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Q&A How to keep it interesting before the inciting incident?

I'm going to use the example of one of my all-time favourite anime, Steins;Gate, which also has two inciting incidents. The first is Okabe accidentally inventing the time machine and shifting hims...

posted 7y ago by F1Krazy‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-12T21:42:31Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29912
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:26:47Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29912
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by (deleted user) · 2019-12-08T06:26:47Z (almost 5 years ago)
I'm going to use the example of one of my all-time favourite anime, _Steins;Gate_, which also has two inciting incidents.

The first is Okabe accidentally inventing the time machine and shifting himself into a parallel World Line. This occurs midway through Episode 1, though he and the audience don't realize that's what's happened until about Episode 3.

The second inciting incident occurs at the end of Episode 12, and I won't spoil what it is because it's such a WHAM moment and sets up the entire second half of the storyline. It's worth noting, however, that it's actually a direct consequence of the first incident.

The episodes in between those events serve several purposes:

- To introduce the main characters in detail, and help us get to know them and sympathize with them, in a fun and entertaining manner
- To provide important exposition (in this case, about the mechanics of time travel) so that once the main plot kicks in, the boring bits are out of the way and we can just get on with the main story
- To hint at future plot developments

The section between your two inciting incidents needs to try and hit those points as well.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-08-25T12:02:39Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 1