The first sentence can’t be written until the final sentence is written.

Oates’s remark captures a common experience in drafting: a story’s true beginning often becomes clear only after the writer knows where the work ends. The “first sentence” stands for the opening’s burden—tone, stakes, voice, and implied destination. Only once the “final sentence” exists (or is at least discovered) can the writer revise the opening so it accurately foreshadows the work’s shape and meaning. The quote also emphasizes writing as iterative rather than linear: discovery happens through completion, and the beginning is frequently a product of revision, not inspiration.