What's the point of a story? Is it the journey or the destination? Most people will say it's the journey. It is meeting characters, watching them grow and develop, and growing close to them that is the important experience in reading. But plenty of people will say the opposite.
We are always afraid of spoiling a story by giving away the ending. We even have to give spoiler warnings when discussing critical plot points. On top of that, if an ending is unknown, but very predictable, it takes away from the experience. Predictability is an undesirable quality for a story, and a predictable ending is several times worse. Obviously, the destination matters.
So what does this mean for us writers? It means that you need to focus on both. If your story is great, but the actual bulk of your storytelling is low quality, people won't care enough. If your story is well-told, but too cliche or run-of-the-mill, it could be a huge success, but it will easily be forgotten. A great story has to focus on both. This is easier said than done, but if you at least try it, you have a chance of doing it right.
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