Tag: story structure

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Guest Posts

How to Write a Great Story in 5 Steps

Guest posts

People have always had a natural talent for telling stories. It is an essential means of communication and understanding the world, from old stories to contemporary discourse. Everyone has a tale to tell, and putting pen to paper can help you become a better writer and communicator. But what makes a good storyteller? Here are five easy ways to improve your story writing skills.

What is a Story?

At its essence, a story is a connected sequence of events. However, a well-rounded story contains these five essential elements:

  1. Setting: Where and when the story takes place.
  2. Plot: The sequence of events in the narrative.
  3. Conflict: The problem or challenge faced by the characters.
  4. Characters: The people or beings involved in the story.
  5. Theme: The underlying message or lesson conveyed.

Famous Examples of Storytelling

Consider Hemingway’s famous six-word story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Despite its brevity, it prompts the reader to infer the deeper elements such as setting, characters, conflict, and theme.

Another example is “Cosmic Report Card: Earth.” This short story gives a brief yet impactful evaluation of humanity’s existence. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to provoke thought, even with minimal words.

Similarly, “ThingsFromMars.com: A Portal to the Weird and Wonderful” captures the curiosity and imagination of visitors through its creative narrative. The story behind the brand compels readers to explore a world of quirky and unexpected gifts, making it both engaging and memorable.

Types of Stories

According to author Christopher Booker, there are seven basic types of stories:

  • Overcoming the Monster
  • Rags to Riches
  • The Quest
  • Voyage and Return
  • Rebirth
  • Comedy
  • Tragedy

Each type follows its narrative arc, but all share core storytelling elements.

Steps to Write a Great Story

1. Find Inspiration

Every great story begins with an idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere—your own experiences, current events, or even a “what if?” scenario. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they come to you.

2. Brainstorm

Once you have an idea, start brainstorming. Think of plot ideas, character traits, and possible conflicts. This is where you explore the potential directions your story can take. The more you brainstorm, the clearer your vision becomes.

3. Outline Your Story

Outlining is key to structuring your story. Include the main events in the plot, key character developments, and any essential details. A good outline helps keep your story focused and ensures you cover all necessary elements.

4. Write the First Draft

Now it’s time to write. Don’t worry about perfecting it—just write the story down on paper. Avoid editing as you go. The first draft is all about letting your ideas flow naturally.

5. Revise and Edit

Once your first draft is complete, take a step back. Seek feedback from others, and revise your story based on their input. Afterward, edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation to ensure your writing is polished and error-free.

Examples of Timeless Stories

Some stories have withstood the test of time. Consider:

  • The Tortoise and the Hare: A fable that teaches the value of perseverance over speed.
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A tale exploring the conflict between humanity and nature, filled with timeless themes of life, death, and morality.

Conclusion

By understanding the elements of storytelling and following a structured writing process, you can write a great story. Whether you’re writing a novel or flash fiction, remember that every story starts with a single idea. Embrace your creativity, and let your unique voice shine through your storytelling.

Story Writing FAQs

What is a story? 

A story is a connected series of events with key elements like setting, characters, conflict, and theme.

How do stories work? 

Stories communicate messages through characters who face conflicts, ultimately leading to resolution or transformation.

What are the different types of stories? 

Stories can fall into categories such as overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, rebirth, comedy, or tragedy.

Evelyn Johnson is a creative writer and entrepreneur with over 7 years of experience in the writing industry. As the founder of thingsfrommars.com, she combines creativity and business savvy to craft unique content that captivates audiences. Evelyn specializes in storytelling, corporate writing, and product marketing, sharing her expertise through industry insights. Connect with Evelyn on LinkedIn.

Categories
The Intentional Writer

Can Outlining Help You Become a Better Writer?

The intentional writer

When I began learning how to write a novel, the word outline brought to mind dreaded high school assignments. You know, those formal outlines with the rigid format and Roman numerals. I hated making those outlines. They seemed like a waste of time, especially since I always wrote a draft of the report first, and then created the outline to match it.

Needless to say, when I began writing in earnest, I didn’t bother with outlining. I didn’t want something that felt like overly structured busywork to inhibit my creativity or waste my writing time. Therefore, on my first attempts at writing a novel, I used more of a “pantser” approach than a “plotter” approach.

I won’t say that decision was a mistake, but it was a learning experience—I learned I’m not a pantser. I work better when I have an idea of where the story is going.

Does your writing process match your personality?

I have a logical, linear thinking style. Over the years, I’ve learned that I write better when I invest enough time in planning out a story before I plunge into writing it. When I know what a specific scene needs to accomplish to keep the plot moving, I waste far less time wondering what my characters should do, and I avoid bunny trails that lead to dead ends five scenes later.

When I realized planning helped me write better rather than hindering me, I began to experiment with different methods for planning a story. That’s when I turned to K. M. Weiland’s book, Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success. This book helped me get over my misconceptions about how outlining can help me become a better writer.

The book covers different methods of outlining and then leads a writer through a process that helps them consider the key information necessary for creating a solid plot. Everything from a premise to setting, and motivation to character arcs.

Once the foundation is set, the book guides you through creating a scene-by-scene roadmap of the story. Each chapter is filled with insightful questions and plenty of examples from the author’s novels.

As an added bonus, the book includes interviews with a variety of writers. These insights on outlining from experiences authors helped me imagine how I could utilize the tools of outlining to work for me.

For example, John Robinson says,

“It helps me see the big picture and keeps me from getting bogged down in tar pits and rabbit trails that lead nowhere.”

And Dan L. Hays described the benefits of outlining this way:

“An outline is analogous to reading a map before a road trip. I find my starting point, then pick out the best route to where I’m headed.”

Some great advice to make outlining work for you

  • No two authors outline the same way. The specific method isn’t as important as the thought process behind it.
  • Every author must find the level of detail that works for them. One author benefits from a big picture type of outline that defines the main plot events and final outcome. Another author creates an outline that include details on every scene. You must find the balance between getting enough detail to write well and spending too much time in planning.
  • Consider the outline as a brainstorming process.
  • Creating an outline can offer you a chance to explore multiple options without wasting a lot of time. In the outline phase, you can explore where various rabbit trails lead without writing whole scenes you subsequently decide aren’t needed.
  • If you get stuck in a particular scene, it may be you’re trying too hard to adhere to the outline. Give yourself permission to ignore the outline and try a different idea instead.
  • Remember your outline can have multiple drafts just like your novel. You are free to edit your outline at any time.
  • With an outline as a roadmap, a writer can more easily determine which ideas for new scenes or characters fit the plot vs. derail it.
  • Outlining enables a writer to focus more on subplots during the first draft, because the main plot is already ironed out and the writher knows where the characters will end up.

Summary

If you’re a dedicated pantser, this book probably isn’t for you. If you’re a planner, this book offers good advice to help you hone your planning and make it more effective. And if you’re frustrated because your current writing process isn’t working, or you’re feeling stuck in the middle of a writing project, this book may help you write more effectively.

You can use this book like a workbook. The questions and suggestions in each chapter will guide you through the planning process—from the initial spark of an idea to a finished, well-designed story plan. Alternately, you can skim through the book to find inspiration or to seek solutions to specific story problems.

Happy outlining!

Lisa E Betz

Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).

She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit lisaebetz.com.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

structure your novel with harmon’s story circle

In the early 2000s, Blake Snyder released Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need. This work on story structure became often cited and highly influential. While originally written for scripts and screenwriting, many authors saw value in adopting it’s three-act structure concepts for their novels.  

Hollywood continues to innovate. In recent years, a different take on story structure has gained popularity. Dan Harmon, the co-creator of Rick and Morty, developed a structure called Story Circle. Michael Waldron, showrunner on the Disney+ Loki series, adopted it. He had previously worked with Harmon on Rick and Morty.

Proving we all stand on the shoulders of giants, Harmon created his Story Circle based upon the monomyth theory of Joseph Campbell, also known as The Hero’s Journey. Like Snyder’s three-act structure in Save the Cat!, the Story Circle helps an author structure their story to give the audience a satisfying and entertaining experience. 

The Story Circle is composed of eight steps. 

  • Step 1-You. 
    • A character is in a comfortable situation
  • Step 2-Need
    • However, they seek something
  • Step 3-Go
    • They venture into an unfamiliar place or situation. 
  • Step 4-Search
    • They get used to or adapt to their new situation
  • Step 5-Find
    • They get what they’re looking for
  • Step 6-Take
    • They pay a high price for it
  • Step 7-Return
    • They go back to their familiar situation
  • Step 8-Change
    • They have changed

You want a circle like this for each main character, and for your antagonist. You’ll also want to do one for each episode or book in the series, but also a larger one with these steps as the characters progress over the entire series. 

This is an oversimplification of the process. Let’s look at an examples to flesh this out. 

Step 1-You

Introduce your main character and their world before the events of the story begin. In order to appreciate the change at the end of the story, we must firmly establish where the character started and who they were.

Loki Episode 1–We introduce Loki after his escape from the Battle of New York.

Step 2-Need

Some event takes place that presents a problem or question to our main character. Step one, You, answers who the story is about. Step two, Need, answer what the story is about.

Loki Episode 1–Loki wants to escape so he can be special. He needs the Tesseract back.

Go

This is the step where the character leaves their normal world and enters the unknown. The Need has to drive your character into action. If there’s a Need, and your character doesn’t Go, you might as well roll the credits. The story is over. While your character must have agency, it’s up to you as the author to set up the circumstances in such a way that the character can’t refuse to go.

Loki Episode 1–TVA needs his help. Loki steals a time device and escapes.

Search

This doesn’t have to be a literal, physical search (though with Loki it is). This is where the author starts throwing obstacles and complications at our character. The character must learn and change from each challenge they overcome.

Loki Episode 1–Loki is unhelpful. He searches the TVA for the Tesseract.

Find

Congratulations! Your character has searched and grown and found the thing that started him on the journey. Roll credits. Or not. Your character’s journey up to this point has shown them what they needed at the start is no longer what they need. Plot and character development will dovetail.

Loki Episode 1–Loki finds the Tesseract. It’s being used as a paperweight.

Take

“The bill comes due,” as Mordo said at the end of Dr. Strange. The character must pay a price for their victory. She loses something important to her in finding what she thought she needed. This could run the gamut from a simple setback to the death of a major character, depending on the genre and the type of story you want to tell.

Loki Episode 1–Loki takes the Tesseract. He realizes it won’t get him out of the TVA. Its magic doesn’t work. His magic doesn’t work. He’s not special.

Return

The character returns to their normal life with their prize, and lessons learned. They are no longer the person they were when they left on their journey.

Loki Episode 1–Loki returns to the interrogation room.

Change

Change must happen to the character, but the author can show change to the circumstances in the world as well because of the character’s actions. The changes don’t always have to be positive. Perhaps the character changed for the better, but the world changed for the worse and you’ve set up the sequel. 

Loki Episode 1–Now Loki is broken and ready to help the TVA. Notice that he’s helpful is on the polar opposite point of the circle from his being unhelpful.

The beauty of the Story Circle is it can apply to many stories, whether they be romance, mystery, thriller, or comedies. As a cycle, the story circle is wonderful for serial content like TV shows, movies franchises and book series. It’s a more refined Hero’s Journey. A more cathartic journey of true evolution that is more character driven than plot driven. 

You don’t have to choose between the Story Circle and the three-act structure. You can use them both to better understand your story, whether you meticulously plotted out every detail or discovered it organically as you wrote the first draft. The important thing is to arrive at a great story. Use any and all tools and techniques at your disposal.

Ted Atchley is a freelance writer and professional computer programmer. Whether it’s words or code, he’s always writing. Ted’s love for speculative fiction started early on with Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, and the Star Wars movies. This led to reading Marvel comics and eventually losing himself in Asimov’s Apprentice Adept and the world of Krynn (Dragonlance Chronicles). 

After blogging on his own for several years, Blizzard Watch (blizzardwatch.com) hired Ted to be a regular columnist in 2016. When the site dropped many of its columns two years later, they retained Ted as a staff writer. 

He lives in beautiful Charleston, SC with his wife and children. When not writing, you’ll find him spending time with his family, and cheering on his beloved Carolina Panthers. He’s currently revising his work-in-progress portal fantasy novel before preparing to query. 

Ted has a quarterly newsletter which you can join here. You’ll get the latest on his writing and publishing as well as links about writing, Star Wars, and/or Marvel.

Categories
Courting the Muse

How Academic Articles Can Help You Craft Your Frame Stories

Pilgrims travel to a martyr’s shrine, swapping stories on their journey to pass the time.

The freshly installed tenant of a rundown estate asks his housekeeper about the history of his troubled new home.

A sea captain writes to his sister about a disturbing encounter he had en route to the North Pole.

If you’ve got a taste for classic literature, you might recognize — in broad strokes, at least — the openings to some of English literature’s most notable works: The Canterbury Tales, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein. respectively.

All three of these classics show the power of frame stories at work. Also known as frame narratives, these introductory tales enclose another story (or set of stories), supporting and emphasizing them like gilded wood embracing a painting.

As you might have gathered from the examples above, a good frame story isn’t just a throat-clearing before the author begins to speak in earnest — a preamble to the story they really want to write.

For one thing, frame stories help orient the reader. Their protagonists are often as lost as we are, stumbling into astounding situations they don’t yet have the context to parse. The tenant arrives in the aftermath of Heathcliff and Cathy’s ruinous love; the sea captain rescues Dr. Frankenstein from the cold, long after the monster has already escaped his custody. As strangers to the scene, these baffled observers allow us to nestle into their curiosity and bewilderment, giving us a perspective to latch onto as we ease ourselves into the book.

Done right, frame narratives offer a way into the plots and characters they frame. But beyond that, they also offer occasions for storytelling — justification for each word that follows. Why am I reading this? What makes this important? These are the questions a good frame story will answer.

These days, I often find frame narratives in mystery novels and ghost stories, where they depict a naive outsider’s first encounters with the enigma at the heart of the work. But actually, I tend to stumble on my favorite frame narratives in a less intuitive genre: academic articles.

At its core, academic research isn’t unlike the plotting of mystery novels. The scholar-sleuth, encountering an ambiguity, undertakes an investigation. They work methodically through clues, subjecting them to rigorous analyses and synthesizing them through flashes of insight.

In my field of history, researchers don’t tend to present their findings in the form of conventional frame stories — that is, by narrating the discovery of their sources. However, historians often do deploy a rhetorical strategy that reminds me of the frame narrative at its best. In some of my favorite scholarly articles, the researcher begins with a punchy anecdote, a narrative that orients me to the concepts they’re working with and eases me into the analysis to come.

The book historian Susan Cherniack, for example, uses this technique with spare, elegant style in a classic 1994 study of textual transmission in Song China. The 120-page article opens on the striking story of “five [Song] woodblock-engravers who were struck by lightning after changing the texts of prescriptions in a medical book they had been engraving”. This startling one-liner gets right to the center of Cherniack’s inquiry: how texts change as they’re copied and circulated; which changes are “allowed” and which forbidden.

When Cherniack pulls this anecdote and places it at the beginning of her article, she’s crafting a narrative frame for her ideas, much like Mary Shelley opening Frankenstein on a sea captain’s rescue of a scientist. Cherniack doesn’t belabor her point — she moves on from this opening salvo quickly enough. But she does offer us a striking, narratively rich indication of why we should care about her study.

As fiction writers, we use our frame stories to introduce narrative, not argumentation. But examining how historians contextualize their arguments through storytelling can make us better storytellers too, by keeping frame stories compelling and tight.

Lucia Tang is a writer for Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the book industry’s best editors, designers, and marketers. To work on the site’s free historical character name generators, she draws on her knowledge of Chinese, Latin, and Old Irish —  learned as a PhD candidate in history at UC Berkeley. You can read more of her work on the Reedsy Discovery blog, or follow her on Twitter at @lqtang.

Categories
Screenwriting

Almost There!

By the time you read this, Halloween will be over; which means the year is almost over—more specifically 2020 is almost over! Most of us are ready for the new year but we’re not quite out of the woods yet.

Creatively and literally speaking we are in the falling action stage of 2020. We reached our climax, but we’re still working towards the resolution. Just like with 2020, our stories must continue before we can reach a satisfying resolution.

Our characters and hopefully audiences are still on an adventure towards the goals established at the beginning of the narrative. But, we can’t let the story flatline. We must keep breathing life into it through falling action.

This is why some screenwriters like to follow a five-act structure versus a three-act structure, this approach gives a story more momentum and some would say a more satisfying conclusion. Below are the structure points for a five-act approach.

  • Exposition(the set up)
  • Rising action
  • Crisis/Climax
  • Falling action
  • Denouement(resolution)

Those who prefer five acts over three acts believe the extra plot points give a story more direction and clarity. Cinematically speaking the falling action helps raise the stakes and the need for a satisfying resolution. For that reason, I want to discuss the structure point of falling action this month.

Falling Action!

Storytelling is made up of a series of events which flow effortlessly in a specific direction. There is a cause and effect principle at work here, what happens at one point directly affects what happens next or later on. There is an ebb and flow to the storytelling.

Screenwriter and script analyst Scott Myers explains, “I’m also able to amortize some of the cost of my college education as I remember having studied this part of ‘Poetics’ wherein we learned the concepts of rising action and falling action, the former related to Complication, the latter to Denouement.”1

Logically, the bigger the event, the bigger the effect or ebb will be. Imagine dropping a small stone into the water versus a big rock into the same water, one causes bigger ripples and affects everything else more.

Or think of landing an airplane. You don’t go straight down, but come in at an angle to arrive safely at your destination. The falling action brings the story to a safe conclusion since we don’t want to lose our audience along the way.

So, after the climax, there will be bigger ripples in our adventure. Since climax brings change, falling action shows us what that change is as we head towards our story’s resolution.

Falling action has important functions in storytelling.

  1. It keeps the momentum going forward.
  2. It helps tie up loose ends, especially in subplots the climax didn’t address.
  3. It helps the audience appreciate the climax more.
  4. It builds anticipation for a satisfying conclusion to the journey.

Remember, after the climax, there needs to be a change in the story’s charge, i.e. changes in our characters and their worlds. Falling action gives us a sense of change. It shows the audience that things can get better if we just keep going, keep pushing and make it to the end. Myers notes, “Falling action occurred after a reversal, thus the narrative flow turned against the Antagonist.”2

In the End!

The purpose of stories is getting from point A to point B. If point B is the final piece in our picture puzzle, falling action helps us anticipate what it will look like in the end. Myers concludes, “After the climax of the story, you wanna give the audience a glimpse of what it all means to the hero.”3

The elements of the falling action are the final hurdles our characters must endure before reaching the finish line. This is your chance to raise the stakes and increase the drama to create a better payoff for the audience and characters alike; it’s the bridge to where everyone wants to be.

Below are a few examples of stories with five-act structures:

Regardless of which structure used, let your characters fall time and again before they reach their destination. Our audiences and characters want an adventure en route to their goals and falling action means they’re almost there!

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/studying-aristotles-poetics-part-18-a-complication-and-denouement-3367f15a33e9

2  https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/studying-aristotles-poetics-part-18-a-complication-and-denouement-3367f15a33e9

3  https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/studying-aristotles-poetics-part-18-a-complication-and-denouement-3367f15a33e9

Categories
The Picky Pen

How to Find the Felt Need

This is the first post in my editing series in 2020 for how to develop a great story by having all the layers in place before actually writing, or if you’ve already written your book, how to make sure all the layers are in place.

The first layer in developing a great story is finding the felt need.

We all have needs. We have a need for sleep, sustenance, and sunshine. Your readers have needs, such as reading a soul-stirring good book. Your characters have needs like how to move forward in a relationship or making it through a congested highway in time to punch the clock. And do all those needs need to match? Not really, but they should at least mesh in some way. If you don’t know why your readers are reading your book, then what’s the point? You don’t have an engaged audience, you can’t sell books, and you just aren’t going anywhere, eh? Well, I want you and your books to go somewhere! 🙂

Recently, one writer lamented that the qualities necessary for a good nonfiction book were clearly not the same as the qualities necessary for a fiction book. Readers of fiction, they said, do not specifically read to meet their “need.” Okay, so I can see what they’re saying, but I respectfully disagree.

While it’s somewhat true to that fiction readers don’t read because they have a flaming need, readers of fiction read because they enjoy a good story. And as writers who care about writing good stories, we must give readers what they’re looking for, what they’re craving. The next few paragraphs presents several ways to easily find the felt need in your fiction manuscript.

How to Find the Felt Need

  • why are you writing this particular story?
  • what do you want readers to come away with at the end of the story?
  • how do the answers to the above questions play into your characters’ lives?

Why Are You Writing this Particular Story?

If you’re writing for the sake of writing, that’s a good cause, but if you’re writing because you have an urgent message to share with the world, that’s an even better cause.

Sometimes a book explores an issue to seek to uncover the lie and expose the truth, as in To Kill A Mockingbird. Sometimes a book is meant to show the reader what is most important, such as in Where the Red Fern Grows. And sometimes a book is just fun and lighthearted, with a loose message threaded throughout, like Cranford.

What Do You Want Readers to Come Away With?

Every story has a “so what?” factor, whether it’s an essay, article, nonfiction, or fiction. Every story has a purpose, even if it’s to have a good, hearty laugh (like the ladies do in Elizabeth Gaskell’s Cranford) or to integrate the romance factor as in The Great Gatsby.

In my essay, “The Meaning of an Heirloom,” in The Horse of My Dreams (Revell 2019), I wanted readers to come away with the idea that an heirloom extends beyond the space of something tangible; an heirloom could be intangible—and have a lasting impact on the world and others.

Each author benefits from exploring this “why” question when crafting their novel because it’s really the secret sauce to writing a great story that captivates people, agents, editors, readers, marketers, and the person who wouldn’t necessarily pick up a book and read it.

A Few Examples

In The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings, the characters are on a journey of discovery about who they really are and the baggage they carry. I believe the author wanted readers to be at peace with their relationships in all kinds of spaces.

Under Moonlit Skies (Prairie Skies series) by Cynthia Roemer seeks to empower readers that self-acceptance is more powerful than romantic love.

The theme of Sarah Sundin’s Sunrise at Normandy series is about forgiveness, and each main character (The Sea Before Us [2018], The Sky Above Us [2019], and The Land Beneath Us [2020]) must forge their own forgiveness path as they interact with each other and experience different situations that speak to their own needs.

So … as you’re editing your manuscript’s “felt need” and crafting your novel and its purpose to better serve your current readers and your future readers, I hope this bit of explanation is helpful to you.

Questions? Comments? I’d love to engage in the conversation with you! Drop your question or comment in the chat below, and I’ll look forward to responding!

Your Turn!

What is your character’s felt need? What is your story’s “why”?

What do you want your readers to come away with by the end of reading your book?

(Please, no retelling what the book is *about.)

Tisha Martin writes historical fiction and nonfiction but edits full time for beginning and best-selling writers and publishing houses. Since 2017 she has worked on over 250 books, including Planned from the Start, the devotional companion to Unplanned the movie, and serves as contest judge for Writer’s Digest. She puts her bachelors in Professional Writing, masters in English Education, and editing certificate from the PEN Institute to delightful good use. Her nonfiction essay “The Meaning of an Heirloom” in The Horse of My Dreams: True Stories of the Horses We Love is available from Revell. She enjoys speaking at writer’s conferences and coaching writers in the self-editing process. Learn more at www.tishamartin.com.   

Categories
Screenwriting

Inciting Incident?

Now that a new year is here, I want to start going in another direction. This year’s focus for this column will look at different components of screenplays—how there are alike and different from fictional novel writing.

It can be hard to get going at the beginning of the year. Traditional folklore states that what we spend the first day of the year doing will set the pace for the rest of the year. Thus, when I was growing up my mother always warned me to be careful about what I did on the first day of the year. Here are some of the things she warned me about:

  • Don’t clean – Cleaning on the first day means your house will be dirty all year.
  • Don’t sleep all day – You’ll have an unproductive year.
  • Don’t borrow money – You will be in debt all year.
  • Don’t argue or fight – you won’t have any peace that year.

Like the first day of the year we want to start our screenplays off right, this is why it’s important to have a clear inciting incident.

Inciting incidents?

The inciting incident is the event in any story. Whether it’s a novel or a screenplay, the inciting incident is the first domino that falls and sets off the chain of events that leads to our protagonist’s goal or destiny.

It doesn’t have to be the opening scene or in first beat of action, but in screenwriting, the sooner the better. It’s understood that the first ten pages of the screenplay are valuable real estate, because it must grab the audiences’ attention. This is why a lot of writers plant the inciting incident around page 5 or 7.

It gives a writer time to introduce the main characters and set up the need for change or conflict. Inciting incident ignites the fuse to get our story going forward. Often it gives our protagonist the motivation to pursue something or someone greater than themselves.

Since the nature of film is visual it is easier to present the inciting incident in a visible manner instead of using lines of dialogue full of exposition—we can see the inciting incident in action. (Show vs. tell.) Below are a few good examples from past movies:

  1. Rambo: Last Blood – John Rambo’s friend’s daughter runs off to Mexico to find her father and doesn’t return.
  2. Gran Turino – The attempted theft of a Gran Turino.
  3. Friday Night Lights – Jason gets paralyzed playing a sport he loves.
  4. Saving Private Ryan – The Death of three Ryan brothers leads General Marshall to find the last missing Ryan boy.
  5. Die Hard – The arrival of  Hans Gruber at the party.

Each of the above scenes sets a chain of events in motion that takes our characters on a journey from point A (pre-incident) to point B (the final action resulting from the inciting incident.)

While these scenes aren’t the opening scenes of the movie, they are the tipping points that get the ball rolling toward the eventual climax.

Just The Beginning?

Robert McKee explains it like this, “The inciting incident, the first major event of the telling, is the primary cause for all that follows, putting into motion the other four elements—progressive complications, crisis, climax, resolution.”[i]

As McKee notes above, movies are made up of numerous components. Although the inciting incident doesn’t necessarily happen at the beginning of the movie, it is the real beginning of the story you want to tell. Each of the components below has a direct relation to another (cause and effect.)

  • Characters: The participants in your story.
  • Actions: What your participants do in your narrative.
  • Conflict: Obstacles your characters face in your story.
  • Plot or Plotline: The sequence of events, where each event affects the next one through the principle of cause-and-effect (think about our domino analogy.)

While the timing and placement in a screenplay will vary from script to script, each should be a direct result of your story’s inciting incident!

[i] McKee R. (1997).  Story: Substance, Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg. 181.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.