Jay asked John Goode:

When you begin writing a book how much of the plot do you know in advance? Do you already know how the story is going to end or do you just start getting words on the screen and let the characters pull you in a certain direction?

John Goode Honestly I usually start with the end which tells me the message of what the book is trying to say. Other times it is a scene that in my mind is a pivotal moment and then look at ways to expand from there. Sometimes, like with Going the Distance, the character starts talking and I listen and about 1/3 of the way I figure out where we're going and try to plot out the end. But I cannot write a story that I don't know the end to, it makes for sloppy story telling and unfocused plot points that never get picked up. You can let a character take yo in a direction but as a writer you better know where the end destination is or you're screwed.

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