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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nDepending on the pacing and size of your story, there might be some space in between the Hook and the Inciting Event. As I said before, you\u2019ll use this time to further inform your readers. The actual Inciting Event will then occur at about the 12% mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Note: These percentages are not as important in longer stories, since you have a little more wiggle room as far as pacing goes. But in short stories, you\u2019ll want to make sure that your pacing is spot on, or it may throw the entire story off. If you really want to get technical, you could calculate what page number each plot point would land on. But, at the very least, I would suggest keeping these percentages in mind as you write.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Inciting Event (also called the Inciting Incident) is a significant turning point in the plot, though it won\u2019t be as huge as the First Plot Point. In plot terms, it\u2019s the Call to Adventure. In character arc terms, it\u2019s the character\u2019s first hint that their Lie will no longer work. Your MC may view the Inciting Event as a mere bump in the road\u2014a slight setback on their journey to their Want. However, as the First Plot Point will reveal, the Inciting Event is only the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have any background in plotting, you may have heard of something called the Key Event (not to be confused with the Inciting Event). Even though they sometimes occur simultaneously, the Key Event and the Inciting Event are two separate plot points. However, for the sake of simplicity, we\u2019ll leave the Key Event out of this series for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming back to the Inciting Event, let\u2019s take a look at how to construct this plot point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- The Call to Adventure<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Basically, something will happen at the Inciting Event that gives the MC a choice. Will they accept the challenge and dive headfirst into adventure? But something holds the MC back\u2026 it could be indifference, fear, or annoyance. They\u2019ll brush aside this Call to Adventure and continue on their own path. Yet, though they may not admit it, they won\u2019t forget the Call. It will stay with them in the back of their mind as a warning of the conflict to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, you might be thinking, \u201cMy MC loves adventure. There\u2019s no way they\u2019d refuse the Call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it\u2019s not as though they\u2019re refusing adventure itself\u2026 they\u2019re just refusing this specific adventure. And, on top of that, they might not even realize it is<\/em> an adventure. They might just think they\u2019re refusing a job offer or a friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It could also seem to the MC that refusing the Call will lead to a greater adventure. Indeed, the Call might look very boring and mundane at first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d the Hook and the Inciting Event flow seamlessly together (which is often the case for movies). When Will quits the EIC, Charles Kemp tries to assassinate him\u2014and seemingly succeeds. However, Will survives and assumes the identity of the vicar who died saving his life. Instead of coming forward with the evidence that could put Charles behind bars, Will decides to wait things out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad quite literally runs into Reverend Sheppard on his way to the factory. Upon pressing, the reverend learns a bit about Tad\u2019s plight, and takes an interest in the boy. The Call to Adventure he offers Tad is simply an invitation to breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- The hint<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Up until now, the MC has been quite confident\u2014and even proud of\u2014their Lie. They don\u2019t seem to realize that the symptoms they\u2019re experiencing are directly caused by this Lie. Those who believe the Truth amuse, irritate, or even enrage the MC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the Inciting Event will cause them to question this. Maybe\u2026 just maybe, the Lie doesn\u2019t work after all. Perhaps the Truth really is the answer. But, just like the Call, the MC will brush this hint off very easily. Yes, the Inciting Event causes them to think, but they haven\u2019t gone through nearly enough that would make them actually reconsider<\/em> believing the Lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will\u2019s new identity puts him in the acquaintance of Charlotte Holloway, a young Christian woman. They immediately take a liking to each other, but Charlotte\u2019s talk of her faith goes against Will\u2019s Lie. Instead of rethinking the Lie, however, he simply puts it aside and instead focuses on his growing relationship with Charlotte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Reverend Sheppard speaks to Tad about accepting help from God, and how mankind needs God’s help. While Tad rejects this belief, it stays with him as he continued on his way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Tying the two together<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Since both the Call to Adventure and the hint come about through the same series of events, they\u2019re already tied together. But as we\u2019ve gone through our examples, you may have noticed that the MC\u2019s decision in one regard affects their decision in the other regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They may reject the Call to Adventure because of their belief in the Lie. They may reject the Truth because they foresee the conflict that could come out of it. In order for our story to flow smoothly, the plot and character arc have to be joined together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will leaves the EIC because of his belief that he can redeem himself, and he chooses not to come forward about Charles for fear it will mess with those plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad rejects Reverend Sheppard\u2019s offer to help because of his Lie that he doesn\u2019t need help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- The main conflict<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
As many writers have said, the Inciting Event does not introduce the main conflict\u2026 it only introduces the steps to that conflict. Even if the character were<\/em> to accept the Call, that wouldn\u2019t necessarily mean that they would immediately be plunged into the main conflict right away. Rather, if they continued to pursue the conflict past <\/em>the Call, they would find themselves in the middle of this conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why, in many books and movies, the Call to Adventure is portrayed as some kind of warning or clue. If the MC were to accept it, they would still have to follow the clue to its end to reach the main conflict. This allows for immediate entrance into the main conflict as soon as the First Plot Point arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cBeyond the Mask,\u201d Will\u2019s choice to withdraw into hiding pulls him away from Charles and the main conflict (though it sets him up for a surprising return to that conflict at the First Plot Point).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nIn \u201cIn Time of Need,\u201d Tad\u2019s choice to refuse Reverend Sheppard\u2019s help means that he remains defenseless if Mr. Beasley would decide to pull a fast one (which, as we\u2019ll see, he does).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n- \n
- A false sense of security<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Now that your MC has rejected the Call and the hint that their Lie is invalid, they think they can go merrily on their way toward their Want. But, as the Call has indicated, all is not as it seems. Soon enough, the First Plot Point will hit them in full force, causing them to careen into the 2nd<\/sup> Act with no control over the plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nHere are a few more examples of Inciting Events:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Messala asks Judah to help him rout the Jewish rebels; Judah refuses (\u201cBen-Hur\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Carl meets Russell; Carl is taken to court and forced to sell his house (\u201cUp\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- George\u2019s father dies (\u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Riley moves; Sadness touches a memory (\u201cInside Out\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
(Note: The plotting in both \u201cUp\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d are a bit different because of the uniqueness of the stories. This is why there is so much space in between the movies\u2019 Hooks and Inciting Events. In both cases, there is much to be introduced during the First Act, shoving the Inciting Event closer to the First Plot Point. But, as we\u2019ll see throughout this series, deviating from plot structure sometimes<\/em> actually works\u2014as long as it\u2019s done very artistically and carefully.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s all I\u2019ll say about the Inciting Event for now. In two weeks, we\u2019ll be taking a look at the First Plot Point, the gateway into the 2nd<\/sup> Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\nComment below what your favorite Inciting Event is!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
So, you\u2019ve successfully hooked your readers in. You\u2019ve used the first part of your story to world-build, introduce characters, and provide necessary information. But now that that\u2019s over\u2026 what next? The answer to that is the Inciting Event, which we\u2019re going to talk about today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,21,4],"tags":[24,26,29,82,83,23,32,33,27],"class_list":["post-462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plots-and-character-arcs","category-positive-change-arcs","category-writing-tips","tag-character-arcs","tag-characters","tag-christian-writing","tag-inciting-event","tag-inciting-incident","tag-plots","tag-positive-change-arcs","tag-protagonist","tag-writing-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=462"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":464,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462\/revisions\/464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christianwriter.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Riley moves; Sadness touches a memory (\u201cInside Out\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- George\u2019s father dies (\u201cIt\u2019s a Wonderful Life\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Carl meets Russell; Carl is taken to court and forced to sell his house (\u201cUp\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Messala asks Judah to help him rout the Jewish rebels; Judah refuses (\u201cBen-Hur\u201d)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- A false sense of security<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- The main conflict<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- Tying the two together<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
- The hint<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n