Plotting to create better characters

No lies here, plotting and character development are not my strong suits.
I'm constantly reading about both subjects, trying to plot out better stories and create better characters, but to no avail.
None of my attempts have satisfied my high standards.
In the last several weeks, I've been working my way through an e-course on mystery writing.
Life has gotten in the way of a few weeks of homework and research, and in between that, my lack of discipline has also caused bumps in the road. I'm about three weeks behind.

Spending a dreary afternoon with a sweet tea at McDonald's and
catching up on my mystery writing class. (photo by Anna Jauhola)

Today, however, I've found a couple inspirations on the interwebs and shall share them with you.

I often struggle with fully fleshing out characters. Most lack depth on the page because I can't seem to fully express their personalities on paper.
Today I discovered shesnovel.com. Author Kristen Kieffer lays out the groundwork for creating truly amazing main characters that hold readers' attentions.
I'm excited to use these tips to further develop the characters I've created for my mystery writing class. Thank you Ms. Kieffer!

For all you writers out there, check out Ms. Kieffer's page.
She is full of useful tips and information! (screenshot)

I also struggle with plot.
Often, stories pop into my head, but it's only a portion of the story and I fail to go very far with it. In the end, I often give up on the story and move on, feeling depressed and like an epic failure.
In today's search to curb my failures, I found (on handy-dandy Pinterest) a post on Hubpages.com called "How to Write a Novel in 30 Days."
This looks like a pretty comprehensive, self-explanitory and interactive tutorial that could give me a great poke in the right direction.

Writers who struggle with plot -- this page could be for you.
Check out the blog here. (screenshot)

As the rain continues to pour in South Dakota, I'm looking forward to having the next few afternoons and evenings filled with writing, and plot and character development. After all, I need to catch up on that mystery writing class.