The Inciting Incident: How to Create an Unforgettable Call to Adventure
A character’s life is rolling along—maybe not perfectly, maybe not happily, but predictably—until suddenly, everything changes. The ground shifts beneath their feet. A door swings open, or slams shut. Someone arrives, or disappears, or delivers an ultimatum. And in that moment, the protagonist is faced with a choice: step forward into something unknown, or stay where they are and let the world move on without them.
That’s the inciting incident.
If you’ve ever felt like your book starts too slow, or if readers say “it took a while to get into it,” chances are, your inciting incident isn’t doing its job.
A slow opening is deadly in fiction. Readers aren’t patient. They might skim a few pages, but if they don’t feel a narrative pulling them forward, they’ll move on. The incident incident is irreversible moment—like a spark hitting gasoline—when the protagonist’s ordinary world goes up in metaphorical flames.
Every great story has a moment where the protagonist’s world is shattered beyond repair—when they’re forced to make a decision they’re not ready for, when the road ahead becomes unavoidable. A great inciting incident doesn’t just introduce change—it demands action.
It forces the protagonist to react, to choose, to step (or be shoved) onto a path that will define the rest of the story; catapulting them headfirst into the main conflict. Without it, your protagonist has no reason to venture beyond their comfort zone; with it, they can’t possibly remain who they were.
So how do you craft a moment that grabs the reader, shakes your protagonist’s world, and demands they take action?
What Is an Inciting Incident? (And What It Isn’t)
The inciting incident is the first major turning point in the story—the moment when the protagonist’s ordinary world goes up in metaphorical flames, and the protagonist is forced (or tempted) into a new path.
It usually happens around 10–15% into the story. Too early, and readers won’t care enough about the protagonist to feel the impact. Too late, and they might lose patience waiting for something to happen.
Get Your Story Started With a Bang
Here's a quick way to think about it... The first part of the story is showing your protagonist in the ordinary world, dealing with the status quo. You don't want them sitting around; I like to have them start on a very bad day, where everything is about to change. Then something weird happens, but they ignore it for now.
They aren't ready for a new, dangerous world. They don't want an adventure, full of risky unknowns. The call to adventure is an invitation, or a slightly-widened hint that there might be more out there. It rustles against their reality uncomfortably.
It's the anxiety of the abyss.
They pursue their main task or goal, they thing they've always wanted, what they've been waiting for... but things fall apart. The thing they wanted, doesn't work out. Something goes wrong; one door is shut.
Suddenly they are questioning and doubting.
This leaves them open to imagining something new.
In the examples below, I should point out that not all story structures are the same, and there's a lot of confusion between an inciting incident (call to adventure) and a first plot point (point of no return).
And while most popular stories have these, deciding exactly what does or doesn't quality from this or that story, is a challenge. So we may not agree on specific examples, and that's OK.
Examples of Powerful Inciting Incidents
- The Hunger Games – Katniss volunteers as tribute.
- Jurassic Park – Paleontologists Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler are invited by John Hammond to tour his revolutionary theme park featuring real dinosaurs.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – Hagrid tells Harry he’s a wizard.
- Great Expectations – Young Pip encounters an escaped convict who forces him to steal food and a file, setting off events that shape his destiny.
- The Hobbit – Bilbo gets an unexpected party and an invitation to adventure.
- Pride and Prejudice – Darcy insults Elizabeth at the ball, igniting the conflict that will define their relationship.
- Breaking Bad – Walter White is diagnosed with cancer, setting him on the path to becoming Heisenberg.
- The Count of Monte Cristo – Edmond Dantès is falsely accused of treason and arrested on his wedding day, igniting his quest for vengeance.
- Spider-Man – Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider during a field trip, dramatically altering his life and launching his superhero journey.
If your story lacks a clear inciting incident, your protagonist doesn’t have that essential push to transform. The moment must create new stakes, new direction, and a sense that there’s no going back.
For me personally, this means burning bridges. The inciting incident/call to adventure is a mix of their real life falling apart, their hopes and dreams dashed, and an unexpected and mysterious appearance of an otherness they can't explain.
It's the stirrings of discontent.
The 1st plot point/point of no return is when they are more physically and permanently committed to the new path which the inciting incident alluded to.
Harry's letter, refusing to believe it (and being prohibited against it); then Hogwarts. Katniss raises her hand (forced into action); but then has time to say goodbye before boarding the train to Panem.
The first draws back the bow with tension.
The second releases the arrow.
If you’re looking for more guidance on jump‑starting your narrative, consider our article: How to Start Your Story: The Ordinary World, the Hook, and the Art of Making Readers Care.
What Makes a Strong Inciting Incident?
A great inciting incident isn’t just any big event. It needs to meet three criteria:
- It disrupts the protagonist’s world.
- Something meaningful has to happen—something that’s impossible for the protagonist to ignore.
- It Demands a Decision.
- The protagonist must react—whether they want to or not. They can’t just drift along. Even if they resist the call, they’re forced to confront it head-on.
- It Ties Into the Larger Conflict.
- A random fender-bender might complicate your hero’s day, but if it doesn’t connect to the main plot, it’s not a proper inciting incident. It must foreshadow or directly trigger the core story.
Take The Lion King. Scar orchestrates Mufasa’s death, forcing Simba into exile and beginning his journey toward reclaiming his identity and throne. That’s the inciting incident—it shatters his world, forces a reaction (he runs away), and sets up the rest of the story.
Compare that to The Matrix. Neo gets a cryptic message: Follow the white rabbit. That’s not the inciting incident—it’s just a hint of the journey ahead. The real moment is when he meets Morpheus and is offered the red pill or blue pill. That’s when his life truly changes forever.
For more on the structural elements that support your story’s momentum, see our guide on Plotting Your Novel: Three-Act, Four-Act, and Every Other Structure That Works (and Why You Need One).
An inciting incident is not:
- A random event that doesn’t connect to the main plot.
- A minor inconvenience the protagonist can easily ignore.
- A slow buildup that doesn’t change anything immediately.
It’s the moment when the story actually begins.
Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
1. Nothing Actually Happens
If your protagonist could ignore the event and carry on, it’s not an inciting incident—it’s a minor inconvenience. Real inciting incidents force action or introspection that changes the hero’s trajectory.
2. It’s Too Small
A petty annoyance won’t cut it. Make it big enough to rattle your character. If this event doesn’t dramatically alter their life or perspective, readers won’t buy into its significance. A good test: if your protagonist could shrug and walk away, raise the stakes.
3. It Feels Disconnected
The inciting incident should seamlessly lead into the story’s main conflict. If you introduce a dramatic event that never ties back to your overarching plot, it’ll feel like a detour rather than the true beginning.
Tip: If your novel is about a spy uncovering a global conspiracy, the inciting incident might be her stumbling across a cryptic file that hints at said conspiracy. That event is a direct gateway to the bigger story.
If your book is about a detective solving a murder, the inciting incident shouldn’t be them having a bad day at work—it should be discovering the body or taking the case.
Should Your Protagonist Accept the Call Immediately?
In The Hero’s Journey, the protagonist often resists the call before accepting it.
- Bilbo Baggins: “I can’t go on an adventure!” (But he does.)
- Luke Skywalker: “I can’t leave Tatooine!” (But then his aunt and uncle are murdered, and he has no choice.)
This is because, if things just go the way the protagonist wanted, there wouldn't be any surprise or drama; and if the thing happens, we won't believe or understand why the characters should feel any way about it. The hero who wants it, doesn't deserve it. You can add easy arbitrary tension to your story by forbidding a thing before it happens: it's against the rules; it's impossible, I could never - build a wall that has to be smashed through, and you'll have generated a ton of momentum and conflict.
Sometimes, a protagonist chooses to enter the story. But usually, they’re dragged in kicking and screaming (the midpoint is where they start making conscious decisions). Either way, the inciting incident should force them to react—whether that’s running toward the adventure or away from it.
How to Write an Inciting Incident That Grabs Readers
If your story feels slow, if readers say “it took a while to get interesting,” it’s probably because your inciting incident isn’t strong enough. Here’s how to fix that.
1. Make It Personal
The inciting incident hits hardest when it’s deeply personal to the protagonist.
- John Wick isn’t just about a stolen car. It works because the dog was the last thing his wife left him.
- The Hunger Games wouldn’t work if Katniss was randomly chosen—it works because she volunteers to save her sister.
The stronger the emotional pull, the stronger the impact.
But also, they didn't ask for this. It happens to them. First you have to show what they love and why, or what they want and why, before we will have any kind of emotions or know how to feel about this sudden interruption.
2. Make It Unavoidable
A weak inciting incident is one the protagonist could ignore. A strong one demands a response.
- Dracula – Jonathan Harker must go to Transylvania for work.
- The Godfather – Michael Corleone wants nothing to do with the family business… but when his father is nearly killed, he has no choice.
The best inciting incidents corner the protagonist.
3. Make It Raise a Story Question
A great inciting incident creates intrigue—it makes the reader wonder, What happens next?
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – A journalist is offered a strange job investigating a decades-old disappearance.
- The Da Vinci Code – A cryptic message is found next to a dead body in the Louvre.
Readers should feel compelled to keep going because they need answers.
Hot tip: Some authors screw this up by overexplaining and telling readers why everything is happening. Information should never be given out freely; the more important it is, the more you must resist sharing it.
4. Make It a Ticking Clock
A sense of urgency makes an inciting incident even stronger.
- Speed – A bus will explode if it slows down.
- Titanic – The ship will sink, and time is running out.
A ticking clock forces the protagonist to act now.
How to Tell If Your Inciting Incident Works
Ask yourself:
- Does it disrupt the protagonist’s world?
- Does it force a reaction or decision?
- Does it connect to the larger conflict?
- Does it hook the reader—making them need to know what happens next?
If you answered yes to all four, your inciting incident is solid. If not, it might need tweaking.
Final Thoughts: Make It Unforgettable
Think of the inciting incident as the initial meeting between the main character's current status quo existence, and the new world or experience or adventure that's calling her name. Once it hits, your protagonist can’t just go back to business as usual; they have already been disturbed.
This moment is why your story exists. If you deliver it with emotional punch and high stakes, readers will be hooked for the long haul.
- Disrupt their world.
- Dangle an impossible choice.
- Hint at larger stakes.
Do that, and you’ll have readers flipping pages, eager to see how your hero navigates the chaos you’ve unleashed. Because, at that fateful moment, the protagonist’s old life ends—and a new, far more perilous one begins.
If the inciting incident is weak, the entire first act will feel slow. If it’s strong, readers won’t be able to put the book down.
So make it big. Make it personal. Make it impossible to ignore.
Ready to create inciting incidents that truly hook your readers? Try Sudowrite now!