The central event can occur at any time before, or during the story and can perform any function – it can generate the narrative, serve as a point of exposition, build to a climax, or even be the climax; what’s important is that without a central event, the story struggles to fly.
Now, this sometimes perplexes writers. And yes, some stories may seem to have two central events, although I haven’t yet come across this. In some narrative non-fiction, such as biography, it can be hard to pinpoint a single central event. However, in by far the majority of manuscripts I read, and the books I read for pleasure, there is an identifiable central event. Finding it can be a tool to understanding your story.
What’s the difference between the central event and the inciting incident?
The ‘inciting incident’ is a term used widely in models of story structure. It is an event that happens early in the story which kick-starts the action. The way the characters respond to the event is what sets the story in motion. The event or incident ‘incites’ action and the story takes off. Is the central event the same as the inciting incident? Not necessarily.
Let me give you an example to illustrate the difference between the central event and the inciting incident. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (the first book in the series), the central event is Harry surviving Voldemort’s attack in the conflict when his parents are killed, and escaping not only with his life, but with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. This marks him physically and metaphorically. Without that event, there is no story. And this central event happens before the story begins; it is part of the backstory. The inciting incident, however, is the arrival of the swarm of letters inviting Harry to attend Hogwarts when he is living with the Dursleys. It is how the characters respond to this incident that kick-starts the story.
The Harry Potter example sometimes leads writers to assume the central event must be in the backstory, and must be different from the inciting incident, but this is not so. Sometimes the central event happens half-way through, sometimes at the end. There will, of course, be more than one important event in your story, but only one central event, one that strongly reverberates with your story essence (see Vital Organs Part 1) and is core to your major dramatic question (see Vital Organs Part 2).
What’s the difference between the central event and the key event?
I have to admit, even I sometimes find the array of terminology in story theory confusing. Synonyms like central, key and major are used differently by writers and teachers. For example, the notion of a ‘key event’, as used in many story structure discussions on the web, references something different to my take on the ‘central event’. A ‘key event’ has a prescribed place in the story; somewhere in the first act. It is where your central character leaves the world of the set-up and can’t return to the status quo.
Why is the central event important?
The central event is a concept to help you understand the big picture of your story design. As a vital organ, it can help you diagnose the health of your work-in-progress. A central event is like a pair of lungs that sustains the body of the story.
One manuscript I read had an engaging premise, some beautiful writing, and a number of compelling story threads. It was quite a strong draft. The writer had an idea of what the story essence was, and seemed to be toying with a couple of different versions of the major dramatic question. Despite what was working well, as a reader, the story felt untethered, in some way just out of reach, difficult to grasp. I sat with it a while before realising that the story lacked a central event.
When I talked with the writer about the manuscript he could see the same thing. There was an episode in the story that we both felt would work well as the central event. It was present in the plotline, but had not been given importance as a vital organ sustaining the story. Understanding that episode as the central event helped him strengthen the cohesion of the work considerably and helped to clarify his story essence and the major dramatic question.
The concept of a central event will be straight forward for some writers and easy to identify. For others it can seem a little slippery. If you are in the latter camp, let the idea roll around in your subconscious, but don’t get too caught up with it. Set it aside and make sure the other vital organs are healthy. Sometimes it takes multiple drafts before you find it, even if has always been there. Once you do, the story can breathe deep.
See also Vital Organs Part 1: Story Essence and Vital Organs Part 2: The Major Dramatic Question
