The Three Acts

There shouldn’t be a writer alive who doesn’t understand that a story has three main acts:

Beginning
Middle
End

Now let’s break these up a bit:

The beginning is where you introduce your protagonist (main character) and the obstacle that puts his/her life in an upheaval. This obstacle is his goal to overcome by the time you come to the third act – The End. In simpler terms this is your set-up of things to come showcasing the journey the main character will embark on.

The middle is where some headway has been met but then more obstacles steer in his path. This is the act where readers begin to believe the main character is doomed to fail.

The end is where you tie everything together. Your protagonist must have grown in some way, and learned something about himself.

Understanding the three act set-up will help you outline your novel with less stress.

Poppacrit DARES You Contest

The Muse Marquee proudly announces Poppacrits DARE to one and all writers.

Not only will he give you a FREE critique on your first 500 word manuscript beginning, but now he's added a contest for some excitement.

HOOK CONTEST

Here's your chance to win US$15.00 (payable through PayPal) and have your 500 word beginning to a novel or story critiqued in the September edition of The Muse Marquee.

Do you have the courage to submit to Poppacrit’s red pen?

Click HERE for full contest details.

Shine, Spit, and Polish Your Fiction Writing

Many writers wish they possessed Aladdin’s genie to help them ‘best seller’ their novels. Realistically, however, we’d be living in a fantasy world if we believed genies existed. So for those writers who are waiting for a miracle…it will never happen. Determination, hard work, and perseverance are all elements you need to possess to ascertain success.

Remember there are hundreds, no thousands, and I would even dare to venture to say millions of writers around the world who are your direct competition. Granted, some may ‘think’ about writing, others will ‘begin’ writing, and few will actually ‘finish’ writing their tales. Which of these three areas do you fit in?

If you chose ‘finish’ then hurray because this book is aimed to help you further digest several steps to get you to that ‘best seller’ category.

If you chose ‘begin’ and wish to motivate yourself to ‘finish’— if you’re open-minded and serious enough to consider what I have to say -- then you’ll find this book helpful.

Read the full article HERE.

Introducing Chris Ivins to The Muse Marquee

Everyone at the Muse Marquee is excited to welcome Chris Ivins as our newest editor in the Poets Corner.

Chris Ivins loves poetry. After a career in the administrative areas of State Government and private enterprise she escaped from Sydney to the town of Grenfell , the birthplace of the famous Australian poet, Henry Lawson. Now, four and a half years later, she’s currently Poet-in-Residence at a local venue under the umbrella of the Australian Poetry Centre. Recently, two poems she submitted in a local contest (Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival Poetry Contest) were given the honours of Highly Commended and Commended. Chris writes under the “handle” of “alpacalady” on FanStory where she is a Professional level poet, and where she nurtures her mantra on a daily basis: “The power of the pen is mightier than a sharp tongue.” When not busy with verse, Chris encourages a small herd of alpacas to enjoy breeding and producing a cash flow.

Chris officially begins as our newest Poets Corner editor in June. Stay tuned.

I've Searched But Can't Find Ideas

Were you looking in any particular drawer for a story idea? No? Hmmm…

The funny thing is, you’re probably waiting for me to crack a joke right now, but that won’t happen because ideas can be found anywhere and everywhere, even in drawers.

Don’t believe me? Well, here goes:

1- What’s in that drawer? Have you been watching someone at work, at home, at your friend’s home, unlocking and placing something inside then immediately locking it again? Why? Do they have a drawer disorder?

Go HERE to read the full article.

Poetry Contest

We just announced in our April issue the Flash Fiction winner along with her entry.

Read it here.

Also, the deadline for our Poetry Contest is June 1st.

Read the guidelines here.

Marketing and Promoting a Picture Book - One Writer's Journey

Kim Chatel, a rising star in the world of literature, has recently had her first picture book, Rainbow Sheep, published by Guardian Angel Publishing (GAP). The quirky, delightful story is beautifully presented, and complemented by illustrations created from Kim’s own fiber art.

When I asked Kim why she chose the small but fast-growing GAP, Kim said, “That's like asking ‘Why did you pick this lottery to win?’ - especially for a first time picture book author.”

Link here to read the rest of the interview with Kim Chatel conducted by Susan Stephenson.