Inciting Incident The Catalyst

Introduction In this introduction to the inciting incident, the catalyst, or hook, which takes place in the first act of your screenplay or story . I often refer to several pros whose names are well-known to guide you in understanding the widest interpretations possible to the catalyst event. Among them are Dan Calvisi, Todd Klick, Neil Landau, Ellen Sandler, Jeffrey Schechter, Blake Snyder, David Trottier, John Truby and others. Incite To incite is to encourage and to push forward. (Unknown, 2013) Synonyms: catalyst, disturbing event, shocking event, upsetting event, heartbreaking event, the snare, the catch. Sometimes the inciting incident happens to the hero because of something they did, but it can also happen because of something they didn’t do. In Saving Private Ryan, soldiers on Omaha Beach are about to leave the lander to serve their country, but many of them are going to be killed by the enemy. (Spielberg, 1999) Young Bruce Wayne falls into the well and is surrounded by bats. (Nolan, 2005) The soldiers have to face death head on and Bruce Wayne has to live with his fears until he can fight his way out of them. The inciting incident brings TENSION and CONFLICT, and gives birth to a PLAN and a course of ACTION that will resolve the Hero’s dilemma. The inciting incident is much as a set of domino’s. When the first domino falls, the others are sure to follow. So it is with all the acts following the inciting incident. After the inciting incident the actions that follow lead to the revolution of the hero’s problem that was introduced in the inciting incident. The inciting incident makes the need for a change transform into a desire to fulfill that need come what may. (Unknown, 2013)