Which term describes the incident that introduces the central conflict and may occur before the story opens?

• A. Rising action
• B. Climax
• C. Initiating event
• D. Resolution

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is identifying the moment that kicks the central problem into motion. The initiating event is that moment when the situation that will drive the whole story is introduced. It sets the stakes and pulls the protagonist into the main dilemma, and it can happen before the narrative’s opening or in its very first scenes as a backstory or a quick spark that launches the plot.

This helps distinguish it from other parts of the plot sequence. After the initiating event, the story builds with events that escalate tension—the rising action—leading up to the climax, the story’s turning point. The ending then resolves the conflicts in the resolution. An example could be receiving a mysterious letter that forces the protagonist to pursue a danger or secret; that letter is the initiating event that starts the action, not the climb of tension itself or the final solution.