Inciting Incident: What is it, and how you can use it to make your story stronger
In story writing, the inciting incident is one of the key moments that set your story in motion and establish character, setting and the plot. It is, perhaps, the single most important scene an author has to hook the readers, and keep them reading.
What is an inciting incident?
Some call it “setting the story in motion”, others the “call to adventure”, but regardless of the title, it is the moment where things start to happen in a novel or story, launching the protagonist into the main plot. While there may be events that lead up to this moment, this is the first instance that the changes the status quo for the protagonist.
In Harry Potter, this moment is when Hagrid says, “Yer a wizard, Harry,” causing the event of the first book to unfold. In The Hunger Games, Katniss volunteers to takes her sister’s place in the Games. In Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, Claire goes through the stones and lands in the 18th century. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth overhears Mr. Darcy saying that “she is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me,” which sets up the animosity and conflict between the two characters.
This should always occur in the first act but is not necessarily fixed in any particular point. In some stories the inciting incident occurs as part of a prologue, and then the author doubles back and writes the exposition and events leading up to said event. Often though, the inciting incident is the connecting moment between acts one and two in a three-act story. In romance novels the inciting incident is, in most cases, the moment the two main characters meet.
The inciting incident is often confused with the first time something happens in the story. While there may be small hints of the main plot in the chapters leading up to it, the inciting incident should be the moment when the protagonist’s life changes irrevocably. Up until that time, they can continue on even if small things have happened to disturb their life, but the inciting incident is a major disruption that sparks the plot.
A good example for this is Harry Potter. Though things begin changing when he starts receiving letters via owl, causing his aunt and uncle to go a little insane, the true moment when things are pushed into action is when Hagrid makes his revelation.
What does an inciting incident do in a story?
When done correctly, the inciting incident sets the tone of the story, reveals important aspects of your character’s personality and grabs the reader’s attention.
Think of the Hunger Games example from above. The moment that Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games is gut wrenching. It illustrates her love for her family and drive to protect the people she loves, both of which are key parts of her personality that come to play multiple times in the book. It both fascinates and horrifies the reader, as all the dreadful things that they have been told about the Hunger Games in previous chapters now loom over the protagonist. And, most importantly, it instantly makes you want to keep reading to know what happens.
Tips for the inciting incident in your story
- It should happen sooner, rather than later
As stated before, the inciting incident happens in the first act. Generally, it is a better idea for it to occur as soon as possible into the story in order to engage the reader better. This is not to say that exposition is not important, but if you are several chapters into your story without anything happening, the reader is likely to be confused and bored, and may even put the story down. Adding the inciting incident early on grabs their attention and makes them continue reading.
- It should create a sense of urgency
In that vein, the inciting incident is the beginning of conflict in the story. As such, you can use it to create tension and a sense of urgency for the book’s protagonist and the reader. This is especially important when the inciting incident is in the prologue or first chapter, before you set up the world. Often, and especially in fantasy or sci-fi settings, you may need to spend several chapters worldbuilding. Adding the inciting incident early and then flashing back to set up events is a simple way to keep your reader engaged with the story. With the inciting incident looming over the characters, you keep their interest primed for the rest of the story.
- It should set up the main plot point
The main function of the inciting incident is to set up the main plot. You can edit it later to include different layers, such as tone and character development but, at its core, it must introduce the main conflict in the story. It can be very confusing for a reader when the inciting incident is completely irrelevant to the plot.
A hypothetical example would be a story that presents itself as a romance, with the inciting incident being the moment the two protagonists meet and start falling in love, but the main plot actually being something completely irrelevant, such as a murder or mystery. This should only be the case if the murder is directly related to the two characters meeting.
It is never a good idea to blindside the reader with the genre of the story. If they have signed up to read a romance novel but end up with a horror story, it is unlikely that they will enjoy the book.
