeline of events, then flipping it to tell the story using reverse chronology.
What you don’t want to do is confuse your readers. Telling a story from ending to beginning can be tricky; however, the list shown here provides ideas to help you create a story that keeps readers engaged and emotionally invested, while also providing answers to questions that will naturally arise after the opening scenes.
Examples of this type of writing
Some of the most famous reverse chronology stories include those listed below:
- The Night Watch, by Sarah Waters, introduces readers to a group of people in London, whose lives have intertwined and been connected through various events and life experiences during the WWII era. The story begins in 1947 and ends seven years earlier.
- Time’s Arrow, by Martin Amis, begins a story with a man’s death, then transports readers back in time to tell the story of his life.
- The October List, by Jeffery Deaver, is a crime thriller that is told in reverse.
Writing, as well as reading reverse chronology novels takes practice. Both authors and readers alike must pay attention to detail. Remember, if you’re writing a novel using this format, your goal is to tell the story in reverse, allowing readers to experienced “Aha!” moments as they go back in time to explain the present.
