Thanks wuff and Sarantini for your rapid response to my problem. I now know how to set up action markers and VFX.
I just have one more question, how do you rotate the markers once they're placed?
Depends on what you are placing. The direction of Smoke and Fire visuals are controlled by the direction and strength of the wind.
You can slightly change the direction by changing the orientation of the marker
EDIT: r doesnt seem to do anything for me for markers at least.