Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/38690
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/38690
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Greed can be an inciting event. People go looking for treasure, to escape poverty.

Knowledge can be an inciting event. Suppose the MC knows she and her village are powerless to confront an evil overlord, but in having these dreams of a trapped goddess she believes are real visions, the MC realizes if she can save the goddess and unleash her power, the goddess will owe her a favor and help fight the evil overlord oppressing her village. (And also save the world.)

Restless curiosity can be an inciting event; for men or women. They are bored with the village and the sameness of it all, they aren't interested in ANY of their romantic prospects, they are about to be forced to choose an empty life: They run away.

Love or Altruism can be an inciting incident. In The Hunger Games, the girl volunteers to take her sister's place, out of love. Altruism can work similarly, our MC loves somebody, relative or not, that needs something or wants something they cannot get themselves. Medicine, a magical amulet, whatever. Our MC for the sake of their friend's well-being or happiness chooses the quest. ("Friend" could instead be a parent, grandparent, a mentor, a teacher, a sibling, anybody they love that cannot go themselves.)

The quest is to get something. It could be a physical thing, a favor, some kind of knowledge, or just excitement, or justice, or power, or to find love.

It can be a personal thing, or a thing on behalf of somebody else. Give your character something they want and want very badly. That is why they risk their lives on this quest.

Original score: 16