Last month, I began exploring the different story beats of the three-act structure. I discussed how to write an intriguing hook and how to use it to get readers invested in your story. But writing a great hook is only the beginning.
In this second installment, I’ll show you how to write a great inciting incident. I’ll provide some helpful tips and story examples to help illustrate the key principles that will help you craft your best story.
Four Ways To Write A Great Inciting Incident:
What Is The Inciting Incident?
The inciting incident is the make-or-break moment in your story. It’s the point of no return—when the status quo changes and the entire plot is set into motion.
Simply put, the inciting incident provokes change. And change inevitably drives action. The actual event is crucial, but the choices your protagonist makes as a result of that event are what will ultimately drive the rest of your narrative.
Make It Personal
Your inciting incident should directly impact your protagonist by disrupting their life in a way that makes it impossible to return to the status quo. It should force them out of their comfort zone and thrust them into your story’s central conflict.
A random set of circumstances that could theoretically happen to anyone in the story won’t do. To write a great inciting incident, you must hit your main character where it hurts—specifically targeting their inner conflict and exposing their lies or misbelief.
Star Wars: A New Hope is a solid example. After Luke Skywalker has a chance meeting with Ben Kenobi, he’s invited to accompany the old Jedi and learn the ways of the Force. Luke refuses, citing his obligations to his uncle and aunt. He agrees to take Ben to a spaceport where he can gain passage offworld, but his plans change when he stumbles upon a battered Sandcrawler. When it becomes evident that the attack was perpetrated by Imperial troops actively tracking the droids in his possession, Luke races home to warn his aunt and uncle, only to discover that he’s too late to save them.
This event changes the status quo, creating a scenario that prevents Luke from returning to the way things were. It serves as the catalyst for his decision to leave everything behind and go with Ben to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like his father.
Establish The Stakes
Hit your protagonist with an inciting incident that will make them aware of what’s at stake while reminding them of the consequences of their choices. By placing them at a disadvantage, you can create the kind of stakes that will drive your story forward.
For a great example of this, look no further than the opening of Jaws. This is one of those rare moments when we get the hook and the inciting incident simultaneously. The opening shark attack not only draws us in, but it also upsets the status quo by immediately creating a scenario that will likely result in more innocent lives being lost unless someone does something and fast.
This is a fantastic example of how an inciting incident can happen outside the main protagonist’s immediate vicinity but still impact them in a way that forces them to take action. Martin Brody isn’t directly involved in the initial shark attack, but it impacts him as Amity Island’s Chief of Police, highlighting his phobias of water and swimming.
Create A Sense Of Urgency
Use your inciting incident to present a clear and immediate threat that forces your protagonist into action. To create a sense of urgency, introduce a limited time frame, such as ticking clocks, deadlines, or rapidly deteriorating situations.
One movie that employs that urgent sense of urgency in its inciting incident is Speed. After witnessing the senseless bombing of a city bus, LA cop Jack Traven is faced with the reality that the perpetrator is someone he’s gone up against before. And to make matters worse, the lunatic has planted another bomb on another bus that’s set to arm itself once the vehicle reaches 50 mph. If it drops below 50 after that, the bus will explode, killing everyone onboard.
High stakes and time-sensitive situations create an undeniable sense of tension and suspense as we watch to see what the main protagonist will do to avoid disaster.
Align It With Your Theme
Ensure your inciting incident aligns with your story’s theme by using it to reflect the central idea you want to explore. Use it to force your protagonist into a confrontation that will prompt their journey of growth and transformation.
For one of the more subtle inciting incidents, let’s look at Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The scene isn’t action-packed or fueled with high stakes that we can immediately see. Instead, it opts for a more dramatic approach, highlighting the central theme of trust through a casual conversation between Nick Fury and Steve Rogers.
Fury challenges Steve’s ideal of S.H.I.E.L.D. by exposing him to Project Insight, an initiative centered around three Hellicarriers equipped with the latest tech and weaponry—all designed to eliminate potential threats before they happen. However, Steve sees it as a tactic of fear that will ultimately compromise the freedoms of America and its people.
At its core, the scene presents the moral dilemma of a hero who must choose between fighting for what he believes in or compromising to the new status quo. It’s a brilliant example of how an inciting incident can tie directly to your story’s thematic truth.
Summing it up
Knowing how to write a great inciting incident is essential to your story’s framework. Without it, your narrative will quickly unravel into a random series of events without rhyme or reason. Take the time to find the correct set of circumstances that will not only upset the status quo for your protagonist but will drive them to make the difficult choices to bring about the change that needs to happen in them and their world.
I hope these tips with help you as you craft your inciting incident. Join me again next month when I’ll explore the First Plot Point, the next beat in the three-act story structure. Until then, keep striving toward your goals. And above all, keep writing!
Until next time,
