Inciting Incident: Difference between revisions
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All good stories have a beginning, middle, and an end. This is about the beginning. Not just the beginning, but the beginning of the beginning. This is about the |
All good stories have a beginning, middle, and an end. This is about the beginning. Not just the beginning, but the beginning of the beginning. This is about the '''Inciting Incident'''. |
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The |
The '''Inciting Incident''' is that first thing, great or small, that sets in motion the sequence of events that constitute the [[plot]]. From the [[Three Act Structure|First Act]] to the [[Denouement]], everything that happens in the story can be traced back here. |
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Despite the Inciting Incident's importance to the plot, it doesn't necessarily have to be a large |
Despite the Inciting Incident's importance to the plot, it doesn't necessarily have to be a large event—it could be something as mundane as a phone call (in fact, in many non-heroic dramas it ''is'' a small thing of seeming unimportance.) |
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While the Inciting Incident may appear banal on the surface, it has some heavy lifting to do in a narrative sense. Firstly, it must propel the protagonist into the first phase of the plot: it sends the soon-to-be lovers into the [[Meet Cute]] in a [[Rom Com]], it is the [[Death by Origin Story|death of a loved one]] that inspires the hero to fight injustice, it is [[Ordinary People|the French Toast being scraped into the trash by a emotionally cold mother]]. Secondly, it must place in the audience's mind the notion of what [[The Climax]] will be like: if it is [[Jaws (film)|the discovery of a shark-bitten corpse on a beach]], expect a showdown at the end with said shark; if [[Star Wars|a farm boy discovers a message of intergalactic espionage]], be sure he will follow his journey to the [[Galactic Conqueror|Galactic Overlord]]. |
While the Inciting Incident may appear banal on the surface, it has some heavy lifting to do in a narrative sense. Firstly, it must propel the protagonist into the first phase of the plot: it sends the soon-to-be lovers into the [[Meet Cute]] in a [[Rom Com]], it is the [[Death by Origin Story|death of a loved one]] that inspires the hero to fight injustice, it is [[Ordinary People|the French Toast being scraped into the trash by a emotionally cold mother]]. Secondly, it must place in the audience's mind the notion of what [[The Climax]] will be like: if it is [[Jaws (film)|the discovery of a shark-bitten corpse on a beach]], expect a showdown at the end with said shark; if [[Star Wars|a farm boy discovers a message of intergalactic espionage]], be sure he will follow his journey to the [[Galactic Conqueror|Galactic Overlord]]. |
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If the Inciting Incident is taking place in a [[ |
If the Inciting Incident is taking place in a [[Hero's Journey|Heroic Epic]], it is a [[Call to Adventure]]. It's [[Villains Act, Heroes React|what the hero reacts to]]. |
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'''Note''': The Inciting Incident need not be the first thing the audience sees, nor the first eventful thing to happen in the story. It can often be preceded by long bits of [[Exposition]], glimpses into the [[Backstory]], or [[Easing Into the Adventure|scenes setting up the world of the story]]. It pertains to the protagonist solely, and his role in the overall plot. |
'''Note''': The Inciting Incident need not be the first thing the audience sees, nor the first eventful thing to happen in the story. It can often be preceded by long bits of [[Exposition]], glimpses into the [[Backstory]], or [[Easing Into the Adventure|scenes setting up the world of the story]]. It pertains to the protagonist solely, and his role in the overall plot. |
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{{noexamples|this is an [[Omnipresent Trope]]}} |
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[[Category:Omnipresent Tropes]] |
[[Category:Omnipresent Tropes]] |
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[[Category:Inciting Incident]] |
[[Category:Inciting Incident]] |
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[[Category:Alliterative Trope Titles]] |
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[[Category:Mechanics of Writing]] |
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Latest revision as of 12:49, 22 July 2022
All good stories have a beginning, middle, and an end. This is about the beginning. Not just the beginning, but the beginning of the beginning. This is about the Inciting Incident.
The Inciting Incident is that first thing, great or small, that sets in motion the sequence of events that constitute the plot. From the First Act to the Denouement, everything that happens in the story can be traced back here.
Despite the Inciting Incident's importance to the plot, it doesn't necessarily have to be a large event—it could be something as mundane as a phone call (in fact, in many non-heroic dramas it is a small thing of seeming unimportance.)
While the Inciting Incident may appear banal on the surface, it has some heavy lifting to do in a narrative sense. Firstly, it must propel the protagonist into the first phase of the plot: it sends the soon-to-be lovers into the Meet Cute in a Rom Com, it is the death of a loved one that inspires the hero to fight injustice, it is the French Toast being scraped into the trash by a emotionally cold mother. Secondly, it must place in the audience's mind the notion of what The Climax will be like: if it is the discovery of a shark-bitten corpse on a beach, expect a showdown at the end with said shark; if a farm boy discovers a message of intergalactic espionage, be sure he will follow his journey to the Galactic Overlord.
If the Inciting Incident is taking place in a Heroic Epic, it is a Call to Adventure. It's what the hero reacts to.
Note: The Inciting Incident need not be the first thing the audience sees, nor the first eventful thing to happen in the story. It can often be preceded by long bits of Exposition, glimpses into the Backstory, or scenes setting up the world of the story. It pertains to the protagonist solely, and his role in the overall plot.
No examples, please; this is an Omnipresent Trope