You Start at the End

I just watched a wonderful routine by Penn and Teller in which they teach us the seven principles of magic. They tell us what they are doing and yet the still manage to mystify and amaze us. In case you were wondering, the seven principles are, to palm, to ditch, to steal, to load, to simulate, to misdirect and to switch.

I can’t help but think the same principles are an integral part of writing a truly great mystery story. Or singing a good song, or painting a good painting. People love to be surprised. They love to find layer upon layer of meaning in just about anything that you show them. And now, I finally understand how you go about creating something of this sort. I’d like to say I figured it out myself but actually, people have been telling my this my whole life.

If you want to surprise people, you have to create the effect backwards, starting at the ending and working your way backwards to the beginning. It’s the way you write thrilling stories. It’s the way you make thrilling speeches. It’s the way you write compelling songs. And, it is the way you do magic tricks.