How to Create Convincing Characters for your Novels

The writer may discover after reading the first draft of a novel that the fiction characters seem more like chess pieces than warm blooded creatures. They lack soul, life or believability and seem to comply too easily with the author’s wishes. How can the author create realistic characters within the novel?

Dos and Don’ts of Creating Characters for Novels

Creating characters for novels is not always easy, particularly if the writer cannot identify with any of them. The following malpractices in novel writing could result in cardboard cut-out of characters.

• Creating a character merely to serve the plot. For example, a conveyor of information or a manoeuvre of the other characters into situations, places or states of mind. “Gadget characters” as I call them, could be a best friend, a doctor, an office gossip or a wizened aunt.
• Subconsciously allowing stereotypical characteristics to leak into the characters. This could be a secretary who gossips, a copper with alcoholic tendencies or a librarian who reads a lot.
• Not understanding the characters enough by not giving granting motives and desires to drive them, or not paying heed to what makes them tick.
• Making blanket assumptions about how a character might behave or think when in a certain situation or role. Such as, all fathers are little boys at heart, or all women really want to get married, or all school children hate Mondays.

Conflicts within Characters

Take a listen to a short excerpt of one of my novels, Nora, also on audio.  Here, we learn how the past and the present collides upon Nancy, the main character. This sheds some light upon her behavior, but it also poses more questions than it answers. We can see that Nancy is troubled and that something untoward had occurred at the care center where she had once worked. The fact she has a 'pretty face' has significance and creates conflict upon the sort of person she has become. She has a pretty face, but what is her true nature? What has she done? Such contrasts can add depth to fictional characters and have impact upon their behavior.

Fictional Characters with Strong Identities

The tips to creating realistic characters in novels are to be brutally honest about them. Consider the following remedies:

• Cut the deadwood characters, particularly those that seem to stand by and do nothing. Would the plot miss them? Consider combining two or more minor characters.
• Conduct a character questionnaire to draw out the character by inventing backgrounds, tastes and family history. Filling in details will help make the character more real and better understood.
• Draw on the self. Give the character a common ground with the author. Drawing on personal experience such as divorce or displacement will make the author empathise with the character and more likely, the reader will too.
• A stereotypical character with unusual or unexpected qualities will make the character more interesting, such as a pub landlord who collects fine art or a nurse who is secretly dyslexic.

It is also important to think about how the characters relate to the plot. A successful novel is one that has a character-driven story. In other words, characters that have such a life of their own, they move the story along without author intervention. It might help to create contrasts between the characters and the story by introducing obstacles that test the characters to the limit. Entwining the characters within the plot is likely to create a more coherent novel with a strong identity.

Making Characters Interesting in Novels

Wooden characters in novels just need a tweak or two to make them more believable. The key is gaining an intimate understanding of what drives them. Identifying with them on a deep and personal level will create depth to the character, and the reader will pick up on this when reading the novel. Cut the deadwood. Combine two minor characters or give a stereotypical character unusual qualities. A character questionnaire will also help the author get to know their characters more.

Links on How to Create Realistic Characters in Novels

Books on writing novels
How to create characters in novels
Making fictional characters believable
Character development questionnaire
How to write dialogue in fiction

Make the Most of Free Adwords from Google

Google’s Adwords is a great way of getting relevant traffic to your website. But every so-often, Google issues Adword coupons worth a fixed amount to webmasters, giving them the opportunity to take part in the Adwords program for free. But how does the Adwords coupon work?

Gain Website Traffic for Free from Google

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Most webmasters earn revenue from companies that display adverts alongside their web content. Potential customers, who click on such an ad, earn the webmaster revenue. The click might be worth a few pence or a few pounds depending upon the product offered and the competition. These ads can also be seen on Googles SERPS, or search result pages. These advert links are known as Adwords.

How Adwords Work

Well-thought out Adwords could draw customers into the website via the ad link, meaning only relevant customers seeking a particular product or service will visit the website. This could prove invaluable to the webmaster wishing to make sales or earn commission (such goals are known as “conversions”) and is a cheap way for entrepreneurs on a budget to advertise and find customers.

Free Adword Coupons from Google

The beauty of using Adwords is that the webmaster pays only if the potential customer clicks on his or her Adwords. To get to grips with how the free Adwords work, it is necessary to explain how Adwords normally work.

Google Adwords Plain and Simple

Setting up an Adwords account is easy.

1. Firstly, the webmaster wishing to promote his or her services via Adwords may visit www.google.com/adwords and select the desired currency with which to pay for the Adsense program.
2. Decide on the desired audience or ad group. This means selecting the language and the region of the customers sought after, and even the time of day for exposure. A website adverting holidays in the Lake District for example may wish to display Adwords only in the UK. A company offering online courses in screenwriting may advertise nationally.
3. Select your budget. This means deciding upon the maximum you are willing to pay for each Ad click or cost per click (CPC) if a customer visits your site via an Adword. Higher bidding keywords will be placed near the top of the search page; cheaper ones, nearer the bottom.
4. Consider a title for the Adwords, which must not exceed 25 characters, followed by a brief description of what the website offers. The webmaster must deliberate on this part to ensure the title and description is enticing and yet accurate. Google offer Adword tutorials to help webmasters select the best Adwords for their businesses.

Free Advertising from Google

The webmaster would normally pay to take part in the Adwords program. For many, Adwords is invaluable, for a click into the website could culminate in a sale or a commission.
But Google offers free Adsense coupons for those who are reluctant to take part. A coupon to the value of £75 is worth 300 visitors if each click were worth 25p each. And by using the coupon, it is all for free.

It must be noted, however, the coupon reduces in value after a period of time, so the decisive webmaster may benefit from acting promptly. Such a free trial may result in such an increase in website traffic and sales, the webmaster may decide to continue with Adwords in the future.

Is Adwords for Me?

Adwords is essential for the success of many websites and niche businesses, as a click worth 30p or so, could result in the sale of art materials worth £30; another click worth £2 could result in the yearly subscription to a car magazine worth £20. But the webmaster who does not offer a product as such, but informative advice, may think twice before taking part in Adwords. Although it might result in an increase in traffic and therefore more Adsense, the profits might not be so marked.

How to Use Keywords in Articles

Using keywords effectively in articles is likely to result in a webpage that earns money. This means researching into finding the best keywords, synonyms and other search phrases that people are actually using. Without effective use of keywords and their strategic placement within the text, the article could remain invisible in search results.

Best Use of Keywords in Article Writing

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Most webmasters know that keywords play an important role in getting traffic to a website or webpage. The same applies to writing articles. The writer must conduct research into which search terms people are using to ensure the article comes up in search results, and therefore get traffic. Using Google’s Adwords keyword tool is invaluable for this end, not only in finding the most common search terms people are using, but also in finding which keywords attract the highest revenue, as well as ideas for synonyms, not conceived by the article writer.

How to Write an Article that Makes Money

Writing highly-focused articles on a niche subject will fare well for the writer. Once the topic has been chosen, it is a good idea to write the article for the reader, not for Googlebots. This makes the article more pleasurable to read, and also improve the likelihood of the article earning backlinks from other sites.

Drafting an Article for Money Making Websites

Once the first draft of the article has been completed, the article writer may edit and mould the article for SEO in the following ways:

• The nature of reading from a screen is different to reading a book. For this reason, it is best to confine the article to between 400 and 600 words long.
• Break up long paragraphs and pepper with bullet points to make the article easier to scan by the reader
• Attach a few images to the article and tag the image with keyword rich search terms which will make the article more visible to search engines

How to Use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool

Conducting keyword research using Google’s Adwords keyword tool is invaluable for webpage optimisation. This requires the following procedures:

The article writer will not know which search terms people are using when writing the article, so I personally write the article without this in mind in the first draft. Once I have completed the article I go into Google’s Adwords Search Word Tool, and I guess the search terms people might be using to find my article.

Google’s tool will come back with useful data for the webwriter. This will include:

• The actual search phrases people are using, including spelling errors
• Search volume of each search phrase
• Synonyms to the search phrases given
• Which search keywords attract the highest revenue.
• Seasonal trends, for instance, Christmas related articles will show peaks in search results in the autumn months and dips in the summer
• Geographical trends, for instance, local results and global results
• Advertising competition for a particular topic. Some very niche topics may have little advertising competition, in which case, Google may display non contextual ads alongside an article to fill Adwords space

By clicking on a selected column header, the tool will sort the search phrases into any order the writer wishes, for instance, to show the search terms that attract the highest revenue, or by clicking another column, to sort the search terms in the order of traffic volume.

Low Competition Keywords

With the keywords given, the writer may research which keywords have too much competition, or in other words, if too many websites are using them. This can be done by opening Google’s search page and capturing the key phrase in speech marks and seeing how many other websites are using them. If more than 50,000 results come back, the keyword might not be good for SEO, as using high competition keywords could bury the article within other similarly worded articles. Finding low competition keywords can be done by a system known as the money word matrix, covered in another article within this blog.

Make Money by Writing Articles

The writer may jot down strong keywords given from the Google toolbar and sprinkle the article with them. Strongest keywords should be placed in the article title and subtitle. The opening 50 pages is also a good place, as well as the concluding paragraph. Other good places are image tags, anchor text for links and in bullet points.

Once the article has been completed, it is a good idea to read it back so that it is not obvious to the reader that it is keyword rich. But be careful not to put too many keywords in the article. This is known as “keyword stuffing,” and could cause the article to suffer in ranking.

Submitting a Screenplay to BBC Writersroom

The great thing about sending a screenplay to BBCWritersroom, is that, on condition that the first ten pages grabs the attention of the reader, the screenplay will get a fair reading, and possibly even a feedback, which is often more than what other film agents have to offer.

What to Expect from BBCWritersroom

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Too often it happens that film agents are too busy to even look at a screenplay. At other times, the film agent may be too busy to reply to a submission package due to other commitments and needs chasing up. This is where BBCwritersroom differs, for despite receiving thousands of submissions every year, at least the first ten pages of the screenplay will be read. If the screenplay is worth its salt, it will be properly evaluated, and in rare cases, taken on.

BBCWritersroom and the Role of the Screenwriter

The screenwriter must ensure that the first ten pages offers something different, in that the opening scenes are compelling and is sparkling with quality, or the rest of the screenplay will not be read. The BBC also has helpful tips and advice for the budding screenwriter looking for opportunities, which can be found on their website.

How to Submit a Screenplay to BBC Writersroom

Submitting a screenplay to the BBC is quite simple, for no other documentation is required. However, the screenplay must stand out from the crowd in quality and originality. This means drafting and drafting again. Equally important, the screenwriter must read the submission guidelines carefully, for what not to include is as important as what is sent.

The following are not required by the BBC:

• Episodes of existing dramas, such as Eastenders or Ashes to Ashes. Only original ideas are welcome
• An explanation of why the screenplay is so good and should be read. The screenplay will be judged on its own merits
• Literary fiction that requires adaptation, although a film adaptation from the writer’s own fiction novel is welcome
• Film treatments or proposals are not welcome. Only the completed screenplay will be evaluated
• A screenplay in the correct format is essential. Scriptsmart Gold is a free downloadable screenwriting software which will format TV dramas, sitcoms and radio sketches.

What BBC Writersroom Want

BBCWritersroom, as well as other film agents are looking for the following qualities within a screenplay:

• Original, compelling and contrasting characters whose conflicting drives propel the plot
• A strong subtext, that is the difference between what is overtly expressed by the characters and what remains unsaid.
• Dialogue that leaps from the page, and where every word counts without seeming to
• An original plot where the audience cannot guess the outcome
• A white knuckle or painfully subtle conclusion
• The ideal screenplay should be between 90 to 110 pages long and contain the writer’s contact details.

What to Expect after Submitting the Screenplay

The writer must learn to be patient, for writing often involves waiting. The BBC will endeavour to reply with an acknowledgment card within four months or so. But with so much competition, the screenplay is likely to be returned without comment. If the screenplay is good, however, it will be returned with a feedback and an invitation to send a second screenplay. In very rare cases, the screenplay may be referred to a development scheme via the development manager. But this has happened in the past.

But even if the first attempt is fruitless, it is worth keeping an eye on the BBCwritersroom site for scriptwriting competitions, bursaries, news and events. The BBCwritersoom blog is also contains useful advice for screenwriters.

Helpful Articles on Screenwriting

The transformational arc of the screenplay
Why write a screenplay
Books on screenwriting

What do I Send in a Screenplay Submission Package?

Completing a full length screenplay is not the end of the matter. Most film agents insist upon a submission package, which will often include a synopsis of the film, the film treatment, a tag line and even a rundown of a character list. How does the scriptwriter put together a good submission package that will help the chances of the screenplay of being read?

How to Submit Screenplay to the Film Agent

The following items will often be required by various film agents to some degree, as part of whole of the submission package:

• A covering letter, including the writer’s contact details
• A tagline to the movie. A one-sentence summary of what the film is about. Since this is often 25 words long or less, every word counts and is difficult to do
• Film synopsis. This is plot summary of the film, told in around 250 words, and covering one side of an A4 sheet of paper. It will include the key scenes, a brief description of the characters as they arrive within the story and the conclusion
• A film treatment. A more indepth description of the film’s events, in around 25 pages. It tells the story in fast forward
• It is often helpful to have a character list. A cast list with a brief description of each character to help the reader in grasping the screenplay story
• Personal statement. This is rarely required. This describes the writer’s reasons for writing the screenplay and what he or she hopes to achieve.
• The screenplay itself
• Return postage

The Screenplay Synopsis

Screenplay Submission

Perhaps the most important item of the list described is the synopsis. It is more often than not requested as part of the package. To summarise, the synopsis should:

• Describe the film’s events in around 250 words or less
• Be told in the present tense
• Reveal the conclusion of the story
• The storytelling and the narrative style must be compelling. Every word must count. Use one word rather than two and be sparing on descriptive words, clichés and cut redundant words. The thesaurus is invaluable
• No dialogue, slang or typos must be included

The Film Tagline

The one sentence summary is a useful tool for the screenwriter in selling the screenplay. The film agent is able to get a taste of what the screenplay is about at a glance and make an informed decision whether to read the synopsis or the full screenplay.

The Film Treatment

This is perhaps the most difficult part of the submission package, but is not always requested. The treatment is something between the synopsis and the screenplay. Around 25 words long, it tells the screenplay in fast forward, but will describe every scene in the story.

Other documents that might come in handy are a brief rundown of the character list, including a brief description of each, and a personal statement, which describes why the screenwriter wrote the screenplay and the message that was intended for the audience. Again, a personal statement is rarely requested, except in screenwriting competitions

The Full Length Screenplay

Not forgetting the main item, the screenplay itself. The screenplay must deliver what is promised within the synopsis and the tagline. It must dazzle the reader and offer something unique. Comprehensive advice on writing a screenplay, covering issues such as character development and plot conception can be found on my website on how to write screenplays.

Helpful Articles on Screenplay Writing

How to Format your screenplay for Kindle
Guide to editing the screenplay
Putting words into characters' mouths
The best words for your screenplay
Getting into paid screenwriting jobs

Using Keywords for Beginners

Part of making a website visible is using keywords properly. Keywords are words and phrases that tell search engines what the article or webpage is about and therefore make the webpage index-able. But how does the webmaster choose the best keywords for website marketing?

Understanding Keywords for Dummies

Effective use of keywords for SEO entails knowing fatal mistakes to avoid when trying to make a website visible. Keywords are the key. Witty puns, parochialisms or slang phrases, for example, are meaningless to search engines. Web searchers are unlikely to use these phrases when searching for information on the internet. Examples of such phrases include “wow recipes,” or “wicked places to stay,” etc. The following SEO mistakes should also be avoided.

• Broad generalisations should also be avoided. Phrases such as “hotels in London” or “how to lose weight” are not specific enough and web searchers are more likely to use more specific phraseology. It is better to make the key phrase specific by using qualifying words. “How to use weight with herbs,” or “cheap hotels in Kensington,” are better
• Avoid using highly competitive keywords and phrases. Using keywords that everyone else is using is unlikely to make the webpage visible if it is to be buried amongst thousands of other search results.
• Use keywords and phrases that are in context to what the article is about. Avoid using a header “art materials for oil painting,” if the body of the text is more about watercolours. Using appropriate keywording will trigger contextual adverts to display alongside the web content and will help the webmaster earn Adsense revenue.
• Avoid guessing which search terms the visitor is likely to use. Google’s Adwords keyword tool is an excellent resource for the webmaster

Finding the Best Keywords Step by Step

The webmaster who wishes to create a search friendly webpage should think about which keywords to include. Finding the best keywords can be achieved by the following:

• Brainstorm the sort of keywords likely to be used
• Go into the Google’s Adwords keyword tool and type in these phrases
• In the “choose columns to be displayed,” select “show all” from the drop down menu
• Several columns will be displayed showing a result of associated search phrases, as well as those typed. By clicking on “search volume” the programme will sort each search phrase found in order of search volume.
• Various other columns will inform on how much revenue an ad click will yield and what the yearly trends are for each search term. The webmaster can make informed decisions on which keywords to use.

Unique Keywords with the Matrix Method

A keyword that has high search volume and high monetary yield is not necessarily a good keyword to use if thousands of other webmasters are using the same keyword. To find out if this is the case, the webmaster may type in the keyphrase captured in speech marks into the Google search bar. If more than forty thousand results come back, competition is too high. If less than ten thousand, the keyword is a fair choice. Less than a thousand would make this an excellent keyword, particularly for niche websites. This method is known as the Money Word Matrix Method.

The webmaster must take care to avoid highly unusual or long tail keyphrases that searchers are unlikely to use, even if competition is very low.

Best Keywording for a Website

With the information garnered on which keywords to use, the shrewd webmaster should scatter high volume keywords, high revenue keywords, synonyms and niche keywords throughout the web article. This is likely to attract more visitors to the site. The strongest keywords should be placed within the headers in title case and in the introductory paragraph. Others can be scattered throughout the body. Using too much should be avoided. This is known as “keyword stuffing” and could do harm to the webpage’s ranking.

High Paying Adsense Keywords

Generating an income from writing, whether through a website, online magazine or blog, is an exciting preoccupation, thanks to affiliate programmes such as Adsense, Clickbank and Amazon. But the webmaster must bear in mind that two websites that receive similar traffic and ad clicks, could earn vastly different income. Why? Because of cost per clicks or CPC (sometimes known as pay per click, or PPC).

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Adwords Cost Per Click

Effective web marketing will bring an influx of visitors to a site or blog, yet the webmaster could be disappointed with the Adsense return, paying only pennies per ad click. This is because some keywords will trigger lower paying Adwords adverts than others.

Adwords Guide

It may come as little surprise to some, that a keyword that triggers Adword adverts on insurance and finance, will pay more than, say than one that triggers adverts displaying art suppliers. This is because a commission from the former is likely to involve more money. The advertiser is therefore prepared to pay more for an ad click. Higher paying topics are more competitive, and there is a huge volume of webpages devoted to these higher paying subjects. To get some idea of what keywords are worth, the webmaster must get to grips with using the Google Adwords Keyword tool.

Adsense Tips

By putting in suggested keyword ideas into this invaluable tool, associated search terms used by actual visitors will be displayed. When used in a webpage, these search terms can be used as keywords that will trigger desired Adwords ads. Each keyword will yield a different value, which can be seen alongside each search term displayed in the Google tool. The commission paid to a webmaster depends upon a number of factors, some of which are outside of the webmaster’s control:

• Higher paying topics are those that have higher profit potential, such as those associated with business and finance. Ad clicks on such adverts will yield high revenue for the webmaster
• The amount of Adword competition. A highly niche keyword may have little competition to bid with. To fill ad spaces, Google may display non contextual adverts, which are less likely to yield clicks. This may cause lower Adsense revenue.
• The quality of the advertising campaign and the words used in the Adwords displayed
• Adwords are location-sensitive, meaning that depending upon where the visitor is located in the world, different Adwords will be displayed. Little competition in a particular area may cause lower revenue.

The Best Keywords for Ad Clicks

Regardless of the topic the webmaster chooses, strategic use of the Google’s Adwords Keyword tool will reveal which keywords and phrases are likely to yield high paying clicks. Checking results on the search engine will reveal how many times that phrase has been used within indexed webpages. Keywords and phrases with low volume results should be preferred.

Make the Most of Google Adwords Adsense

This does not mean that lower paying keywords should be avoided altogether if a volume of ad clicks will occur. Finding a balance between infrequent high paying clicks and a numerous low paying ad clicks is the key to earning a decent income from Adsense revenue.

But none of this would be possible unless the website or blog is visible in the first place. This is where SEO, or search engine marketing comes in, and will help contribute to attracting traffic, and therefore ad clicks to a website.