The First 10%: The Inciting Incident
While all of the different elements of the first ten percent that I’ve mentioned in the past posts are important-describing your hero, introducing your hero, drawing the reader into the world of the story and establishing the Ordinary World and creating sympathy-none are more important than the inciting incident. During the first ten percent of the story you must establish what is going to happen by inserting the very first turning point, what is commonly called the inciting incident. Not to be confused with the first act turning point that occurs at the end of Act One and establishes the goal that the hero will pursue, the inciting incident is the very first event that gets the story going and prepares the hero and the audience for what will happen during the rest of the film. The inciting incident must occur during the first ten percent. It typically occurs near the end of the first ten percent, after the hero and his or her ordinary world have been established, but it can occur at any point in the first ten percent of the story.
The inciting incident of When in Rome is when Beth’s sister announces she is getting married. This sets the story in motion, without this event Beth never would have traveled to Rome and taken the coins from the fountain, but this is different from the first act turning point because it has not created a goal yet for Beth. The first act turning point does not occur until she removes the coins from the fountain, at which point the story really gets going and the hero’s goal is established.
In Shrek the inciting incident is the fairytale creatures moving into Shrek’s swamp, which prompts him to travel to Duloc to see what is happening. The first act turning point occurs when he is charged with the quest of bringing back Princess Fiona. This is when the goal is established, but the inciting incident is what began the story, disrupted Shrek’s Ordinary World, and set the story in motion. Both are essential, but it is important to understand the difference and when each element should occur in a properly structured story.
Dorothy’s story begins with the tornado that transports her to the new world of Oz, which represents the inciting incident. But she is unsure of what to do and has no goal until the first act turning point in which she sets off on her quest down the yellow brick road. The story could not start without the inciting incident, but it would not have anywhere to go without the first act turning point.
The inciting incident that occurs in the first ten percent disrupts the everyday life and normal, established routine that they have been enjoying in the first few pages, this incident changes everything, but does not yet tell the hero or the audience exactly where the story is going to go. The hero must spend some time adjusting to this disruption, figuring out what to do, and then reacting to the inciting incident in a way that will lead them to the first act turning point.
For more information on the first 10%, check out Michael Hauge’s lecture Grabbing the Reader in the First 10 Pages-available on DVD by clicking here.
