I Was Going To But Then I: An Inciting Incident Story Starter

I was going to, but then I… is not what you normally think of when you think writing prompt. And yet it may be the simplest (and most unobtrusively common) inciting incident story starter out there.

I Was Going to But Then I

Add two blanks, and you have the formula for a story:

I was going to ____, but then I _____.

“Instead” is implied at the end of that. Keep that in mind as we go on.

The Story Starter Formula

To use the formula, simply…

1. Fill in the blanks.
2. Fill in the story around those two thoughts.
3. Rinse and repeat.

But it’s so simple! How could you possibly get a start a story with that?

Hmmm… I wonder if I can think of any examples. Oh, yeah!

• I was going to have a leisurely tea and live a calm/unadventurous life, but then, a bunch of dwarves showed up.
• I was going to be locked in a cupboard for the foreseeable future, but then a magic letter arrived.
• I was going to be stuck as a farmer my whole life, but then the Empire killed my family.
• I was going to marry my girlfriend and live happily ever after, but then I got cancer.

Recognize any of those?

What this exercise actually helps you find is the inciting incident – the moment when exposition becomes rising action. The 1 event that caused the rest of the story to happen.

Inciting Incidents for Scenes

Granted, if you only use it at that scale, it’s not particularly helpful… “I found my inciting incident. Now, I know exactly how to write the next 80,000 words!”

Yeah, not so much.

You can, however, use it on a smaller scale, too. After all, scenes, chapters, and sections can have similar arcs to entire stories.

So, how about some examples on a smaller scale?

• I was going to have fun at the zoo, but then the snake started talking.
• I was going to go back to the ship, but then this black cat walked by twice.
• I was going to give up on the Mud People, but then Siddin took out the night stone.
• I was going to refuse the mission, but then the priest hit me over the head and took the tickets and Lilu.

Many scenes have a turning point like this where the main character’s plans are foiled. Sometimes, it even happens more than once in a scene (At least, if you’re really plotting against your characters…).

What’s the Point?

If you’ve written for a while, you probably do this automatically, so formalizing it for an exercise seems silly. But if you’re new to writing, this could be a tool for making that thought process automatic.

Or you can use it to get yourself started when you’re stuck. Whatever works.

-Em