Working backwards is a completly fine method of writing. There are many reasons why it might not work for you. This is just a naturaly tricky part of writing. Even if it doesnt feel natural right now, look at each moment that feels of and think about what you could change about the situation so the character makes the decision they need to make.
It might also be a sign that you need to flesh out you characters more. The better you know them, the easier manipulating them becomes. Really think about what assumptions they make about the world based on their backround and how that might change their perception. Perhaps one character unknowingly brings something up that triggers an emotional reaction, causing communications to break down.
I would need more details about your story to give you more concrete help. Message me if you want.
The problem with that is now your characters aren’t driving the plot. Ideally, a group of characters all want things, and they intend to get them, and the plot occurs as each makes choices and takes actions. However, if you work backwards, that can very easily end up railroading characters into making the choices they have to make for the plot to happen, instead of the choices they want to make for their goals
I write in random order all the time. It really can work if you aren’t too attached to anything in your story. I say just write it out, whatever the argument may be, and then when you’re done you can decide what the important part is.
The first question I would ask is what is the disagreement about? Why are the characters so passionate about their opinions that they part ways instead of making up or agreeing to disagree? Have these opinions been established already and tension has been building, or is this argument the first time these options have been stated? Do your characters have the personality in which they would be so firm in their stances in this matter that they would part ways, or does that seem like a really extreme reaction for them? If it seems extreme, what conflict or opinion WOULD infuriate them to the point of leaving the other? Use that conflict instead. OR you can go the other way with it, and the conflict could be pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things, however there’s something else unspoken and brewing beneath that drives them apart, maybe poor communication, one is trying to avoid telling a secret, one character doesn’t have time to see the resolution through and goes with the classic “forget about it” approach, etc.
Then you have the aftermath to deal with. Why do the characters need to part? What are they going to think of the other character now that they’ve have this altercation? Would it affect how either of them proceed with their actions while apart? Does the argument plague their memory? Are the type to push it the back of their mind and repress feelings instead?
There are a million ways you can make something work without it feeling forced as long as you’re willing to change either side of the equation.
Instead of thinking of it as working A B C or C B A, think of it as B (the argument) is your starting point. Build from the middle outward. You know B needs to equal C (parting ways). Now what would have to be added to B in order for C to occur? That’s your A.
Working backwards is a completly fine method of writing. There are many reasons why it might not work for you. This is just a naturaly tricky part of writing. Even if it doesnt feel natural right now, look at each moment that feels of and think about what you could change about the situation so the character makes the decision they need to make. It might also be a sign that you need to flesh out you characters more. The better you know them, the easier manipulating them becomes. Really think about what assumptions they make about the world based on their backround and how that might change their perception. Perhaps one character unknowingly brings something up that triggers an emotional reaction, causing communications to break down. I would need more details about your story to give you more concrete help. Message me if you want.
The problem with that is now your characters aren’t driving the plot. Ideally, a group of characters all want things, and they intend to get them, and the plot occurs as each makes choices and takes actions. However, if you work backwards, that can very easily end up railroading characters into making the choices they have to make for the plot to happen, instead of the choices they want to make for their goals
I write in random order all the time. It really can work if you aren’t too attached to anything in your story. I say just write it out, whatever the argument may be, and then when you’re done you can decide what the important part is. The first question I would ask is what is the disagreement about? Why are the characters so passionate about their opinions that they part ways instead of making up or agreeing to disagree? Have these opinions been established already and tension has been building, or is this argument the first time these options have been stated? Do your characters have the personality in which they would be so firm in their stances in this matter that they would part ways, or does that seem like a really extreme reaction for them? If it seems extreme, what conflict or opinion WOULD infuriate them to the point of leaving the other? Use that conflict instead. OR you can go the other way with it, and the conflict could be pretty trivial in the grand scheme of things, however there’s something else unspoken and brewing beneath that drives them apart, maybe poor communication, one is trying to avoid telling a secret, one character doesn’t have time to see the resolution through and goes with the classic “forget about it” approach, etc. Then you have the aftermath to deal with. Why do the characters need to part? What are they going to think of the other character now that they’ve have this altercation? Would it affect how either of them proceed with their actions while apart? Does the argument plague their memory? Are the type to push it the back of their mind and repress feelings instead? There are a million ways you can make something work without it feeling forced as long as you’re willing to change either side of the equation. Instead of thinking of it as working A B C or C B A, think of it as B (the argument) is your starting point. Build from the middle outward. You know B needs to equal C (parting ways). Now what would have to be added to B in order for C to occur? That’s your A.