Screenwriting -- Understanding the Inciting Incident
The screenwriting term for the moment that really gets a story going is the inciting incident. Up until this moment, we see the protagonist in their normal world. The inciting incident is something that shakes up that world and causes the main character to take action to achieve a specific goal.
It establishes the stakes of the movie: Will the hero win the girl? Will the suburban couple that gets lost in gang territory make it home alive? Will the prom queen escape being murdered by the axe murderer?
The inciting incident also reveals who or what stands in the way of the protagonist reaching her goal. It is the beginning of the real conflict of the story.
Also, the inciting incident is the first plot point of the story. A plot point is an event that turns the story in yet another direction. A good movie has plot points that increase in intensity until the final plot point - the climax.
Here are some examples of plot points in famous movies: Scarlet O'Hara meets Rhett Butler. Gone with the Wind. Luke Skywalker's home is destroyed. Star Wars. A lost love suddenly appears in the saloon of a cynical man in World War II. Casablanca. The respected head of a Mafia family is the victim of an assassination attempt. The Godfather. Dorothy lands in Oz. The Wizard of Oz.
So how did the inciting incidents in the movies above affect the story?
Spoiled, beautiful Scarlet O'Hara, who is used to having men faun over her meets her match. It is the beginning of a tempestuous cat and mouse relationship against the background of the Civil War.
Luke Skywalker dreamed of becoming a cadet and flying fighter jets but he always had a reason not to. Once his Uncle's farm was destroyed, he had no more excuses. He sets off on his adventure.
Rick in Casablanca sticks his neck out for nobody, until Ilsa rocks his world and makes him join the war effort to defeat the Nazis.
When Vito Corleone is gunned down, Good Citizen and War Hero Michael chooses to protect his father by joining the "family business."
When discontented Dorothy lands in Oz, it is the beginning of a journey back home, both physically and emotionally to recognize "There's no place like home."
Do you see how the inciting incidents set the story in motion? One of the keys to successful screenwriting is to have an effective inciting incident that will set your protagonist on a new path, giving both them and the audience a reason to get involved and stay involved - right up to the closing credits.
It establishes the stakes of the movie: Will the hero win the girl? Will the suburban couple that gets lost in gang territory make it home alive? Will the prom queen escape being murdered by the axe murderer?
The inciting incident also reveals who or what stands in the way of the protagonist reaching her goal. It is the beginning of the real conflict of the story.
Also, the inciting incident is the first plot point of the story. A plot point is an event that turns the story in yet another direction. A good movie has plot points that increase in intensity until the final plot point - the climax.
Here are some examples of plot points in famous movies: Scarlet O'Hara meets Rhett Butler. Gone with the Wind. Luke Skywalker's home is destroyed. Star Wars. A lost love suddenly appears in the saloon of a cynical man in World War II. Casablanca. The respected head of a Mafia family is the victim of an assassination attempt. The Godfather. Dorothy lands in Oz. The Wizard of Oz.
So how did the inciting incidents in the movies above affect the story?
Spoiled, beautiful Scarlet O'Hara, who is used to having men faun over her meets her match. It is the beginning of a tempestuous cat and mouse relationship against the background of the Civil War.
Luke Skywalker dreamed of becoming a cadet and flying fighter jets but he always had a reason not to. Once his Uncle's farm was destroyed, he had no more excuses. He sets off on his adventure.
Rick in Casablanca sticks his neck out for nobody, until Ilsa rocks his world and makes him join the war effort to defeat the Nazis.
When Vito Corleone is gunned down, Good Citizen and War Hero Michael chooses to protect his father by joining the "family business."
When discontented Dorothy lands in Oz, it is the beginning of a journey back home, both physically and emotionally to recognize "There's no place like home."
Do you see how the inciting incidents set the story in motion? One of the keys to successful screenwriting is to have an effective inciting incident that will set your protagonist on a new path, giving both them and the audience a reason to get involved and stay involved - right up to the closing credits.
About the Author:
Danek S. Kaus is a produced screenwriter with two more films in development, one of them based on a book. Several of his original screenplays have been optioned by film companies. He can adapt your book into a screenplay and also do a Professional Screenplay Analysis
Screenwriting -- Understanding the Inciting Incident
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