Trouble’s On The Way!
After a story starts in the normal world of a character, an external event disrupts that world.
Called the inciting incident, that event incites the character to launch on their quest.
But in a well-developed story, the inciting incident isn’t just an external event. The incident strikes at the heart of a fear or trauma of the character.
The truth about writing a “can’t put down” story is:
EXTERNAL TROUBLES TRIGGER INTERNAL STRUGGLES
One of the best examples of a well-crafted story is titled Ordeal, which is an episode of The Rifleman TV series (1958-1963).
The normal world for Pa and his son, Mark, is living in the wild west, where Pa’s rifle protects them.
In Ordeal, Pa and Mark have driven their wagon 60 miles into the desert to get salt (because they couldn’t afford to buy it). That’s part of their normal world.
The inciting incident occurs when a snake spooks the horses, and they run away, pulling the wagon behind them. Pa goes on his initial quest: get the wagon back. His fear at that point is being stranded, and the ensuing death he and his son would face. His deep fear is losing his son.
But this episode does double-duty. Pa catches the wagon, but is thrown off and down a hill. That scene exemplifies that Mark’s greatest fear is losing Pa.
That inciting incident clearly strikes at the essence of their greatest fear. And Pa and Mark have quite a quest and trials ahead of them.
Note: The Rifleman has been shown continuously since it originally aired, and you can stream the episodes free on many platforms. I recommend you watch Ordeal (and all the other episodes). The series is great!
What story has a great inciting incident that triggers an internal struggle?
Inciting Incidents Incite – What story's inciting incident triggers an internal struggle? Share on XJoni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.
May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.
FYI – I’ll be posting about the subsequent story elements in the coming months, so I hope you stay tuned.
Here are the links for all of my posts about crafting a story (in order). Enjoy!
Loved your explanation.
Thanks, Phyllis. I’m glad my post was helpful.
Thanks for taking the time to share all the writing information for making a better book!
Thanks for reading and supporting my posts, Jane. I appreciate it!
Great post, Joni.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Tim. I appreciate your support of my posts and my writing.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Tim. I hope my post was helpful.