I’ve got about a dozen unfinished stories. When I look back to see why I gave up on the story (sometimes mid-sentence), I discovered most of them died out around chapter three. I was shocked. What was so hard about chapter three? Why would I give up so easily? As I read through the first two chapters, I began to see a clear problem: the inciting incident. No matter how short your chapters are, chances are, the inciting incident happens around chapter three. Chapters one and two introduce the world before the “terrible thing” happens. But like a reader who is unimpressed, I dropped the story before we got to the exciting part. So, what is so exciting about the inciting incident?

It's all about that spark

Back before I knew anything about story structure, I would picture the story idea like a movie trailer. I could see the beginning, something about the middle, and the climax. But chapter 3 was juuuust out of reach in my imagination. I would feverishly write out the first two chapters, knowing how the story began, but then find myself running out of gas around chapter three. It happened just last month while I was writing my Middle-Grade book Pirated! I knew chapter three held the inciting incident, or at least half of it (I like to end my chapters on a cliffhanger) but getting there took time. If you find yourself with writer’s block around chapter three, I’m here to tell you you’re not alone.

The inciting incident is crucial to any story. It is the “now we’re getting somewhere” part of the story. Blake Snyder calls it the “Catalyst” and Randy Ingermanson calls it the “first tragedy” and it is defined in the Hero’s Journey as the “Call to Adventure.” In our Masterclass, Amy Earls showed us that in chapter three of her master outline, the “hero says goodbye to his or her family.” It is the beginning of the rest of your character’s life. Nothing after this will ever be the same. But for your story, that’s a positive thing!

Let's get on with it

If you find yourself running out of gas by chapter three, it is because there is too much set-up. Too much background and prologue. While we all love setting the stage, eventually, the play has to begin. I don’t care if your story is a long epic with fifty chapters. If something life-changing hasn’t happened by chapter three, I’m probably gonna put the book down and never pick it back up. It’s like watching a murder mystery where no one has died in the first half hour.

Even in the steampunk mystery novel, I co-wrote with ChatGPT last year, chapter three ends with these words, “They knew they were about to create chaos.” Do you have chills? The inciting incident is the cornerstone of every story. It's what keeps us turning the page to see what happens next. If you find yourself losing momentum in your third or fourth chapter, chances are the “incident” has not happened yet. You are stuck on vibes and set-up and the story has yet to properly begin.

Wise Buddy Hackett

Get to the inciting incident as soon as possible. If you need too much setup, then you’ve either picked the wrong inciting incident, or you need to rethink where your story begins. Years ago, I had a published author read a short story of mine. He liked it but that the third paragraph was actually my opening. To quote Buddy Hackett from It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World, “We ain’t in a rush, we just want to get there in a hurry!”

Whether you are dealing with YA, Middle Grade, or younger, your reader has a million distractions. Don’t give them time for their mind to wander. Don’t lollygag in your setup. Give them the inciting incident and make them turn (or scroll) to see what happens next. Some books and movies will start at an exciting moment in the story, then flashback with the promise that if you are patient, the story will get back to that white-knuckle moment. While it can be done, I would warn against this trope. If you tell your story correctly, the reader will see the possibilities in your setup, and they won’t need a tease to something more exciting.

Off to an adventure

As you write your third chapter, think about the weight that it carries. Embrace the importance. Once you write this chapter, there is no going back. The story is either dragging or things are about to get real! But have no fear, this is where the fun begins. Your character is about to leave their parents. While in Pirated! My hero does not leave his parents physically, he is offered the chance to disobey them. And if he does, then nothing will ever be the same again. His world could be shattered with one bad choice. I could have written more chapters leading up to this, but I would risk my readers putting the book down. It’s not that they are in a rush. They just want to get there in a hurry!

Where is your inciting incident? When do you find yourself abandoning a story? Let me know in the comments.

Just like his two older brothers, Kyle Morgan was homeschooled from Kindergarten through High School. When he is not busy writing, the next classic children’s book, Kyle loves spending time with his family, all things baseball, and watching black and white movies. He is a monthly contributor to Write2Ignite where he blogs about writing for children. His work has appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, The Caldwell Perspective and StarLight Magazine. You can check out his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.