And then blow everything up in their faces like the sadistic author you are. That’s not to say you couldn’t have a very good reason for introducing your catalyst later in your story, but you do need a reason. They’ve gone too far back in time and are introducing far too many new characters or too much backstory or worldbuilding details that are not only irrelevant to the central plot but, far more grievously, are going to bore your readers.īecause the thing about the time before the inciting incident is that it is literally the time when your character is just moving throughout their day, and ultimately, it can be really hard to make that interesting. One of the biggest mistakes new writers make is starting the story in the wrong place. Your inciting incident should happen as close to the beginning of the story as possible. If you’re a beginner writer, there is a rule of thumb you should consider. The answer, as with so many things is in writing, is it depends.

Some will hold to a rigid guideline that states it must happen in the first chapter or it must happen by 15% of the story. There is debate on when exactly your inciting incident should occur. Your Inciting Incident Comes at the Beginning Here are a few things to keep in mind when creating the inciting incident for your novel. Now that you understand what an inciting incident is, let’s talk about writing one. And that moment is one that can ultimately make or break not only your opening, but your entire story. There’s the intro where we see your character existing within their status quo, then the door opens and Voila!-the real story begins. Some might see the inciting incident as an invitation to shake up their mundane or miserable life, while others will see it as a kiss of death to their comfortable existence and do everything they can to avoid having to take action. The difference is in how your specific character responds. Sometimes your character will simply react to the incident and sometimes they’ll take the next step while acting in that moment. It’s called the inciting incident because it literally incites your character into some kind of action that forces them to deviate from their normal trajectory. Sometimes literally, but usually figuratively. Whatever you call it, it’s the bomb that’s dropped into your protagonist's life. In the Hero’s Journey, it’s referred to as the “call to adventure.” In Save the Cat, it’s called “the Catalyst.” Sometimes it’s called the “hook,” too.

The inciting incident can go by many names. Your inciting incident is a moment that comes near the beginning of your story that forces your protagonist to move forward-or at least in a different direction than the one they were headed.

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