#5ActFestiveStory writing challenge
BY Emily Powter-Robinson
5th Dec 2022
Welcome to #WriteCBC's #5ActFestiveStory 2022! This blog has the details of the story and competition structure, and will also be where we announce our daily winners.
Find out more about our special festive writing competition, which is taking place on Twitter @cbcreative (Mon 5 Dec - Mon 12 Dec), including instructions of how to play, the prizes on offer and the rules here.
We are especially excited that special guest Kate Mosse will be providing the prompt to kickstart the beginning of our story. Kate is the author of nine novels and two short story collections, three works of non-fiction, four plays and is one of twelve writers who contributed a story to a new Miss Marple Collection of Short Stories published in September 2022. A champion of women’s creativity, Kate is the Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction – the largest annual celebration of women’s writing in the world. In 2013, she was awarded an OBE for services to literature and women and was named Woman of the Year for her service to the arts in the Everywoman Awards. She is also the tutor of our new five-week online course: Writing Fiction with Kate Mosse.
Kate is the chair of the Discoveries 2023 judging panel. Discoveries is a writing development programme for unpublished female novelists – ran by the Women’s Prize Trust, Curtis Brown, Curtis Brown Creative and Audible. Find out more about Discoveries and enter by 15 Jan 2023 here.
This special festive edition of #WriteCBC will follow a five-act structure. Read on to learn more about this traditional story arc and its relevance to our Festive Story:
Act I – Opening & Setup (Mon 5 Dec)
This act should introduce the protagonist and tell us when and where the story is happening.
We’re asking you to continue the story opening using this prompt from Kate Mosse as your inspiration:
- On a clear winter's night of ice and stars, on a quiet suburban street, two people stood bundled up against the cold. 'If we are going to do it,' she said, 'it has to be tonight.'
Kate has set up the story with a character and one location. In your continuation of the opening, be sure to reveal some more details about your protagonist and begin to set the tone for the rest of the story. Perhaps you'll include details that reveal the era in which the story is taking place, or what genre the narrative might fall under...
Well done to our two runners-up @ChristinaRowse2 and @greengillybean. You’ve both won a £50 discount to be used on the six-week online course of your choice.
Congratulations to our first winner! Our opening act comes from Mikhaeyla Kopievsky @MikhaeylaK
- Alina, the elder of the two sisters, nodded reluctantly and set to work. Her bare fingers trembled with the cold and anticipation as she used her hairpin to pick the lock of the bright red mailbox.
We love the layers of intrigue that Mikhaeyla has introduced to the story: Why are the sisters breaking into the mailbox? What are they planning to do with the post they find inside? This opening has left the story wide open for many potential twists and turns... Where will the story take the two sisters next? It's up to you as your help us write Act II!
Act II – Rising Action (Tues 6 Dec)
Following on from our Act I winner, @MikhaeylaK's scene we’d like you to give us an inciting incident… Something must happen to our protagonist(s) that will force them to face a problem!
Well done to our two runners-up @edmsrus and @phil_writing . You’ve both won a £50 discount to be used on the six-week online course of your choice.
Congratulations to our second winner! Act II comes from Susanna @See_Susanna:
- The door creaked open; the mail spilled out, kicked by the tiny figure in green. He jumped on top, gleaming eyes twinkling at each sister in turn. ‘You’re too late - I’ve eaten it,’ he squeaked and favoured the sisters with the widest toothy grin.
We really enjoyed this inciting incident! What were the contents of the letter that the mischievous figure in green ate? What will be the consequence of this action? How will the sisters respond?
Act III – Midpoint & Climax (Weds 7 Dec)
Following on from Susanna’s scene, our characters should have a revelation about how to solve their problem – but something goes wrong. This is the turning point and the part of our story with the highest amount of suspense.
Well done to our two runners-up @beccalewissmith and @leanwaters. You’ve both won a £50 discount to be used on the six-week online course of your choice.
Congratulations to our third winner! Act III comes from Steve Warner @SJWarner3:
- Without hesitation, the sisters grabbed the green sprite and turned him upside down. They shook, jiggled, and jolted him until letters, parcels, and even a ball of string fell from his mouth. Finally, their envelope appeared, but the message inside was missing.
We love the rhythmic rise and fall of Steve's writing and the way that our protagonists launch into action here. This Act III is full of the tension and suspense you need in a climax. What's the message on the missing letter? Why do the sisters need to find the letter? What's their plan now? These are all questions that we want you to start helping us answer with your Act IV submission!...
Act IV – Falling Action (Thurs 8 Dec)
Following on from Steve's Act III scene, our story is coming to an end – but there should still be some unknowns and plot twists to be revealed and wrapped up.
Well done to our two runners-up @salskins and @KarenMilner5. You’ve both won a £50 discount to be used on the six-week online course of your choice.
Congratulations to our fourth winner! Act IV comes from LMR @lmrlmrlmr:
- ‘Tell us, what did it say?!’ The elf grinned. ‘My first is in tinsel but not in bauble, My second in reindeer but not in elf, It ends in the sound when I fall off the shelf!’ The sisters looked aghast. Then Alina gasped, ‘I’ve got it! It must be under the TREE!’
We loved the elf's cheeky riddle here and there are some real stakes now as we move towards a resolution for this Festive Story. Will the letter help the sister's to save the day? We'll leave that up to you as we enter Act V!
Act V – Resolution (Fri 9 Dec)
Following on from LMR's scene, we need the resolution to our story! Perhaps there’s a revelation and maybe a lesson is learned.
Well done to our two runners-up @kim_adamsWriter and @jazzie_vibes. You’ve both won a £50 discount to be used on the six-week online course of your choice.
Congratulations to our fifth and final winner! Act V comes from Rachael @Rachael_E_C:
- The church bells chimed as they raced to the tree. Underneath were hundreds of letters the elf had stolen. Alina scooped a pile into her arms. ‘Come on, back to the postbox to get these sent to the North Pole!’ Finally everyone would get their Christmas wish.
Helpful tips
This is a festive story, so bear this theme in mind when you're writing the acts of the story. Try to think about the magic and mystery of this time of year. Pay attention to the details of Kate's prompt and remember that you will be asked to continue the story from the previous winner's act, so make sure you read the story so far and keep the tone, themes, character names and setting the same.
Consistency is important, but remember to enjoy the collaborative nature of the task. There's nothing wrong with a few twists and turns...
Join in the fun on Twitter @cbcreative!
If you're one of our lucky winners or runners-up please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to claim your prize.