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Months Quote by John Irving

“Sometimes that's a year, sometimes it's 18 months, where all I'm doing is taking notes. I'm reconstructing the story from the back to the front so that I know where the front is.” quote by John Irving
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“Sometimes that's a year, sometimes it's 18 months, where all I'm doing is taking notes. I'm reconstructing the story from the back to the front so that I know where the front is.”

John Irving

About This Quote

Source Novel: The World According to Garp by John Irving, 1978

He reorganizes his narrative backwards to understand its structure and meaning.

In simple terms: He rewrites his story from end to start to see the beginning.

Key Takeaway

Reframe problems by working backwards.

Themes

writing analysis structure

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

literary process

When to use this quote

  • writing a novel
  • editing a manuscript
  • solving a puzzle
  • planning a project

Key Concepts

Narrative theory reverse engineering

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does reversing order reveal hidden patterns?
  • When is a backward approach counterproductive?
A Different Perspective

May miss forward momentum and cause confusion.

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