What do Claymation and writing fiction have in common?  Structure!  That's what we're talking about on today's show, as well as one of the most important element of structure--the Inciting Event.

Brad uses examples from Star Wars, The Grapes of Wrath, and "Hills Like White Elephants" to talk about structure and inciting events.  He points out that these inciting events have three things in common:

1.       They happen early in the story—it is the moment that throws the story into action, so it must come soon.

2.      They force the character into taking action—in other words, the character can’t just choose to do nothing and keep living life as normal.

3.      They illustrate the stakes of the story—what is at risk, what is the worst that can happen, what is the best that can happen? 

An inciting event can fail on any of these elements.  If they come too late we’ve lost the reader.  If they give the character the option to simply do nothing and go on with life as usual then they aren't compelling.  Or if the stakes that they set up are too small there is no tension or risk in the story.  

Weekly challenge—Take a look at your current project—and this applies to any genre, any format: novel, short story, screenplay, whatever.  Can you identify your inciting event?  What is the moment that throws your character into the story?  If you can’t identify it, you’ve got a structure problem!  If you can identify it, ask yourself three questions about it.

1.       Does is come as early as possible in my story?

2.      Does it force the character to take action or can my character simply choose to do nothing and life will continue on as normal?

3.      What is the worst that can happen as a result of this event?  In other words, are the risks high enough?

Our Wise Word this week—

“The inciting incident is how you get (characters) to do something. It's the doorway through which they can't return, you know. The story takes care of the rest.”

Donald Miller, “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”

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