iUniverse highlights the Heroes’ Side-Kick Part 1

iUniverse publishing knows that throughout the history of telling tales, whether by word of mouth, written in literature, listened to by radio, or watched on TV or at the movies, there is one thing that always brings the readers attention back to the hero or heroine. What is that one thing you may ask? Of course it’s the enduring side-kick.

Some of the greatest heroes in our world of stories have that one character that helps in their adventures for the greater good. Such literary notables as Sherlock Holmes had the sometimes dour Dr. Watson, Robinson Crusoe had his Man Friday and author Mark Twain gave Tom Sawyer his pal Huckleberry Finn.

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iUniverse: Screenwriting Contests & Competitions 2012-13 Part 4

In iUniverse presents Screenwriting Contests & Competitions in 2012 and 2013 – Part 3, iUniverse self-publishing encouraged you to enter several screen writing contests, including Scriptapalooza, the Fade in Awards and the CineStory Screenwriting Awards Contest. In this article, we will present a few more contests.

Austin Film Festival Screenplay and Teleplay Competition – $5,000 Cash Prize

This competition was established for non-professional screenplay writers. To enter, you must submit a drama or comedy film script between 90 and 120 pages. The first place winner in each category will receive a cash prize of $5,000.

Every year, the early deadline is May 15, the late deadline is June 1, and the final deadline for the teleplay competition is also June 1. Entry fees are $40 for the early deadline, $50 for the late deadline and $30 for the teleplay competition.

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iUniverse: Screenwriting Contests & Competitions 2012-13 Part 3

In iUniverse presents Screenwriting Contests & Competitions in 2012 and 2013 – Part 2, iUniverse publishing encouraged you to enter several screen writing contests, including the Big Break Screenwriting Contest, the Cinequest Screenwriting Competition and the Page International Screenwriting Awards. In this article, we will present a few more contests.

Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Contest – $10,000 Cash Prize

This contest was started in 1998 to find talented, unknown screenplay writers. It is recommended by the author of Story, Robert McKee, and Write Brothers Inc., the creators of Movie Magic Screenwriters computer software. The first place winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, and the competition will publicize the winner’s, finalists’ and semifinalists’ screenplays for one year.

To enter this competition, you must submit a screenplay in any genre between 80 and 140 pages in English. For the early deadline, scripts must be postmarked by January 7, 2013, for the First deadline – March 5, 2013, for the regular deadline – April 16, 2013 and for the final cut-off date – April 22, 2013. The entry fees are as follows: Early – $45, First – $50,, Regular – $55 and the final – $60.

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iUniverse discusses the best opening lines of novels

What do you think are the top ten opening lines of novels? iUniverse publishing argues that the topic is controversial, but many people would agree that these are some.

“Call me Ishmael.”

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

In this article, iUniverse Writer’s Tips will take a look at many opening lines which are thought to be the best in literature. Let’s begin with Ulysses by James Joyce. The opening line of the novel is,

“Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a bowl of lather on which a mirror and a razor lay crossed.”

This type of sentence is considered a classic third person opening, and it has helped shape modern fiction since it was published in 1922.

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iUniverse suggests ways to write a book using Flashbacks

iUniverse publishing says flashbacks can be very important to the development of a story. They tell us about a character’s backstory, which is everything that has happened to a character, including all their experiences, up until the point that they are introduced in a book.

Many inexperienced writers make the mistake of putting flashbacks in the wrong place. Others allow their flashbacks to last too long, which distracts readers from the actual story, and seems like more of a diversion than a way to advance the story.

Many writers use the second chapter of a book as a flashback in order to tell a character’s backstory. Other writers like to make the first chapter a flashback and, then, jump forward to the present in the second chapter. Still others like to alternate the chapters of a book and use two separate timelines to tell their story, e.g. one chapter is set in the past and the next is set in the present throughout the story or vice versa.

Triggering Memories

Think about how you remember things from the past. Memories come from somewhere. They are usually triggered by something happening in the present. It is important to trigger flashbacks by having something happen to your character in the present which shows the reader the obvious reason for the flashback or why the character is remembering the past.

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