Episode 4 – The Intro, Inciting Incident, Reaction Phase and New Info

Write The Story

When creating stories they consist of some cornerstones. Autumn and Jesper call these Plot Posts.

Plot Posts are intended as a “catch all” phrase for the major turning points of a novel. There are seven of these Plot Posts: The Intro, Inciting Incident, Reaction Phase, New Info (or Dark Night of the Soul), Develop Plan, Climax and Wrap Up.

In this episode of the Write the Story Podcast, Autumn and Jesper discuss the first four of the plot posts. They develop The Intro, Inciting Incident, Reaction Phase, New Info (or Dark Night of the Soul).

The Intro constitutes the start of your novel.

The Inciting Incident is the first major turning point of the novel and one that changes everything. Up until this point, the protagonist have been busy dealing with the mini story in the Intro, but he or she is now going to cross a threshold where the hero’s “normal” world will come to an abrupt halt. The change is caused by the resolution of the Intro’s smaller problems, catapulting the character into the Inciting Incident.

The Reaction phase is a vehicle, used to show character change and foreshadowing what’s to come.

The New Info is where the discovery of new information forces the protagonist to face reality. It’s where you’re handing the keys-to-greater-insight over to the character, and as a consequence, it changes how the hero decides to move forward.

Do you want the book, Jesper and Autumn are using as a guide for this podcast series?

Get it here: https://books2read.com/Plot-Development

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/AmWritingFantasy