 Knowing where to start your novel can be one of the biggest challenges of writing. You want to start with action, but if there's too much action and not enough character development, the reader isn't going to want to stick with the main character's story. And how much of the setting do you need to lay out before the main character takes action? The best place to begin a novel is at the point where everything changes (or is about to change) for the main character. However, you also have to give yourself enough time to establish what is normal for your main character so the reader appreciates the moment of change. So, when should the inciting event take place? When in doubt, place the inciting event at or near the end of chapter one. This should give you enough time to create your main character's world and get the reader immersed in it before bringing in that life-changing event. If you can set up the main character's world and bring in the change sooner, that's great, but I wouldn't recommend going too much longer. Even though many books do this well, I think TV dramas are just as good an example of where to place the inciting event. One I really like to point out is Netflix's Money Heist: La Casa de Papel. In episode one, group of outlaws have carefully planned to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. For the first hour and twenty-five minutes of the hour-and-thirty-minute episode, everything is going great. The group has secured the building, found a particular hostage they were looking for, and are about ready to begin the next step in stealing the money. Obviously, a day of robbing a national mint isn't most people's normal, but it is for these characters. Five minutes before the end of the episode, one of the outlaws makes a bad decision and breaks from the plan. That decision changes the entire trajectory of the series.  This post was composed by Carlie Webber, a certified professional editor and former literary agent currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration at Pepperdine University. Her favorite genres to read and edit include MG, YA, mystery, thriller, suspense, horror, and contemporary fiction. Carlie is part of the social media staff at Writing Day Workshops. Attend a writers conference in 2025:
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