EVENT THAT PUSHES THE PROTAGONIST OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE
This event sets the story into motion and presents your protagonist with the opportunity to change what they’re dissatisfied with. But as unhappy as they are with their life, they have created a comfort zone for themselves. So, this opportunity for change doesn’t excite them one bit. Their fear—the thought of going out there and possibly ending up in a worse situation than they are right now—holds them back.
Examples:
Tangled: Rapunzel’s inciting incident is Flynn Rider. He knows the world outside, what those lights are and how to get there. Seeing Rapunzel has wanted to see the lights for so long we expect her to be thrilled with this opportunity, but she’s not. She fears disappointing her mother by breaking the rules and entering this new, scary world.
The Greatest Showman: P.T. Barnum loses his job. Now, he’s the classical example of a failure—he can’t even provide for his family. The easy and rational course of action would be to find another job as soon as possible. His family needs him.
Essentially, the inciting incident is nothing more than an event that disrupts your protagonist’s status quo and forces them to make a decision, or in other words: the impossible choice that occurs in The First Plot Point.
Good luck!
