There are also other 'features' of these novel-writing programs, of course, but they generally fall into two categories:questionnaires about your characters and questionnaires about your locations; with the occasional database built in to store your answers. Once again, you can get something like this for free by reading on - and unlike many of these expensive programs, you can print out your answers and store them however you like.  It's important to remember that the exact questions you ask, and answer, are to some extent irrelevant.  What is important is that you know everything you need to be comfortable with your characters and settings.  If you know them, if you can see them in your imagination, then your writing will show that and your readers will have a better chance of seeing and feeling your characters in their own imaginations.

Let's begin.

Character Questionnaire

Complete one of these for every main character, be it your hero, villain or a main supporting character.  Answer all the questions you need to know your character a little better than you think you'll need to.

1. Have they changed their name since birth? If so, what were they originally called and why did they change it?
2. What gender are they?
3. Have they changed gender? If so, when?
4. Where were they born?
5. When were they born?
6. Where did they grow up? If it's different to where they were born, why did they move?
7. Where do they live now? If it's different to where they grew up, why did they move?
8. What is their mother's name (including maiden name)?
9. What is their father's name?
10. Are they adopted?
11. If they are, do they know?
12. If they are adopted, what are the names of their birth parents
13. If they are adopted, what are the circumstances behind their adoption?
14. How tall is your character?
15. What colour is their skin?
16. What colour are their eyes?
17. What colour is their hair?
18. What do they sound like (accent, tone of voice, pitch, etc)?
19. What sort of personality do they have?
20. What level of education do they have?
21. When did they leave education and why?
22. What sort of job do they have?
23. Do they like their job?
24. What would they ideally be doing?
25. What is their life's ambition?
26. Are they in touch with their family?
27. If so, are they close?
28. Are they in a relationship at the moment?
29. If yes, what is the relationship like?
30. If yes, who are they in a relationship with?
31. If yes, are they faithful?
32. If they aren't in a relationship, why not?
33. If they aren't in a relationship, have they been in one in the past?
34. If there anything else we should know about the character?

Location Questionnaire

Locations are important, both for providing an interesting and imaginative environment that propels the story along at a fast pace but they also provide the atmosphere that makes your readers suspend disbelief and really feel like they are there, inside your story, watching what is going on.  They are as important as the characters who walk through them.

1. Where is this location?
2. Is it significant to any of the characters in the story? Why?
3. Describe the sounds in this location.
4. Describe the smells in this location.
5. Describe the appearance of this location.
6. Is there anything in this location (e.g. furniture, trees, sewer entrances, burned out cars, etc.)? Describe these things.
7. Why is this location in your story?
8. Is there anything else we should know about this location?

Story Questionnaire

Story is important.  We've all come across a novel where there appears to be no story whatsoever, or if there is it's a simple excuse for an action sequence or set of jokes.  Books of this sort rarely, if ever, top the bestseller lists and are often forgotten soon after they pass out of the 'new releases' section of the local bookshop.  The story is what propels the novel.  It's what grabs a reader as hard as any captivating character, so you need to have a firm grasp on where your novel is going.

1. Who is your main protagonist (the person on which the story will focus, and usually through whose eyes we will view the story unfold)?
2. Why is this person the protagonist?
3. Who is the main antagonist (the person causing problems and conflict for your protagonist to overcome)?
4. Why is this person the antagonist?
5. What is the problem the protagonist must solve?
6. Why is it important that they solve it?
7. How will this problem be solved?
8. How is the protagonist introduced to the story?
9. How do they come across the problem around which this story will revolve?
10. Is there anyone who will help them solve this problem? Why?
11. Is there anyone who will hinder them in solving this problem (other than the main antagonist)? Why?

These questionnaires are by no means the be-all and end-all of storytelling but if you can answer them fully and to the best of your ability, expanding on them where you feel you need to, then you should have a very good grip on your story.

Once you know what you're writing and you have a good picture of your characters, locations and so forth in your head you will find that you don't need expensive software to help you write. You can write by hand, with a typewriter, with something like WordPad or even with fully-functional word processing software like Word or OpenOffice.org. You have the tools at your fingertips because the tools of the storytelling trade are in your head. Everything else is simply an aid to writing, nothing more.

Finally, don't worry if what you write doesn't seem top-notch - it may even seem like the worst thing ever written. That's not a problem. The thing to remember is that you need to get your story down on paper or on the screen. Once your story is finished and you have it there at your fingertips, you can go over it again, refine it and develop any areas you feel are lacking. This editorial stage is where stories become good, readable tales that you might find people actually enjoy but you have to remember that in order to get to the editorial stage, you must push on through the first draft.  To get to the truffles, you have to wade through dirt.

1. Interesting Subject

   The topic of your article has to be interesting. If its on a boring subject no one will want to read it. So write about interesting and entertaining topics or about helpful tips on how to do things.

2. Grammar

   You have to use good grammar. If you use bad grammar the readers will have a hard time reading and understanding your article. It will also make your article look sloppy and unprofessional, and that will turn off many readers.

3. Tags and Title

   Your title has to be interesting and catchy. Your title has to stand out in order for people to read it. With a normal, average the readers will just scan right past your article. Your tags have to be detailed and also wide-ranging. The more tags you have the more likely someone will find your articles. With bad tags no one will be able to find your article.

Follow these three easy steps and it will improve your Triond articles 3 times more. These steps will help you gain more views which leads to more money! On the next article you write put these 3 steps into your article it will be worth it!

Writing should be creative, spontaneous and freely released onto paper when it is done.

Editing, punctuation, spelling can be done later (however be sure you do edit several times). Your soul becomes part of your words when your mind doesn't get hung up on all the details of perfection.

Computers are wonderful and laptops have become a writer's best friend. We all need them for our finished or final drafts of writings. This is a must when editing and bringing to a perfection level. However, when you begin writing creatively, grab a pen, pencil and pad of paper. There is something about writing words on paper and seeing them form what you want to say that sparks your creative thinking and enhances the emotions within to creatively come alive.

Writing has to be nurtured and demands your attention daily. Try keeping a daily journal, each day write a couple of pages about anything. If you run out of ideas to write, look around the room and write describing each item in your room. If this doesn't work, sit outside or go to a park, write about the view, the air, the trees or anything that you see, feel or touch. You will soon fill a notebook. After a few weeks or months - read what you have written…you very well could have a good start to a story. Many stories have come from daily journals and many books have been published.

You may want to try another approach to writing, especially if you are more artistic. You may sketch, draw, paint or do photography. These talents add to writing and to be able to do both is fantastic. Writers need illustrations and paintings need writing. You may find yourself doing both and need help getting the words put together. Look at your painting, sketch or photograph. What is your central focus you that gave you the inspiration to create your masterpiece? Choose the word that best describes your focus. Find a large piece of poster paper, draw a circle in the center and write that word inside the circle. Now, you will make your circle shine with rays coming out all around the sides. On each ray write another word that relates to the center word, descriptive or acting words. Now from each of these new words add another ray and a new word that relates to those words. You may repeat this exercise a couple of times. When finished connect words into sentences and organize your sentences. You have created a descriptive writing for your masterpiece using your own creative thinking.

Many tools can help with words, use your dictionary, the thesaurus, and read. Reading and studying other styles of authors helps to see what readers are reading. This helps your when finding a market for your finished project.

Final - write everyday whether you do professional writing or fun writing for a hobby.

Slap the Reader with an Snappy Title

The first thing that a potential reader will perceive is your title. Should it prove to be boring or uninviting then rest assured that the reader will hop, skip and jump to the next persons article. You inherit no second chances within this business therefore; you have to seize the reader's curiosity instantaneously and the method of doing that it through your article title.

Catch The Reader Off Guard With Your First Paragraph

When they say that first impressions go a long way towards success it applies to the art of writing also. Either the first sentence of your article will compel the reader to read further or it will repeal them and force a quick retreat elsewhere. Catch the reader off guard with a whimsical question or a smart retort. You cannot succeed if the reader does not read your article!

Watch your Language

Unless you have been commissioned to write technical articles ensure that your language borders on the abilities of the common people. Don't attack your thesaurus in search for those fancy two bit - six syllable words as they are a sure fire way to say good-bye to your reader. Writing and reading is not a challenge between words but rather the words should compliment the two activities. Choose your words carefully when writing your articles so as not to frighten off the casual reader.

Get To The Meat of Your Article

Pound for pound, the meat (Pun intended) of your article should flow gracefully from paragraph to paragraph. There should be no presumptions on the part of the reader after all you are expected to be relating information to them not quizzing them. I have always found the free flow approach to writing to be of the most benefit and in the end; it comes out the most natural. Just take your paper in hand or your keyboard and commence writing. Do not agonize yourself about spelling; do not fret about punctuation - just write. You can always clean up your style afterwards.

In Conclusion

Your concluding paragraph has a major responsibility in your article as it has the obligation of cleverly combining all your previous paragraphs jointly into a few dependable sentences and stylishly ending your article. Most readers will appreciate your thoughtfulness at not leaving them hanging and wondering where the closing stages of your article went to. This consideration on your part will be loyally repaid by this reader returning to read more of your writing.