Tip #333: Inciting Incident vs First Turning Point

Your inciting incident... might have as few as one scene or as many as twenty—little snippets where your character discovers that he has a problem and that the problem... is life-altering

http://davidfarland.com/writing_tips/?a=273

Or has the potential to be life-altering.  In a good or bad way.

Tip #300: Problems with endings?

Does the plot build from... inciting incident to an inevitable climax? 

http://annerallen.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/the-biggest-problem-facing-beginning.html

If you're having trouble answering this question, try separating your various story arcs/problems (external, internal, etc) and thinking as abstractedly as possible.  Different arcs may have different inciting incidents (but as many as possible should share a climax).

e.g. Inciting Incident: Boy learns his parents were murdered -> Climax: Boy comes face-to-face with the murderer is only a tiny part of the Harry Potter story and certainly not the main story arc, but the additional arc (and its dictated requirement) gives the climax additional emotional power.

Tip #270: Setup to response

The {First Plot Point} shifts the context of the narrative from the Part 1 SETUP to the Part 2 RESPONSE... {It is} a change imbued with a quest and journey for the hero... With problems to solve, foes to conquer (including the dreaded inner demons), obstacles to navigate, with stakes in play... it defines the revisions of your Part 1 and the very nature of the rest of your story.

http://storyfix.com/the-moment-that-makes-or-breaks-your-story

Tip #214: Psychology of reaction

{When} something happens to a person... that person... has to decide WHY it happened. That decision is completely critical to how the person ends up feeling--and responding--to the event.

http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/2012/01/awesomeness-of-attributions.html

Tip #151: Turning points

Make sure your audience can feel it when the story has reached a turning point.

http://www.gointothestory.com/2011/07/writing-question-what-is-single-best.html?spref=tw
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Tip #56: The Beginning

The hero is going about their business when suddenly, something happens and they have a problem. This is the inciting event that causes the rest of the story to happen.

http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2009/04/plot-thickens.html

In some cases the problem may already be present, but something happens which forces the protagonist to face it and then deal with it (inciting incident).

Tip #6: Parts of a plot

a great plot isn’t just a plot—it’s several pieces to a story. I’m always looking for a strong opening hook, a tremendous inciting incident that turns the story in an unexpected direction, compelling try/fail cycles for each major conflict, a gripping climax, a moving denouement, and so on.

David Farland's Daily Kick in the Pants: Creating Great Plots (1st Nov 2010)