#44 - Throwing the Song's Character's Life Out Of Balance – Waypoint #1: The Inciting Incident

Lyric Mastery - Storytelling in Songwriting

You know, I always consider what happens in a powerful lyric like a journey.
It’s basically about watching a character move from one point in their life to another.
They are in a certain external or internal situation, and they wanna get from where they are to a better place.
So there’s always this little journey that the song’s main character goes on.
But before anyone moves in life and takes action, most of the time, though, something must happen beforehand.
And that’s what today’s episode is all about.
It’s about that incident that makes them see that they gotta pursue what they want so that they can get rid of an imbalance.
It’s like they feel that something is off, and they’re pulled towards something better — externally or internally.
So, if you want to find out how to write lyrics with a meaningful message, then this episode is the first part of five to doing just that.
Here's what we'll cover:

• [00:01:37] 5 Commandments
• [00:03:54] Definition of the Inciting Incident
• [00:08:31] Creating Drive in the Audience
• [00:09:29] Causal and Coincidental Inciting Incidents
• [00:11:03] Placement of the Inciting Incident

Show Notes

• #37 - Attention Grabbing Opening Lines - Part 1: The Powerful Problem
• Hot Legs lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• That's Amore lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• I Will Survive lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
• The Foundations of Decay lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
• Stan lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc
• I'll Be There For You lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

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