The Foolscap Method Step 8 - The Inciting Incident
Channel: Steven Pressfield
Date: 2023-06-07

So we’re down to our last three entries on our Foolscap Page.  The next entry is the  THE INCITING INCIDENT.   When does our story really begin?  Where does the rubber meet the road?
Most stories, movies, etc. have an intro, a setup to get us familiar with characters, setting, etc. But there is always that moment when the story kicks off.  Where the hero acquires their intention.  This is important and will guide us through the story.  Take the movie ROCKY for instance.  When Rocky’s picked to fight Apollo Creed, his intention becomes about fighting the champ, and everything that entails; training, guzzling raw eggs, using frozen meat for a heavy bag.
The other thing that happens with the inciting incident is that the Climax of the story is always embedded in the inciting incident.  In the movie TAKEN, when Liam Neeson tells the kidnappers that he has special skills and will use every one of them, we know that the climax is going to be a showdown between his character and the kidnappers.  In ROCKY once Rocky accepts the fight, we know the climax is going to be the fight with Apollo Creed.  
So on one line – can you answer the question – WHEN DOES THE STORY START?