As many of you know, a screenplay is broadly divided
into three acts:
1. The beginning (Setup) that is 22 to 30 pages long,
2. Middle (confrontation or conflict) that is about 60
pages long, and
3. End (Resolution) that is about 25 to 30 pages long.
But what most fresh screenwriters don't seem to
understand correctly and make a technical mistake in is
the first act (the beginning or the setup) where their
writing indicates their misunderstanding of the
difference between the inciting incident and plot point
I, the two major highs in the first act.
Let's have a look at the definitions in order to make it
easy for us to properly differentiate between the two
screenplay elements and consequently be able to write
Act I of our screenplays in the most effective way
possible:
What is the Inciting Incident?
An inciting incident is the event that throws the
everyday life of the protagonist out of balance. The
event;
• must NOT has to do anything with the will of the
protagonist,
• doesn't necessarily have to be the reaction of
something the protagonist did at the start of the
screenplay, and
• must NOT be the reaction of something the protagonist
did in his life that existed before the start of the
screenplay.
What is the Plot Point I?
Plot point I or the first turning point in a screenplay
is the event that takes place either by the will of the
protagonist himself or without his will and forces his
circumstances to a whole new direction. The plot point I
is the result of the inciting incident.
The above definitions of the two elements of Act I may
make you think that the inciting incident is the biggest
thing that occurs in Act I. If it is indeed the case,
you are actually disagreeing with the screenwriting
coaches who teach in screenwriting academic programs and
those screenwriting experts who have written and
published books on screenwriting as those screenwriting
courses and books which talk about plot point I in
details maintain that the plot point I is the most
biggest thing that happens in Act I. And you know what?
They are absolutely right.
Let me explain it to you.
Regardless of which one of the two appears to be the
biggest event in Act I, it will remain the fact that
plot point I is the biggest one of the two because it is
the plot point I that turns the story into a whole new,
more conflicting and progressive direction. Moreover,
the inciting incident complements the plot point I and
the case is not the opposite. In this regard plot point
I is taken into consideration as the biggest event of
Act I among Hollywood professionals.
Now that you are aware of the difference between the
inciting incident and plot point I, it's time now to
start writing. So do it!
Copyright (C) 2007-2008 M.d Tabish Faraz. All
Rights Reserved
M.d Tabish Faraz is a freelance screenwriter, creative
web content writer, article
writer, and copywriter
http://writertabish.blogspot.com/
http://writers.net/writers/35682/
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