Where and when does a story really begin in a screenplay? It is after the inciting incident has taken place.
What is an Inciting Incident?
The inciting incident is the moment or plot point in a script that kicks the story into motion. It occurs after the set up or exposition and everything that follows the inciting incident should be a result of the inciting incident. It is where a story really begins.
It is that moment in the script where the protagonist’s world is turned upside down and he/she must then set about resolving the change in circumstances that the incident has brought about. It is generally a clear and defined moment that is easily identifiable.
It is often used in the context of three act structure but it can be applied to all story writing because all stories must contain an inciting incident.
Examples of Good Inciting Incidents
A good example of an inciting incident would be in David Lynch and Mark Frost’s T.V series Twin Peaks. The inciting incident occurs when the body of Laura Palmer is discovered. Everything that follows this discovery is because of this discovery. Twin Peaks was just (on the surface) a regular town where all was apparently fine until this incident occurred. All the plot developments and complications that follow the discovery are intrinsically related to the discovery in some way.
A further example would be in Back to the Future. The inciting incident or point of attack occurs in this film when Marty is accidentally sent back in time. From this moment on Marty must try and get himself back to where he has come from.
Other Names for the Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is sometimes called
- The Point of Attack
- The Hook
What Makes a Good Inciting Incident?
A good inciting incident should be striking, exciting and alter the protagonist’s situation dramatically from what it was before. It is also preferable if the inciting incident includes some kind of physical element i.e it doesn’t just occur inside the protagonists head.
For example in Cast Away starring Tom Hanks, the inciting incident is the plane crash that leaves him stranded on a desert island. It is a strong inciting incident because it is dramatic, physical and it leaves the audience asking, “how is he going to get out of this situation?”. The inciting incident is like a promise to the audience that says “if you keep watching you are going to have an entertaining experience”
For some advice on further screen writing literature please read An Introduction to Screenwriting Books and for some essential facts about classic plot writing and plot types please read The Seven Basic Plots.
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