What does the beginning of a story need?

When I pose this question to most people, I get the same few answers: Action, interesting characters, and conflict.

But every good story includes lots of action (relative to the genre), great characters, and, of course, conflict. From beginning to end.

So, yes, the beginning of your book needs all of these. But the one thing it must include that won’t be found anywhere else in your story is the inciting incident.

What Is the Inciting Incident?

This is the event that catapults your protagonist into the story you are writing.

Yes, technically, your story is about Joe-Schmo, a grocery store clerk in a small town. But what your story is really about is Joe-Schmo embarking on a journey that takes him from that dead-end job in that no-where town to fighting off an alien invasion in outer space.

What takes your character from their life at the beginning of the story and changes their trajectory so that they inevitably clash with your villain, fight to the climax of your tale, and then find their peace at the end? That is the inciting incident.

And that is what every story beginning needs.

How to Find Your Inciting Incident

For many writers, the beginning of the book is the hardest scene to tackle. And this often has a lot to do with the fact that the inciting incident has not been thought out well enough.

If you have a story in mind, you probably already know who the hero is, who the villain is, and how these ideas come together to create the conflict and climax of your story. What you have likely thought a lot less about, is how your character is propelled into this great journey.

In this writing exercise, Ready Set Launch, I help you establish your story’s inciting incident and help you find the right beginning scene for your book.

Step 1: Write a sentence describing your character’s life before your story begins.

For the most part, protagonists in stories have a pretty mundane existence prior to the beginning of the book. Even queens and warriors typically exist in a fairly defined routine before their journey begins. After all, there’s a reason the book picks up when it does.

So don’t worry if your sentence seems overly ordinary or unappealing. That’s the point.

EXAMPLES:

Katniss Everdeen spends her days hunting and trading to support her mother and sister.

Stuart Redman is a blue-collar worker from rural Texas.

Frodo is a simple hobbit from the shire.

Step 2: What’s the first step toward your climax?

You know where your character needs to end up, but what has to happen first for them to get there?

Don’t think about specifics here, but instead focus on the larger picture. Do they need to leave home? Fall in love? Take a new job?

Basically, what is the very first step of their journey?

EXAMPLES:

Katniss must become a participant in the Hunger Games.

Stuart must be exposed to the virus.

Frodo must find the ring.

Step 3: What could take your character from step 1 to step 2?

List all the possible events you can think of that could take your character from the person you described to the first step of their journey.

For example, the inciting incident in The Hunger Games happens when Katniss steps in for her sister at the reaping, but this isn’t the only way she could have ended up where she did. Her own name could have been drawn. Or she could have pissed off Effie before the reaping and Effie could have lied about her name being called.

Depending on what your first step is, you may be able to think of a couple different scenarios or a few dozen.

Step 4: Pick the best possible beginning.

While there may be ten different ways to get Joe-Schmo out of the grocery store and into the army where he eventually starts a war with aliens, we only want to pick the one scenario that will be most appealing for the readers and create the most captivating beginning to our book.

So how do we know which event is the right one?

Here are four qualities that make for engaging and appealing inciting incidents:

• They have to have action! You need to hook your readers at the beginning of your story, and nothing does that better than interesting, fast-paced scenes. But remember, action is dependent on genre. Action in a literary novel looks much different than action in a thriller.
• They have to be memorable! When Joe is about to sacrifice himself to the alien overlord, you want your readers to remember how and why he got into this mess in the first place. This is important for your character arch and your overall reader satisfaction.
• They need to define the protagonist! If this same event happened to someone else, it shouldn’t lead them down the same path your protagonist takes. Your character needs to react to the event in a way that is unique to them and in a way that will give your readers a clear glimpse of who they really are.
• It should expose a hidden desire! There is usually a way through the event that doesn’t lead your character into their intended journey. The fact that it does, should tell your audience something about the character. Usually, it exposes some hidden motives or personality traits.

When Katniss volunteers for her sister at the Hunger Games drawing, the scene is filled with action, intensity, and emotion. It’s also something the reader won’t soon forget. But more than that, it very much defines who Katniss is by showing that she is willing to sacrifice herself to almost certain death for her family. And it shows us a darker side to the character too–that she is willing to do just about anything to escape from her life, even if it means dying.

Now it’s your turn. Of the events you listed in step 3, which checks off the most marks on the list above? That is your inciting incident. Now run through that scene in your head and pick the emotional high point. That’s where you begin your story!

In the comments section below, tell me who your character was (step 1) and what your inciting incident will be.