The Inciting Moment
February 5, 2008 | by brett | Permalink
Yesterday I received a page on effective storytelling that was adapted from Gustav Freytag’s Technik des Dramas (1863), also known as Freytag’s Pyramid. The pyramid identifies three major points in a story such as the “Moment of Last Suspense” and “The Climax.” The point on the pyramid that interested me most was the “Inciting Moment.”
The Inciting Moment is where a story starts. It does not necessarily mean the moment we are born, but it is the moment where we consciously decide to go in a new direction. It takes guts, confidence, and oftentimes, a little bit of luck to have one of these moments. I know because for the past two years, I have studied the turning points of about 250 people while experiencing a few of my own.
Phoenix Suns president Rick Welts, who we interviewed on our Pursue the Passion tour, was watching an old timer’s softball game on television when he conceived what is now the NBA’s All-Star weekend (which will be coming to town in 2009). Brian Mohr was unemployed and at a Coyotes game when a Jobing.com banner ad caught the eye of his wife. That night he went home and checked this website. With an application, lots of persistence, and loads of hard work, Brian not only got a job with Jobing, but has worked his way up to a prominent executive position. Bruce Haffner witnessed a helicopter land at his school assembly in the first grade. Admitting the impact that moment had on him while we flew over the Valley of the Sun, Bruce now flies a chopper around for ABC’s Good Morning Arizona.
The opportunities to have these moments are all around us. Our problem is that most of us are waiting for the twenty foot wave to come overwhelm us with an epiphany. But it is a conscious decision, a mindset, to be aware that such a small thing in life can have such a big impact. We have to be open to these moments, or else they won’t “incite” us.
« Previous: Bounce | Next: Generalizing a Generation »
RESPOND TO THIS INTERVIEW