Inciting Incident: How to Revise an Unputdownable Beginning

Your inciting incident sets the stage for everything that follows. Here's what to revise so it can carry the story.A great inciting incident does a lot of heavy lifting.→ It hooks your readers, pulling them into the story.→ And it sets up everything to come, laying the foundation for a brilliant climax your readers will love.The beginning matters. Which means there’s a lot of pressure to get it right.But what does right actually mean? How do you start a story well?That’s what I’m tackling in this episode. I’m going beyond the definition of the inciting incident to share what I as an editor am looking for when I edit inciting incidents.In other words, if you’ve written an inciting incident and aren’t sure how to tell if it works, this episode is your guide to edit it.You’ll hear:How I define the inciting incidentWhere in the story the inciting incident appears (and how to tell if it’s too early or too late)The 7 qualities I’m watching for when I edit an inciting incidentThe 4 common inciting incident traps I see writers fall into (including one that’s really hard to spot, and yet it can tank the whole story)And morePlus, I’ve gathered it all into a one-page cheat sheet you can reference every time you edit an inciting incident. Print it out and keep it in your writing space for easy access.If you’ve ever found the advice to “make sure your story has an inciting incident” unsatisfactory, this episode is for you.Don’t just make sure your story has an inciting incident. Use this episode to revise it until it’s good. Great. Unputdownable, even.Links mentioned in the episode:Get the Inciting Incident Revision Cheat Sheet: alicesudlow.com/85Work with me: alicesudlow.com/contactEp. 27: Value Shifts: How to Craft Compelling Change in Every StorySend me a Text Message!Support the showRate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts "I love Alice and Your Next Draft." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me support more writers through the mess—and joy—of the editing process. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap the stars to rate, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! Loving the show? Show your support with a monthly contribution »

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