I committed sacrilege: I wrote my introduction LAST. Here's why I'll never go back.

[Tommy]

I know, I know. Every writing teacher ever says "start with an introduction, it tells the reader where you're going." But for my last big essay, I tried the opposite. I wrote the entire paper—body paragraphs, conclusion, the works—and only wrote the introduction when everything else was done. And honestly? It was the best essay I've ever written.

Here's why it worked for me:

I actually knew what I was introducing. In the past, my intros were vague because I didn't fully know my argument yet. I'd write something generic like "This paper will explore the causes of the Civil War." By the time I finished writing, my argument had evolved into something much more specific: "This paper argues that economic policy, not moral disagreement, was the primary driver of Southern secession." But my intro still said the vague thing. Writing the intro last meant it actually matched my paper.

The intro became a roadmap, not a promise I couldn't keep. When I wrote it last, I could look at each body paragraph and summarize exactly what it said. My intro became a mini-version of my entire argument, not a hopeful guess.

I saved so much time. No more staring at a blank page trying to craft the perfect first sentence. I just... started writing the body. The intro wrote itself when I was done.

It feels wrong, I know. But try it once. Just once. See what happens.

Anyone else write out of order? What's your process?

 

[Luchia]

The traditional "write the introduction first" advice comes from a time when people wrote on typewriters and couldn't easily rearrange. We don't have that limitation anymore.

Here's what I tell my students:

Write your introduction in two passes:

• Pass 1 (before writing): Write a "working introduction." Just a few sentences to focus your thinking. Call it a draft. Promise yourself you'll rewrite it later.
• Pass 2 (after writing): Now write your REAL introduction. You know what your paper actually says. You know your argument. You know your evidence. This introduction will be specific, accurate, and compelling.

The "working introduction" gives you direction. The "real introduction" gives you accuracy. Best of both worlds.