a ▁to ▁Comple ted ▁Man us cript , ▁W riter ' s ▁Dig est ▁Books , ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁first ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁describes ▁novel ▁writing ▁as ▁a ▁ 1 6 - step ▁process , ▁taking ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁intended ▁finished ▁length ▁into ▁account ▁from ▁the ▁beginning . ▁Marshall ▁focus es ▁specifically ▁on ▁fiction , ▁ident ifying ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁writing ▁genre ▁most ▁likely ▁to ▁be ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁a ▁publish er . ▁Draw ing ▁from ▁D w ight ▁V . ▁Sw ain ▁and ▁Jack ▁B ick ham ' s ▁techniques , ▁Marshall ▁ident ifies ▁two ▁core ▁plot ting ▁units : ▁the ▁action ▁section ▁and ▁the ▁reaction ▁section . ▁Marshall ▁recomm ends ▁the ▁number , ▁and ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁action ▁and ▁reaction ▁sections ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁a ▁novel ' s ▁length . ▁He ▁also ▁recomm ends ▁the ▁corresponding ▁story ▁arc ▁with ▁plot ▁points ▁all ▁in ▁a ▁specific ▁order , ▁the ▁number ▁and ▁type ▁of ▁view point ▁characters , ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁opposition , ▁and ▁other ▁elements ▁of ▁plot ▁and ▁character ▁development . ▁ ▁The ▁Marshall ▁Plan ▁Work book ▁The ▁second ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁concentr ates ▁on ▁the ▁fundamental ▁details ▁of ▁producing ▁a ▁novel . ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁ass ists ▁the ▁writer ▁in ▁building ▁characters , ▁developing ▁plot ▁and ▁setting ▁goals . ▁The ▁second ▁half ▁is ▁the ▁Plan ▁Blue print , ▁a ▁ 5 8 - page ▁section ▁of ▁fill - in - the - blank ▁sheets ▁to ▁help ▁writers ▁produce ▁a ▁novel .